Wigan borough travel company joins global network FlixBus

Rapidly expanding FlixBus will welcome Cheshire-based Ashcrofts Mini Travel as a partner in time for the peak summer travel season.

The new partnership will expand the FlixBus network to over 70 destinations, adding new city Hull on its map, as well as Liverpool Wavertree Shopping Centre.

Services will run daily between Liverpool, Warrington, Leeds, Bradford and York, as well as Manchester Airport.

Andreas Schorling, Managing Director of FlixBus UK, commented: "We are thrilled to expand our UK network again this year and welcome a new partner Ashcrofts Mini Travel.

“As a high-quality operator, the company shares our commitment to providing affordable, and sustainable transport and our passion for increasing connections between major cities and towns across the North of England.”

Established in 2006, Ashcrofts Mini Travel specialises in school and special education transport, private hire and corporate travel in Wigan, Leigh, Warrington and beyond.

In 2020, Ashcrofts acquired Memory Lane Holidays & Travel, offering coach holidays across Britain and Europe.

Working with FlixBus will mean delivering express services for the first time, with Ashcrofts adding two new fully branded Yutong GT12s onto the Flix network.

Chris Ashcroft, Director of Ashcrofts Mini Travel, said: "We were keen to diversify our revenue streams and the opportunity to join Flix as a partner came at the perfect time for us, allowing us to venture into the express scheduled services market.

“FlixBus has impressed us with the way they truly partner with operators and the ambitious growth they’ve achieved, and we’re delighted to become a part of the Flix revolution. The team has provided a fantastic onboarding experience so we’re really positive about the relationship we’re going to build.”

This partnership allows us to offer our customers even more travel options, connecting them to a wider network of destinations while maintaining our high standards of service."

FlixBus has expanded rapidly across the UK over the last three years, and boasts a 4.2 out of 5 score on Trust Pilot.

“We’ve delivered exceptional growth with our partners, without compromising quality for our passengers. We will continue on our journey to become the largest intercity coach network in the country,” concluded Schorling.