Young Man’s Dream?

An element of mystery surrounds a supposedly new express service provider based in Scotland but serving England and Wales. In fact, there’s something odd about the well-meaning operation calling itself UK Express Coaches.

Following what is said to be two years of planning, there was an advanced launched earlier this month in Newport, Wales by none other than the town’s mayor. It’s said that two services will be available to the public later this month but, to date, there appears no confirmation or hard evidence of either.

Services purport to operate as follows:

• Edinburgh-Manchester-Manchester Airport-London; and


• Edinburgh-Manchester-Manchester Airport-Birmingham Airport-Newport.

National Express does not directly link Newport or South Wales with either Manchester or Birmingham airports. Though NatEx operates a direct Newport-Edinburgh service, that promised by UK Express is quicker. Though we would question whether Cardiff might be a more suitable terminus, at least the planning suggests an attempt to offer something that doesn’t compete directly with existing services.

The fact that the venture’s website is a ‘free’ one gives little added confidence. Free websites are notorious for their reliability or lack of longevity. The use of google ads at the top lends an air of unprofessionalism, especially since, when we looked, one of them was for National Express itself. And a few basic spelling howlers don’t help.

Rumours suggest that the undertaking relies on either hired coaches or self-employed drivers. This presents a number of problems in terms of cost and resource control.

Is this a young man’s dream or a serious business venture designed to exploit a gap in the market? The likes of Stagecoach began from similarly high-minded ideals...

i UK Express Coaches