Electric dream trip? The minute-by-minute record of a pioneering bus journey
by Simon Calder
Mar 25, 2024
4 minutes
A quiet revolution in intercity travel began on Thursday morning, 21 March, with the first electric coach between London and Bristol, a distance of 120 miles. The FlixBus service is the only way to link the two cities on public transport with all-electric propulsion.
I booked two weeks ahead and paid £16.28 for the journey, compared with slightly more than twice as much for a train booked in advance. The “walk-up” rail fare, meanwhile, is £132.60 – over eight times more expensive.
But coaches do not have the best reputation for long-distance travel. Would the electric experience make a difference? I set off to find out.
This is how the journey unfolded.
In central Bristol, across the road from
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days