The Scottish independent has found ongoing success with its FlixBus routes, and is set to expand its commitments to the network this year
Scottish operator McGill’s Bus Group has announced it will significantly increase the scale of its partnership with FlixBus this year. Following an expansion in 2023 which saw more journeys and services across Scotland as well as increased cross-border services, the Greenock-based company says it is proud to expand again. It plans to invest £7.5m into the expansion, bringing more new coaches into its fleet.
The expansion will begin in spring 2024 ahead of the summer peak period, and 19 new Yutong coaches, including a bespoke FlixBus green interior design, will come into service, bringing the operator’s total FlixBus fleet to more than 40 vehicles.
Chief Executive Officer of McGill’s Ralph Roberts said: “This investment is an indication of how important the partnership with FlixBus has been for our growth in the last year. Building a relationship with Flix, a global tech leader, to develop a high-quality intercity coach network, was a bold decision that has delivered results. Scaling up our partnership together in Scotland and across the border will deliver even more sustainable transport options for passengers as we continue to revolutionise the UK coach market.”
Andreas Schorling, Managing Director of FlixBus UK, added: “Our partnership with McGill’s will increase frequencies on our most popular routes in Scotland, connecting seven cities as well as a new dedicated service between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Our ambitious plans to become the largest and highest quality network in the UK are well underway. McGill’s consistently receives some of the best customer ratings on our entire global network and we are proud to be bringing these services to even more destinations than ever before in 2024.”
FlixBus and McGill’s were named the Best Bus Service at the 2023 National Transport Awards for the launch of their dedicated Scottish network the previous year, while Flix, parent company to FlixBus, saw its best-ever financial half-year results in 2023 with more than 50% growth and €860 million in total revenue for the period January to June.
