Eastern Counties

More and More Passengers Using The X1

MORE AND MORE PASSENGERS CHOOSING THE BUS
EXCEL X1 ANNOUNCES HUGE INCREASE IN PASSENGER NUMBERS

It is regarded as one of the longest commercial bus routes in Britain, traverses the 3 counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and it has now recorded its greatest ever passenger numbers!
Last year the Excel X1, operated by First, carried in excess of 1.8 million passengers, an astonishing increase of 15% on the previous year.
The service has operated without subsidy since its inception in 1996 and is recognised as providing a vitally important travel link in the eastern counties by linking Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Kings Lynn and Peterborough with a regular half-hourly frequency.
In October 2008, seventeen brand new state-of-the-art double decker buses were introduced to the route making it an even more attractive travel option and in an average week these seventeen buses will travel a combined 53,500 miles and in a year a phenomenal 2.7 million miles " the equivelant of 5 return trips to the moon.
Commenting on the continuing success of the X1, Alan Pilbeam, Managing Director of First East England says:
"The continued growth in popularity of the X1 is something of which we are extremely proud. The service plays an important part in the daily lives of many people and contributes enormously to the business and community life of the region. These results show that more and more people are choosing the bus and we remain committed to achieving our goal of making the bus the preferred travel option.'