Newport Transport will double its commitment to the FlixBus UK network in 2024, with new routes and increased services due to launch before the summer.
The leading provider of Newport’s bus network partnered with global travel tech brand Flix last year, launching its first dedicated airport lines in the UK.
Building on the success of the past six months, the businesses have set out a multi-year strategy to enhance the long-distance express coach network through their long-term partnership.
The enhanced partnership will see increased daily frequencies on services to and from Heathrow and Gatwick to Wales and the South West.
The new FlixBus branded Yutong vehicles will also be seen between Swansea and Birmingham, a brand-new route for the FlixBus UK network.
Managing Director of FlixBus UK, Andreas Schorling, commented: “Launching inter-city services has been hugely successful for us in the UK, and we’ve since worked in partnership with Newport Transport to run dedicated airport-to-city routes, which have been equally popular.
“We want to continue bringing services to the UK that customers want, and are proud to forge new direct connections this year, between cities like Swansea and Birmingham.”
Newport’s primary bus service provider, Newport Transport, will be delivering 22 new jobs in the South Wales area as a result of the expansion.
To celebrate the partnership’s launch in 2023, FlixBus commissioned a special Welsh livery for Newport Transport, to showcase the company’s heritage and destinations offered on the network.
Morgan Stevens, Operations Director at Newport Transport said: “Our first few months in partnership with FlixBus have been fantastic, we were keen to expand our commitment to the network almost as soon as our first FlixBus vehicles hit the road!
“We were new to the express coach market but with their expertise and guidance, we’ve found a really strong additional revenue stream and diversified our business. We’re proud to be offering Welsh cities with even more high-quality transport options.”
Both companies have set out their ambitions to make the coach and bus sector greener, with Flix committing to carbon neutrality in Europe by 2040.
Newport Transport has committed to zero emissions in their local bus service, offering an electric fleet.
FlixBus won the ‘Going For Growth’ category at the 2023 UK Bus Awards, as well as Best Bus Service at the National Bus Awards.
These wins, Flix says, are thanks to the high-quality operators that have joined its network in the last two years, growing to now include more than 60 destinations in England, Wales and Scotland.
“This year, we’re solidifying FlixBus’s position in the UK as the forward-thinking, high-growth brand on the way to building the largest coach network in the country,” concluded Schorling.
