National Express to suspend all coach services amid coronavirus lockdown

Up to now, the company has been running a skeleton service

National Express has announced that it’s suspending all coach services from 11.59pm on Sunday 5 April until further notice.

The firm will stop selling tickets for journeys after this date with immediate effect. This will apply to its own website as well as third part resellers.

In a statement, the coach firm’s managing direct Chris Hardy said: “In line with Government advice on Covid-19, we have been running a reduced network for essential travel only.”

However, it has taken the decision to suspend services “as more people rightly stay at home”.

Mr Hardy added: “It is clear that the critical thing we must all do is stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.”

Customers who have already booked tickets with National Express are able to amend their bookings free of charge for travel any time in the next 12 months via the dedicated amendment form, which can be done any time before the original outward journey.

For those who have decided not to travel, National Express has promised a full refund within 28 days. Applications for refunds can be made via a separate refund form.

The company added that they are currently processing refund and amendment requests for customers who have already been in touch.

It comes as the nationwide lockdown in the UK has prompted Hull Trains to suspend all of its services.

In a statement released on its website, the operator said: “As a result of the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, passenger numbers across the industry have dropped significantly since national guidance was issued for people to stay at home and stop all non-essential travel.

“Hull Trains is an open access operator and does not have a contract with the government, as a result we have not been offered additional financial support which franchised rail operators have in the form of an Emergency Measures Agreement.

“After exploring all possible avenues to keep services running, it is not currently financially viable to run our services.”

It is the first rail operator to stop all services, but other train companies have reduced services across the network.

A similar reduction in services has also taken place on the London Underground.