Belle Vue Manchester has ordered 18 more Yutong GT12 coaches for further expansion of its work with FlixBus UK. They will complement five such 53-seat vehicles recently delivered under an overall £6 million investment by the coach operator.
Pelican Bus and Coach will supply all the vehicles, with the latest order recently confirmed at the Yutong plant in China. Belle Vue will use the extra coaches to increase frequencies on routes to Birmingham, Leicester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and York, and launch a new service between Manchester and Bristol. Other new destinations will be announced later.
Belle Vue Managing Director Phil Hitchen (pictured) says that existing GT12s have proved reliable, and popular with customers. One of those coaches, along with Belle Vue driver Lucy Coulson, forms part of a FlixBus advertising campaign that is currently underway.
“We see this model, backed by the excellent Pelican aftersales and support system, as the ideal partnership to take our fleet expansion programme forward, and we are excited to be expanding our FlixBus offering with additional frequencies and new services,” adds Mr Hitchen.
“Our trip to China for the signing ceremony and to visit the production line at Yutong’s factory was a memorable experience, and we were looked after very well from start to finish.”
The coaches will come with a Bosch entertainment system, USB and 240-volt power sockets, wi-fi, mood lighting, and live coach tracking updates sent to passengers’ devices.
FlixBus UK MD Andreas Schörling says that the partnership with Belle Vue has proved to be “fantastic.” He adds: “The team at Belle Vue share our passion, vision and ambition to build the largest intercity coach network in the UK, so we are delighted that it has announced this investment, which will bring brand new vehicles onto additional FlixBus services.”
Pelican and Yutong have created an interior specification for the GT12 that is specific to FlixBus, including its trademark green livery in the seat trim.
Says Pelican North of England Sales Manager Amelia Crump: “It has been a huge pleasure for us to work with the highly professional team of people at both Belle Vue and FlixBus. I am very proud that Pelican and Yutong continue to play a part of the expansion of the FlixBus network.”
