Jonathan Welch takes a trip from York to Manchester aboard the new FlixBus cross country route, and catches up on some of the brand’s latest developments
FlixBus. It’s a name we’ve heard a lot of over the last few years. For some, it’s just a green coach that takes them where they want to go. For others, it’s a new name to challenge and upset the status quo. Maybe you’re one of the traditionalists who thinks coaches should say National Express on the side. Or maybe you’re among those who have forgotten that it isn’t too long since we were watching to see how a newcomer that no-one had heard of called ‘megabus’ would affect the established order of things.
Some might even go as far as saying that it’s a name which has appeared too often in these pages, but let’s take a step back: FlixBus is a company which is doggedly and decisively pursuing its goal to have the biggest intercity coach network in the UK as well as aggressively expanding worldwide. The potentially huge Indian market is the latest to feel its arrival, a potentially brave move in a country not renowned for high standards of driving or road safety.
On more familiar territory, the company recently launched a new trans-Pennine service, linking York to Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool via the M62. Rather than just read the press release or arrange a short interview via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, I decided on a different strategy, and headed to York to join FlixBus’ UK PR Manager Sarah Bartlett and Head of Business Development Luca Castronuovo aboard a Liverpool-bound service. Also joining us was Phil Hitchen, Managing Director of partner operator Belle Vue, which runs the service on behalf of FlixBus using a fleet of brand new Yutong GT12 coaches.
On board
After a catch-up and a chin-wag over a light lunch, (the expenses claim will likely call it ‘networking’ I’m sure), we were at the Leeman Road stop ready for a 1330hrs departure. The stop is centrally located right outside the city walls, and in close proximity to the railway station, making it easy to find even for passengers unfamiliar with the city. I didn’t notice any specific FlixBus signage, and being an on-street stop meant no shelter or other facilities, but there are plenty nearby, and this is a low-cost coach service not a first class airline, after all.
[wlm_nonmember][…]By subscribing you will benefit from:
- Operator & Supplier Profiles
- Face-to-Face Interviews
- Lastest News
- Test Drives and Reviews
- Legal Updates
- Route Focus
- Industry Insider Opinions
- Passenger Perspective
- Vehicle Launches
- and much more!
We were travelling soon after the service had launched, and mid-week, so it’s maybe no surprise that we were the only four passengers aboard the coach for the first leg to Leeds via the A64; our young and enthusiastic driver Ryan said that more were due to join us in Leeds, some of whom would alight in Manchester, where others would join for the final leg to Liverpool.
A number of FlixBus contractors have selected the Yutong GT12 as their weapon of choice recently. Ours is one of five delivered to Belle Vue, whilst McGill’s and Newport Transport have also received examples of the type.
From a passenger’s perspective, on boarding the coach I liked that the green exterior colour has been brought inside as well, with lime headrests and piping on the seats reinforcing the brand. First impressions: very good. I noted too a number of plastic bags attached to seats for passengers’ rubbish, as well as a small vacuum cleaner in one of the overhead lockers. Granted, the coach was almost fresh out of the box, but nonetheless it was clean and very well presented.
When it comes to wheelchair accessibility, two rows of seats on the nearside are removed to create a large space ready to accommodate a wheelchair user, though as is often the case, it’s questionable whether there would be sufficient space to board a wheelchair user via the lift at the roadside stop in York. I’d always like to see a (possibly removable) extra modesty screen and handrail in front of the next row of seats on coaches in this configuration.
I took advantage of the empty coach to grab some photos of the interior before we departed, right on time at 1330hrs. I’ve always found the GT12 to be one that ‘fits’ me quite well as a driver, in terms of driving style and cab layout, so was keen to see what a long trip as a passenger would be like.
On-board conversation
We headed out of York past the railway station, our driver taking care through the narrow lanes of the roadworks thereabouts before heading past the city’s famous racecourse. Having parked ourselves in the front two rows, the conversation on board turned to corporate matters, Sarah explaining that this was not the only new Manchester service; a new Manchester-Bristol route will launch on 7 July, also operated by Belle Vue.
Phil explained why the company had chosen not only to start working with FlixBus, but to expand its commitments on the network: “We’ve been keen to grow the partnership and operate more lines,” he said. “We’ve invested in a fleet of new coaches. We like the Yutong product, and the back-up we’ve had from Pelican has been second to none. It’s a very robust product, and has a good interior. People really like the plug sockets at each row of seats as well as the USB chargers.
“With our FlixBus work, we’re running coaches 365 days of the year, so we need reliability and back-up. It’s not just about what I’d choose as an operator though; our drivers like them too.”
Running a varied fleet with coaches from a number of manufacturers, Phil added that he has been impressed by the marque’s electric coaches too, and gave the impression that there might be a place for them on Belle Vue’s FlixBus work in the future, though a recently-signed £6m deal for more GT12s suggests that that might be quite a way down the line yet.
As Luca pointed out, the lack of charging points in locations that people (and coaches) are going to and from is a significant barrier to electrification just now.
Partnerships work
Speaking about the relationship between the two partners, Luca added: “We couldn’t be more excited. The growth trajectory with Belle Vue has been spectacular since they started with one coach in February last year. We’re now going to have a fleet of 23 in service with Belle Vue, including spares, which is fantastic. As our Managing Director Andreas Schorling says, we’re looking to build the biggest network in the UK, and the partnership with Belle Vue is a sign that we’re achieving that.
