Commuters affected by the train strike this week are being encouraged to try the coach instead as National Express lays on more services between Brighton and London.
The company said that it was adding thousands of extra seats to help those affected by the strike by members of the RMT union who work for Southern.
It said: “Southern Rail is advising people a significantly reduced service will take place between Brighton and London, with travellers warned the trains which are running will be extremely busy.
“In contrast, coach travellers will benefit from a punctual service, guaranteed seats and journey times from Brighton Coach Station to London Victoria starting at just one hour 40.
“Faster options are available from different pick up and drop off points – with journey times starting at one hour 18 minutes.
“To support Brighton travellers further, on Tuesday (9 August), staff will also be on hand at London Victoria Rail Station to offer 100 free coach journeys back home to selected travellers plus a 50 per cent discount to a further 3,000 people.”
National Express managing director Tom Stables said: “We understand how vital it is for people to get where they need to be on time – and in comfort too.
“We hope the thousands of additional seats we’re adding will go some way to alleviating some of the strain on the transport network caused by the ongoing issues – and of course the disruption faced by travellers. We look forward to welcoming people on board.”
The company runs a daily direct coach service between Brighton and London with services running between 4.50am and 8.40pm.
It said that season tickets were up to 43 per cent cheaper than those for the train and prices for individual one-way tickets started at £5.
Assume you mean tuesday 9th august
Thanks. I did. Noted and corrected.