Rail and coach operators to put on extra services for Queen's funeral
Will PayneRail and coach operators will offer additional services to London during the national period of mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
National Express will increase services to the capital while some rail companies confirmed extra trains will be running for those wishing to pay respects to the Queen in person.
The extra coach services come after National Express saw an "unprecedented demand" for travel to London after enquiries for travel to the capital increased by 40% following Thursday’s announcement.
The majority of seats across all of the operator’s London services have been sold in the last four days.
Tom Stables, chief executive of National Express UK, said "a huge number" of people want to pay their condolences in person, and the company is working to meet the additional demand for travel.
"We are operating a pop-up coach station at Wembley on the day of the state funeral when there will be major road closures and London Victoria Coach Station will be out of use," he added.
National Express will have a team in place to help customers and is expecting to run around 540 coaches through the temporary station in Wembley in less than 24 hours.
Customers who no longer wish to travel during the period are being offered a free amendment to change their plans.
Meanwhile, according to the BBC, rail bosses confirmed "a handful of operators" will put on extra services through the night on some routes.
Avanti West Coast – which is reportedly still running a reduced timetable amid a staff shortage – will offer more services this week to help people travel to the capital.
From Tuesday (13 September) until Thursday (15 September), between 9.35am and 5.55pm, there will be four further trains from Manchester to London Euston, and four extra trains from London to Manchester between 12.40pm and 8.40pm.
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