As rail strikes brought trains across the country to a standstill, Transdev says it saw a surge of up to 52% in customer numbers on its express bus link between two Yorkshire cities.
The rise on the firm’s flagship Cityzap route between York and Leeds was recorded on the second rail strike day on Thursday 23 June, after the same route also saw a 40.5% rise on the first rail strike day. A limited daytime train service ran between York and Leeds on the three strike days, but many passengers chose to switch to Transdev’s Cityzap express.
Transdev said its other Yorkshire routes which provided an alternative to trains also reported significantly increased numbers on board, with its ‘Aireline’ buses between Keighley and Leeds welcoming 44% more customers on the second rail strike day, alongside a 30% rise on its route 36 between Harrogate and Leeds on the same day.
Transdev CEO Alex Hornby said: “As well as fulfilling our full timetable, extra buses were operated on a number of routes across Yorkshire so customers could experience our services in comfort. It is heartening to see people choosing the bus, rather than feeling obliged to stay at home or resort to the car.
“We originally launched our Cityzap route to offer a best-value alternative to the train and enable modal shift from the car, and we welcome everyone who has made the switch to us over the last week as we aim to win over many new customers to stay with us in future.
“Our amazing ‘Sky Class’ luxury twin-deck buses offer quality and luxury at much lower fares compared to the train.”
