Commuter coaches take on the crowded railways

A fascinating news article in the The Times today on a new product from National Express, the UK’s largest coach operator.

Anyone who has struggled to commute into a major city by rail might be interested in a new service to be launched by National Express.

This Times article describes the development of luxury commuter coach services that seem to combine several attractive product features:

- Punctual
- Low-priced (compared with the alternative rail-based options)
- Environmentally friendlier

Add to that list WiFi and refreshments, and the product package sounds attractive, although you could argue that a road-based coach service is as likely to encounter congestion problems and delays as the train.

I’m interested that one possible route is Leeds to Harrogate. Leeds has undergone a remarkable transformation in the last 20 years and is now probably Britain’s second most important financial centre. I know from the traffic driving into Leeds on the Harrogate road every morning (and from the equally congested trains) that there is likely to be significant potential demands for a luxury commuter coach service.