 | |
| Parent | EasyGroup |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Service type | Coach |
| Website | easybus.com |
easyBus is a EasyGroup company offering shuttle services between airports and city centers. It was founded by entrepreneur Stelios Haji-Ioannou in 2003. It initially also offered intercity services within the United Kingdom.
easyGroup first announced its intention to operate no frills express services in 2003, initially in competition with National Express along the London to Birmingham corridor. [1] Operations began in August 2004, with a service between London and Milton Keynes introduced. [2] To keep costs down easyBus originally used Hendon Central station in north London as its terminal point, with a journey time of 65 minutes and a single fare of £5. [2] The threat of competition forced National Express to offer its own discounted fares to and from London, culminating in the introduction of a £1 single fare between Milton Keynes and London which Stelios claimed was intended to make his service non-profitable and force its withdrawal. [3]
Shortly after this EasyBus launched a second route to Luton Airport in competition with National Express' Jetlink subsidiary. In Spring 2005 EasyBus changed its London terminus from Hendon to a more central location in Baker Street. The Milton Keynes service was withdrawn in February 2006, with services to Luton increased in frequency and the operational contract transferred to Arriva Shires & Essex. [4]
The dedicated service to Luton was withdrawn in May 2007, with services combined with the existing Green Line service 757. A new service to London Stansted Airport began operation at the same time. [5] In July 2008 further expansion was announced with the launch of a half-hourly service between Gatwick Airport and Fulham Broadway station. [6]
On 28 July 2010 an EasyBus Optare Soroco minibus overturned on the M25 motorway near the junction with the M23 in Surrey. A black car had lost control and had collided with the minibus, while it was carrying four passengers on a service from Gatwick Airport to London. One person became trapped in the vehicle and was cut free by fire crews. [7] Four people were injured in the accident, including three passengers and the driver of the car. One woman was taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting with serious leg injuries. The other three were treated for less severe injuries at East Surrey Hospital, Redhill. [8] The clockwise carriageway of the road between junctions 6 and 8 was closed for six hours following the crash, as was the slip road to the M23. [9]
On 15 May 2015, EasyBus opened its second continental route in partnership with SARL Chamexpress and its Paris shuttle service from Paris city centre (Louvre) to Charles de Gaulle Airport. [10]
In November 2015 EasyBus withdrew the Stansted to Old Street route, and stopped operating the Stansted to Victoria/Baker Street route using its own vehicles. Instead it acts as a re-seller for National Express services. [11] Stelios Haji-Ioannou tried to object to Stansted offering this route to a rival in court, but was rejected.[ citation needed ]
On 30 September 2016, the aforementioned route between Paris-CDG and Paris city centre has been terminated. [12] Two new EasyBus services commenced on 21 October 2016 serving Manchester Airport. One operated between Manchester Airport, the University of Manchester and Manchester city centre but was withdrawn on 14 November. [13] The second operates from Telford via Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Wrexham and the outskirts of Chester. The Manchester Airport services are operated by Express Airport Transfers (Europe) Ltd set up by businessman Andrew Martin who licences the Easybus brand from Easy Group. [14] [15] On 14 May 2018 a new service commenced connecting Liverpool John Lennon Airport with Chester, Wrexham, Oswestry and Shrewsbury. [16]
As of 2024, easyBus operates airport bus transfers in the United Kingdom (5 airports) and Italy (3) as well as France, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland with one airport served in each country. Additional services are sold in cooperation with partner operators. [17]
London Stansted Airport is the tertiary international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, 42 mi (68 km) northeast of Central London.
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London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, situated 1.7 miles (2.7 km) east of the town centre, and 29 miles (47 km) north of Central London. The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL), a company wholly owned by Luton Borough Council, and operated by London Luton Airport Operations Ltd (LLAOL).
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Luton railway station is located in the town centre of Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The station is about three minutes' walk from The Mall Shopping Centre. It is situated on the Midland Main Line and is operated by Thameslink.
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Tellings-Golden Miller is a charter coach operator in England. It was a subsidiary of Arriva twice previously, but once again has returned to family ownership. The company is now a subsidiary of Falcon Buses based in Byfleet, Surrey.
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Green Line is a long standing commuter coach brand in the Home counties of England. The trademark is owned by Arriva, with services operated by Arriva Herts & Essex.
Luton is a town in the United Kingdom less than 30 miles (50 km) north of the centre of London, and has good transport links via the motorway network and the National Rail system. Luton is also home to Luton Airport, one of the major feeder airports for London and the southeast. The town is also served by buses run by Arriva Herts & Essex and other operators and has a guided busway. As a Unitary Authority, Luton Borough Council is responsible for local highways and public transport in the borough.
Dot2Dot was a demand responsive airport bus service and company operating in London, United Kingdom. It started operations on 1 November 2007, after National Express rebranded the Hotelink business it acquired in April 2007.
An airport bus, or airport shuttle bus, alternatively simply airport shuttle or shuttle bus is a bus designed for transport of passengers to and from, or within airports. These vehicles will usually be equipped with larger luggage space, and incorporate special branding. They are also commonly painted with bright colours to stand out among other airport vehicles and to be easily seen by the crews of taxiing aircraft when negotiating the aprons.
The Milton Keynes Coachway is a Coachway interchange close to junction 14 of the M1 motorway on the eastern edge of Milton Keynes, north Buckinghamshire, England. It supports National Express intercity coach services to cities, towns and airports on the M1, and on into Scotland, to Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton Airports, as well as Stagecoach East's route X5 between Oxford and Bedford, and interchange between these services. There are also local bus services and nearby, a park and ride site. It is the second busiest coach station in the United Kingdom. Dating from 1989, it was the first of the UK's Coachway interchanges.
Buses in Milton Keynes are run by a mixture of operators on a network of urban and rural routes in and around the Milton Keynes urban area. These services have a varied history involving five different companies. At the foundation of the 'New City' in 1967 and for some years afterwards, Milton Keynes was served by a rural bus service between and to the pre-existing towns. Apart from a small-scale experimental service, urban buses arrived on the scene with deregulation in 1986. Since April 2010 the core local services have been provided by Arriva Shires & Essex. Long-distance coach services also serve MK, often via the Milton Keynes Coachway located near junction 14 of the M1 motorway.
Stagecoach X5 is an inter-urban bus service linking Oxford and Bedford via Bicester, Buckingham and Milton Keynes
Heathwick is an informal name for a 2011 proposal to create a high-speed rail link between London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, in effect to combine them into a single aviation travel hub. Proponents argue this would balance their capacity and so reduce the need to add more runways to Heathrow, or more airports in the south-east of England. In 2018 the similar project HS4Air was proposed.
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Media related to EasyBus at Wikimedia Commons