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Bank Holiday rail disruption: National Express keeps the country moving this bank holiday weekend with 9,000 extra seats on its key intercity routes
Published: 19th August 2025
Bank Holiday rail disruption: National Express keeps the country moving this bank holiday weekend with 9,000 extra seats on its key intercity routes
National Express is boosting capacity on its intercity services this bank holiday weekend in response to planned industrial action by the RMT union affecting CrossCountry rail services.
With strike action threatening to derail travel plans for tens of thousands of passengers over the busy bank holiday weekend, the UK’s leading scheduled coach operator is adding 9,000 extra seats on its popular intercity routes to help people get to where they need to be.
Additional capacity has been added on key services including Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Bolton, Cardiff, Hull, London, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Swansea and Wolverhampton, with fares starting from £3.10 one way. Passenger numbers for this weekend are already up 20% compared to the same period last year.
Ed Rickard, Network Director for National Express, said:
“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.”
Customers can expect a safe and comfortable experience on board, with leather reclining seats, free Wi-Fi on selected services, USB power sockets and a generous luggage allowance of up to 20kg.
Visit www.nationalexpress.com to plan your journey and book tickets.
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