June 15 2026
Simon Lightwood MP, Minister for Roads and Buses, today joined coach industry leaders at London’s Victoria Coach Station to celebrate the role of coach travel in connecting communities, supporting the economy and delivering sustainable transport across the UK.
The visit marked the launch of Better Transport Week 2026, organised by the Campaign for Better Transport, which runs from 15-21 June and celebrates how better transport connects people and places. Wednesday 17 June will also be marked as Coach Day.
Hosted by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), the visit brought together representatives from Transport for London, National Express, FlixBus, Arriva Greenline, Oxford Tube, Flibco and Campaign for Better Transport at the UK’s premier hub for coach travel.
Victoria Coach Station handles 20 million passenger journeys every year and provides connections to destinations across Britain, helping support tourism, economic growth and affordable access to travel.
The event also highlighted the growing scale and reach of the UK scheduled coach sector ahead of the busy summer travel season. National Express operates 9,500 journeys per week to over 350 destinations nationwide, while FlixBus now offers 711 direct routes across its UK network, having expanded to more than 100 destinations since launching in the UK in 2021, as part of its global network across 45 countries.
Research commissioned by CPT and conducted by KPMG found that coach passengers spend £8.3 billion every year in local economies across Britain, supporting tourism, retail, hospitality and leisure businesses nationwide. The sector also supports around 81,000 jobs and contributes £6.4 billion in wider economic value to the UK economy.
The research found that coaches deliver around 450 million passenger journeys annually, with domestic tourist coach passengers spending £5.4 billion each year at destinations across the UK.
Graham Vidler, Chief Executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said:
“Coach is one of Britain’s great transport success stories and Victoria Coach Station is at the heart of that network. Every day, coaches serve people in every part of the country. They provide affordable transport for millions of passengers while supporting businesses, visitor attractions and local economies nationwide. As we head into a busy summer of coach travel, Better Transport Week is an important opportunity to celebrate a sector that delivers huge economic, social and environmental benefits for the UK. Longer term, we encourage Local Transport Authorities to work with us to explore how destinations can be made more coach-friendly.”
“For over five decades, National Express has been at the heart of coach travel in Britain, delivering reliable, affordable and high-quality journeys for millions of customers. By linking towns, cities and airports, our nationwide network provides vital connections to employment, education and leisure, helping people access opportunities, visit loved ones and explore the country with confidence. As we celebrate Better Transport Week, we're proud of the contribution scheduled coaches make to connecting communities and supporting a public transport system that is accessible, sustainable and works for people across the country.”
Shamil Maindiratta, Managing Director of FlixBus UK, said:
“Our hypergrowth over the last five years reflects the revival of coach as the preferred way to travel in the UK! Passengers are increasingly choosing FlixBus not only because it is affordable and reliable, but because the experience is comfortable and modern. We recently celebrated our fifth anniversary, but this is just the beginning: we’re bringing more destinations and frequencies on our network this summer to meet ever increasing customer demand and to bring people together when it matters most.”
Liam Wilson, Head of TfL Coach Services, said:
“Victoria Coach Station plays a vital role in keeping London and the wider UK connected, providing millions of people each year with affordable and reliable travel options to destinations across the country. We’re pleased to support Better Transport Week and will continue working with partners across the sector to improve facilities, enhance customer experience and ensure coach travel remains a key part of the transport network.”
Industry leaders also welcomed the Government’s recently published Better Connected Strategy for Integrated Transport and new statutory guidance for Local Transport Plans, which for the first time explicitly recognises the role coaches should play in local transport networks. The guidance states that local transport authorities should work with operators and consider how different transport modes, including coach, can support connectivity, economic growth and access to opportunities across their areas.
Coach operators say this presents a major opportunity for local authorities and destinations to better integrate coach travel into future transport planning, particularly through policies that improve access, such as CPT’s Coach Friendly Accreditation, parking and passenger facilities.
Industry leaders also highlighted the environmental benefits of coach travel, with coaches among the most sustainable forms of passenger transport. A full coach can remove up to 50 cars from the road, helping reduce congestion and emissions while making more efficient use of limited road space.