National Express to keep Britain moving this Christmas as rail services grind to a halt
National Express is once again bringing loved ones together this Christmas with the UK’s biggest festive coach network and thousands of services running throughout the season, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
On Christmas Day National Express is providing over 70 journeys to and from Gatwick Airport, connecting friends and families between towns, cities and airport locations across the UK.
Passengers have been quick to secure their seats with bookings for services between Gatwick and London already up over 100%, and all services to and from Gatwick up 62% (compared to this time last year), demonstrating strong demand for its unbeatable Christmas Day services.
Ed Rickard, Network Director for National Express, said:“When reliability matters most our customers know that they can count on us to get them home safely this Christmas - and as the nation’s favourite coach operator we are offering the UK’s biggest festive transport network, with thousands of frequent, comfortable and affordable services throughout Christmas and New Year - including over 300 journeys to and from London on Christmas Day itself.
“Given the planned rail disruption over the festive period we’re expecting our coaches to be busy so we encourage customers to book early to get the best prices and guarantee a seat for travel.”
The leading coach operator has also extended its popular Kids Go Free offer until January 4, 2026**, helping families save on festive travel - whether it be to visit the Christmas markets, watch a pantomime, or enjoying activities during the Twixmas period.
Ed added: “It’s worth remembering that we could not deliver the outstanding services that we do, day-in-day-out, without our highly respected partner operators, coach drivers and colleagues. While they are appreciated daily, they deserve special thanks at Christmas when working jolly hard to get everybody home for Christmas.”
In addition to its Christmas and New Year services, National Express is also introducing new timetables and improvements between London and Stansted Airport from December 8. Changes include:
- An additional departure from London Liverpool Street, providing up to 4 services an hour
- Services from London Stratford become faster, with journeys taking as little as 45 minutes
- Additional services from Canary Wharf, meaning round-the-clock journeys 24 hours a day
Customers can expect a safe and comfortable experience on board, with leather reclining seats, free Wi-Fi on selected services, USB power sockets and space for all the family’s Christmas gifts, thanks to a generous free luggage allowance of up to 20kg.
*Limited availability between December 19 - January 4, 2026. No booking fee when logged into My Account and purchasing on the National Express website or app, otherwise £1.50 booking fee applies. Fares correct 03.11.2025.
**Terms and Conditions apply.