“We’re always looking for capable, reliable operators with the same level of devotion as we have who want to work with us. Achieving that goal needs passion. Our ambition is nothing unless we find the right partners.”
There’s more growth in Scotland too, with increases to service frequencies on the Aberdeen-Glasgow/Edinburgh and the Edinburgh-Glasgow corridors.
“We’re focusing on two things,” continued Luca. “First, we’re growing our services with existing partners, putting more coaches onto the network and allowing those operators to flourish, and secondly we’re looking for new, established and reputable partners.
“We’ve seen an interesting trend over the last 12 months of operators starting with just a couple of coaches and quickly taking the decision to expand, almost before their first coaches have been delivered.
“We live and breathe partnerships. People like how we do business, and we’re quickly gaining credibility in the market. Success drives success.”
Given the worldwide expansion, I asked whether different countries had different challenges when it came to building networks. “Some markets have more established inter-city coach networks,” Luca said, “and all local markets are different. But the key is having the right recipe. The combination of the right partners is the common ingredient.
“The inter-city market is a very difficult one for operators to break into individually,” Luca reminded me. “It requires scale and can cost a lot to develop. We bring the ability to generate demand and offer that opportunity for operators to enter the market.”
Leeds stop
All too soon, we were leaving the A64 and joining the A1 before diverging to the right for the M1 and Leeds. The route into the city took us past some expensive-looking car showrooms, and a waste management facility with ‘living walls’ containing vertical planting. The detour seemed at least reasonably direct, and we were quickly in the city centre where we picked up at another roadside stop just around the corner from the main bus and coach station.
I took the opportunity to grab a few more photos while driver Ryan, dressed smartly in FlixBus uniform, greeted passengers, checked their tickets and loaded luggage. Around a dozen joined us here, mostly studenty-looking types. A couple of them congregated towards the rear and quickly had their laptops out, whilst many immersed themselves in their headphones.
Shortly after our 1430hrs departure, our driver made a welcome announcement, advising passengers of the safety features on board, and that we anticipated a slight delay due to traffic en route. Our return to the motorway was again quick, unencumbered by city traffic, though as we climbed across the Pennines we found ourselves slowed by heavy traffic which would ultimately mean a 10 to 15 minute late arrival in Manchester.
Heading as we were towards Manchester, it’s no surprise the word franchising was mentioned; Phil explained that with its arrival, Belle Vue had been looking to expand its portfolio, and the FlixBus offer and vision had been highly persuasive.
Speaking of things being persuasive, Sarah pointed to FlixBus’ new ‘more life in real life’ advertising campaign on posters and television, designed to increase brand awareness. The campaign builds on one in other worldwide markets by the operator, and highlights the brand’s commitment to ‘enable travel for everyone to get more from life’.
The campaign will also extend to YouTube, radio, digital audio, and social media, and runs from late May until October.
According to Flix Brand Team Lead Benedetta Chiumenti, “We wanted to maintain the authentic, real-life feel of the campaign we launched in continental Europe last year. FlixBus is younger in the UK so we need to ensure our USPs – the comfortable coaches, the affordability of tickets, and a wide range of destinations, are clearly presented to the audience.”
For the meantime, Luca said that passenger numbers are meeting expectations, adding that it was great to be building up services in northern England after a lot of focus on Scotland and the South West as well as from FlixBus’ base at Victoria Coach Station in London.
A people thing
Something that both Phil and Luca agreed on was the importance of having the right drivers. There are, as Phil said, “different jockeys for different horses,” and it’s certainly true that not everyone will be suited to inter-city express work.
Luca added that as FlixBus sees itself as a tech company that runs coaches, rather than a coach operator, it’s important to ensure there are the right skills and capabilities in the teams who deal with partner operators and who can ensure that the two work seamlessly side by side. Luca sees the technology focus as a positive difference. “You can’t disrupt the market if you think and act the same as everyone else,” he said. “The mindset of technology and software engineers is very different to that of transport operators. We’re very data-driven.”
He added that people are increasingly tech-minded, and expect transport to keep pace with that. “If there’s a delay, for example, they want to know. It reduces stress and anxiety. People expect the same level of service as when they fly.”
Looking at the nationwide perspective, I asked whether that data and tech mindset meant FlixBus really could be different to other operators, or whether there would always be an element of ‘doing the same thing’ when it comes to route and network design. Although he accepted that a core network might look very similar to other operators’ networks (unsurprising given the key routes people want to travel on), Luca said that FlixBus was also keen to do its own thing, and cited recent new links to Bristol Airport as an example of a journey not previously on the existing inter-city coach map.
Despite slow traffic over the M62, our conversation meant that the journey passed quickly. After making our way into central Manchester, we arrived at the city’s Shudehill Interchange, where we, along with a number of others, left the coach. As at York, some creative parking might have been needed if a wheelchair user were boarding or alighting, but that’s no fault of FlixBus. Once again, while I took a few final pictures, our driver checked tickets and loaded luggage, and was away in short order for the last leg to Liverpool.
During the trip, Luca had highlighted that the unreliability of rail services in recent months has driven a lot of passengers to try out coaches, many of whom have stayed. I made my way across to the railway station to discover my train cancelled, and returned across the Pennines on a heavily-loaded and rather warm Transpennine Express service. As much as I like rail travel, it was a much less enjoyable journey home.
