National Express's summer sales jump with help from trips to Southend
Londoners swapping the city for the world’s longest pier in Southend, helped summer sales ride high for National Express, the transport giant has revealed.
Day-trippers taking summer sojourns to Essex from Fenchurch Street helped lift passenger numbers for the firm’s rail franchise c2c 5% in the nine months to September 30.
Revenue rose 10%, the company said.
Passengers took advantage of cheaper weekend prices and promotional deals, such as kids travelling for £1, to flock to the coast.
National Express’s coaches arm also performed well with a record July, as did operations in North America.
Plans for 2016 include the introduction of an automatic refund for registered commuters if their train is delayed by more than two minutes.
The initiative is a welcome boost for London’s rail commuters, who have faced chaos at London Bridge and rising fares this year.
Group revenue in the three months ended September increased 3% while operating profits rose 7%.
