More than 100,000 passengers are expected to travel by coach or bus on Christmas Day via an ever-increasing amount of festive services, the Confederation of Passenger Transport notes.
Coach operators including National Express, FlixBus, Scottish Citylink and Ember will keep cities connected while the national railway network is closed down.
National Express will operate 355 journeys, serving 96 locations, tomorrow.
More than 200 FlixBus services will be in operation with the majority of the network fully in place on Boxing Day.
Meanwhile, CPT says a “small but annually increasing number of operators” are running a limited timetable on Christmas Day as passenger habits evolve.
In 2024, the number of local bus passengers on Christmas Day increased to 100,000 from 87,000 the previous year and CPT expects that figure to rise further this year.
Carousel Buses is operating on Christmas Day for the first time, while a service will also be maintained in areas including Edinburgh, Portsmouth, Brighton, the Isle of Wight and Liverpool.
Alison Edwards, Director of Policy and External Relations at CPT, says: “It’s a myth that the country grinds to a halt on Christmas Day. Around a million people work each year – and many more people are out and about visiting family and friends.
“With the railways shut, long-distance coaches provide vital connections between Britain’s towns and cities. Each year, more local buses run – we expect well over 100,000 people to catch the bus on 25 December.
“Bus and coach operators are stepping up services in response to demand.
“We see an increasing trend towards travel on Christmas Day. Fewer young people own cars, and lots of people want to get around – whether it’s to go to a pub or restaurant, visit relatives or enjoy the great outdoors.”
