National Express has celebrated welcoming its one millionth customer through Manchester coach station since the start of this year. The milestone was marked with a surprise gift for travellers Rimsha Zamir and Salman Khan as they stepped off a 120 service from Birmingham. A luxury hamper and two free coach tickets were presented to the pair by National Express Director of Corporate Affairs & Communications Kate Reynolds and National Express Senior Coach Station Manager Andy Leonard.
The operator has also announced that between January and September 2023 it saw a 27% increase in the number of passengers travelling on services to and from Manchester compared to the same period in 2022. Kate commented: “We are delighted to be celebrating this significant milestone with Rimsha and Salman and we really hope to welcome them on board our services again soon. It’s great to see customers are switching to our coaches because they’re reliable, great value and you’re guaranteed a seat.
“With an increase in the number of people travelling with us we’re proud to have already welcomed our millionth customer through Manchester, and much earlier in the year compared to last year, too. Our significant investment in new and enhanced services means we are making it even easier for our customers to enjoy a relaxing, comfortable journey with us and we look forward to welcoming even more customers on board.”
Rimsha, who aspires to be a GP, was visiting Manchester from Birmingham to undertake her medical licensing exam. She said: “I thought about taking the train, but the coach is so much more comfortable and you always get a seat. I was nervous coming to Manchester for my exams so this is a lovely treat.”
Rishma’s husband Salman Khan is a doctor at Russells’ Hall Hospital in Dudley. He added: “Thank you so much, you’ve made our day.”
The operator says it has also seen a surge in passengers travelling on its trans-Pennine routes following a boost to the number of services in May this year. Between January and September it reports that passenger numbers on services linking Bradford, Leeds, Manchester, Manchester Airport and Liverpool were up 75% compared to the same period in 2022. In May this year, the company increased the number of services between Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool from eight to 13 a day.
