London Operator Desi Coaches Joins FlixBus UK Network

Express coach travel brand FlixBus has announced that London-based operator Desi Coaches will join its network, commencing operations in mid-March 2025.

The partnership forms part of FlixBus’ journey toward market leadership, as the brand plans to double its UK network size this year.

Desi Coaches will introduce additional daily frequencies between Leicester and London, with further increases planned for April to meet anticipated passenger demand ahead of the summer travel peak.

“Our growth strategy this year means onboarding ambitious operators like Desi to ensure we offer an optimised network, high frequencies and high quality options for our passengers,” said Andreas Schorling, FlixBus UK Managing Director.

Two state-of-the-art new Yutong GT12 vehicles will operate the new services, contributing to a total of more than 200 FlixBus vehicles that will be on the road by summer 2025.

Managing Director of Desi Coaches, Nilesh Patel, commented: “FlixBus has a highly impressive model, growing at a remarkable pace, and its impact on the UK coach market in just a few short years. We saw in FlixBus the opportunity to take our operations to the next level.”

“Joining FlixBus will be a transformative opportunity for our business, allowing us to expand beyond our traditional audience and operate on a national scale, leveraging FlixBus’ innovative platform and popularity among travellers.”

Desi Coaches was founded in 2011 by Nilesh Patel, and offers private hire coach services and school contract work.

Based in Harrow, Desi Coaches has traditionally focused on the London market but will now benefit from FlixBus’ global platform and growing customer base.

Andreas Schorling added: “We are extremely optimistic about the market and the economic outlook for our network and partners, bringing sustainable and scalable growth opportunities to SMEs across the UK.

“We are redefining coach as the best way to travel, allowing the whole sector to thrive as a result.”