National Express adds 10,000 extra seats between the Midlands, North West, and London amid Twixmas rail disruption
The UK’s largest scheduled coach operator National Express is boosting capacity on some of its key intercity and airport services to help people get to where they need to be this Twixmas, amid planned rail engineering works and disruption.
To meet increased demand for travel between 26 December 2025 and 4 January 2026, the leading coach operator is adding 10,000 extra seats to services between Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, London and Heathrow Airport, providing customers with affordable, reliable public transport between Christmas and New Year.
Ed Rickard, Network Director for National Express, said:
“We already operate the UK’s biggest coach network, connecting customers with hundreds of destinations across the country, and we have the flexibility to add extra capacity on our popular intercity and airport routes to meet the huge demand we’re seeing for our services.
“With planned rail engineering works ahead, more people are turning to us for affordable, reliable travel and we’ve stepped up once again to add 10,000 extra seats to ensure our customers can travel between the Midlands, the North West, and London this Twixmas.
“Our services are great value, customers enjoy a guaranteed seat, and most importantly, we get them to their destinations safely. We expect to be busy and tickets are selling fast so we’re advising customers to book in advance to avoid disappointment.”
National Express continues to lead the way in reliability, with punctuality across its coach network consistently exceeding 90% and cancellations less than 0.2%. Customers can rely on the UK’s most trusted service this Twixmas, with one-way fares between Birmingham and London available from £12*.
In addition to increased scheduled services, National Express is also helping families travel for less with free coach travel for up to three kids travelling with an adult until 4th January 2026**.
Ed added:
"Whether it's visiting the Christmas markets or watching a pantomime to keep the kids entertained this Twixmas, our kids go free offer is helping parents save on travel costs so they can enjoy winter adventures with the whole family."
Passengers 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. Change & Go flexible ticket options are also available.
Visit www.nationalexpress.com to plan your journey and book tickets.
*Limited availability for one-way fares between 26 December 2025 - 4 January 2026. No booking fee when logged into My Account and purchasing on the National Express website or app, otherwise £1.50 booking fee applies. Fares correct 26.11.2025
**Terms and Conditions apply, full details available at www.nationalexpress.com/kids-travel-free.