First Bus signs five-year deal with FlixBus as they partner to launch new UK coach services
- Milestone partnership for rapidly growing FlixBus and transport industry leaders First Bus
- 21 new vehicles operating on eight routes, stretching across England
- New partnership will create 65 employment opportunities as part of First Bus’ growth strategy
London, UK - 06 November 2024 – First Bus, one of the UK’s leading bus operators and global travel tech company FlixBus today announce a new five-year partnership, bringing eight new or expanded FlixBus coach routes across the UK next year - another move that signals First Bus’ commitment to growing the business and diversifying its services.
The diversification and growth opportunity comes from FlixBus, a brand which has already provided over five million passengers with affordable, sustainable coach travel since its launch in the UK in 2021.
The fast-growing company will double its UK network size by the end of summer of 2025, with over 200 FlixBus vehicles on the road, operated by its high-quality partners.
The addition of First Bus will significantly boost FlixBus' daily services across the South-West of England and expand routes in northern cities including Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle. First Bus depots in Bath, Bristol, Slough, Taunton, Truro, Weston-super-Mare and in Yorkshire will operate services.
Andrew Jarvis, Chief Operating Officer for First Bus comments: “The new partnership with FlixBus marks another significant milestone in growing the First Bus B2B operation and we’re excited to serve further regions in the UK, helping to make longer distance travel easier.
“This new contract will create around 70 jobs and strengthen our national footprint as we renew our presence in the contract express coach market segment.’
Andreas Schorling, FlixBus Managing Director UK comments: “Three years ago we set out to be the market leader in the UK. We’ve experienced unprecedented passenger demand and strong commercial success, and, as we onboard operators like First Bus, market leadership is becoming inevitable.
“This is a golden era for coach travel where new modern, comfortable vehicles provide an enjoyable experience that passengers love. This is a renaissance for coach travel, and we see record numbers of people trying and returning to FlixBus.”
FlixBus and First Bus will make significant investments in the partnership, with FlixBus continuing to increase brand engagement and awareness of the new services.
As part of the investment in the partnership, First Bus is purchasing 21 Yutong GT12 express coaches, with plans to recruit 65 new drivers across seven First Bus depots in three regions. A dedicated manager and supervisor will oversee the operations, boosting employment opportunities in those regions.
The new routes span across the country and will launch from spring 2025. Under the contract, First Bus will provide staff, all vehicle-related requirements and service delivery. FlixBus will provide the platform for passengers, offering value for money, and best-in-class customer experience. The coaches will be branded in the full FlixBus livery, including uniform for the drivers.
Coach travel plays an essential role in the economy: according to a KPMG report commissioned by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), coach services have a multi-billion-pound economic impact on the UK, with one additional coach visiting a destination daily generating £1 million in economic value yearly[1].
ENDS
[1] https://www.cpt-uk.org/news/economic-impacts-of-coach-services-report/
Notes to editors
First Bus
At First Bus, we’re on a mission to grow bus usage – so we’ll get behind initiatives that move people out of cars and onto the bus.
We’re one of the UK’s largest bus operators, transporting more than a million customers a day. We serve over 20% of the population of Great Britain with our local bus services, and over half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.
Transforming our business for the better, we’re putting our people and customers at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we’re the UK’s largest national bus operator to achieve real Living Wage employer status, cementing our position as an employer of choice in the sector.
We’re all about making journeys easier for our customers, which is why we were the first national bus operator to roll out Tap On, Tap Off payment technology across our entire fleet of around 4,500 buses. Our First Bus app has also been voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators.
First Bus is committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. We already operate over 600 zero-emission buses – that’s 14% of our overall fleet.
We’re passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, which is why we’re helping local businesses to progress their own decarbonisation journeys – giving them access to our charging hubs while our buses are on the road.
We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland, Specialist Passenger Solutions, First Travel Solutions, York Pullman Bus Company and Ensignbus. First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
Find more information on our website here: https://news.firstbus.co.uk/
FlixBus
Flix is transforming the public transport sector by offering sustainable and affordable long-distance coach and train travel solutions in more than 40 countries across four continents. With its asset-light business model and innovative technology platform, Flix has swiftly established a market-leading position for long-distance bus travel in Europe, North America and Türkiye and is rapidly expanding further into South America and India through its brands FlixBus, FlixTrain, Kamil Koç, and Greyhound.
FlixBus launched into the UK market in 2021, and has rapidly expanded its network to offer more than 70 destinations across England, Wales and Scotland. With an industry-leading TrustPilot score, FlixBus is delivering comfortable, sustainable, affordable and reliable coach services that millions of UK passengers love, with tickets starting from just £4.49.
While Flix manages the commercial side of the business such as network planning, pricing, operations control, marketing and sales, quality management and continuous product development with a data-driven approach, trusted Flix partners conduct the daily operations. The innovative combination of Flix’s technology and sales platform with traditional passenger travel has turned a European start-up into a leading and globally expanding travel tech company.