National Express celebrates Luton Airport and US contract wins

BIRMINGHAM-based transport group National Express has announced business wins in the UK and the US.

The firm will begin running dedicated services between London Luton Airport and London Victoria Coach Station from May 1. The services are expected to deliver a minimum of £6m of annual revenue. The agreement – with the airport – lasts for seven years.

At peak, coaches are timetabled to run every ten minutes, with 150 services travelling to and from the airport each day. This is equivalent to a third more seats than the outgoing operator at peak times.

National Express already carries nearly 5.5m passengers to and from UK airports. This agreement will mean National Express now serves London Luton, Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted airports directly from central London, as well as other major UK airports including Manchester and Birmingham.

Meanwhile, National Express’ North American business, National Express Transit, has also been selected to provide operations and maintenance for Solano County Transit located in Vallejo, California.

This contract is worth $8mof revenue in the first year, and is for an initial five year term with an option to extend by up to two years. Overall the contract has potential total revenue of $60m.

The contract is significant as it is National Express Transit’s first in the important Californian market. The contract also encompasses all forms of transit – local fixed route, regional commuter express bus service, paratransit and general public dial-a-ride – as well as customer service and vehicle and facility maintenance functions throughout the cities of Vallejo, Benicia and Fairfield.

The contract was awarded after a competitive bidding process.

Dean Finch, group chief executive of National Express, said: “These announcements demonstrate the international appeal of our market-leading and value-for-money services.

“Within a year our North American transit business has emerged as an important new player in the market. This significant new agreement with London Luton Airport further consolidates our position as the UK’s coach market leader. These wins are further proof of the exciting pipeline of value-generating, new business opportunities we have developed.”