National Express is adding 9,000 seats on its key intercity routes in response to planned strike action affecting CrossCountry rail services this bank holiday weekend.
Additional capacity has been made available on several routes, including those serving Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Hull, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Swansea and Wolverhampton.
National Express says passenger numbers are already up 20% on the corresponding weekend last year.
CrossCountry has warned of a “significant reduction in services” due to industrial action by members of the union RMT. No services will run on Saturday 23 August and a reduced timetable will operate on Bank Holiday Monday.
Ed Rickard, Network Director for National Express, says: “People deserve to access reliable and affordable public transport, whether it’s getting to work, enjoying days out or making the most of the summer bank holiday with friends and family.
“As always, we’ve stepped up a gear to ensure people still have a dependable and comfortable way to travel – and our friendly coach drivers are ready to keep the country moving.
“Every time there’s rail disruption, we see an increase in bookings as people turn to us for an affordable and reliable way to travel, and when demand is high, our lowest price tickets do sell out quickly.
“We encourage anyone looking to travel this weekend to book their coach tickets in advance to guarantee a seat.”
