National Express Group to be renamed "Mobico Group"

[GusB]

National Express Group to be renamed Mobico Group - routeone

National Express Group is to change its name to Mobico Group from early June. It will not affect the company’s customer-facing brands.

www.route-one.net

National Express Group is to change its name to Mobico Group from early June. The shift will not affect the company’s customer-facing brands and the National Express identity will continue to be used in connection with its UK coach network as well as “certain other businesses,” the Group has confirmed.

In announcing the Mobico identity, National Express says that the change “better reflects the Group’s international nature and its diverse range of mobility services.” The new name will be “implemented in a cost-effective way,” it adds.

In addition to the National Express brand in the UK, “significant” names elsewhere will be retained, including Alsa, Durham School Services, Peterman and WeDriveU. No operational or structural changes will be made to the Group or any of its subsidiaries.

We've had some weird re-naming of companies over the years. Now we've got "Mobico"! To me it sounds more like a mobile phone company, rather than a transport group.

 

[spuddie]

one question......why?
Always thought National Express was a good brand name, and enough time must have passed from their failed rail operations for that to be forgotten to the general public

 

[Bletchleyite]

one question......why?
Always thought National Express was a good brand name, and enough time must have passed from their failed rail operations for that to be forgotten to the general public

Was always an odd brand for local bus though.

 

[mikeg]

As said in the article the national express name is to be retained in the UK. At least for proper national express services. This is a change to the name of the holding company, nothing more. Just like I didn't get my post from International Distribution Services this morning...

 

[Simon75]

Was always an odd brand for local bus thoug

one question......why?
Always thought National Express was a good brand name, and enough time must have passed from their failed rail operations for that to be forgotten to the general public

Most people will associate National Express as the coaching side rather than buses ie National Express West Midlands/Coventry, through they were renamed from Travel West Midlands/Coventry

 

[DickWolf]

Was always an odd brand for local bus though.

I agree. Hopefully, the Mobico Group will rename it's buses to something else other than what it is and hopefully jazz up the liveries from it's current. Like the Diamond of Rotala.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I agree. Hopefully, the Mobico Group will rename it's buses to something else other than what it is and hopefully jazz up the liveries from it's current. Like the Diamond of Rotala.

Probably more likely most of their local bus operations will end up branded "West Midlands Bus" with a little "operated by Mobico" strapline somewhere.

 

[pepperpot80]

This has huge Consignia vibes.

 

[Djgr]

one question......why?
Always thought National Express was a good brand name, and enough time must have passed from their failed rail operations for that to be forgotten to the general public

We always called them National Deathspress after a series of driver caused fatal accidents.

 

[johnw]

i never understood renaming ‘Travel West Midlands’, ‘National Express West Midlands’ just as I never understood branding the East Coast main line or any of their other rail franchises ‘National Express’. It‘s a brilliant brand bit really only belongs on long distance coaches.

I seem to recall the person who instigated the ‘everything’ National Express was the same guy who then went on to bring in this horrid Stagecoach rebrand before he jumped ship?

 

[Simon75]

i never understood renaming ‘Travel West Midlands’, ‘National Express West Midlands’ just as I never understood branding the East Coast main line or any of their other rail franchises ‘National Express’. It‘s a brilliant brand bit really only belongs on long distance coaches.

I seem to recall the person who instigated the ‘everything’ National Express was the same guy who then went on to bring in this horrid Stagecoach rebrand before he jumped ship?

It causes confusion with some customers ie thinking the £2 cap is for the coaches too

 

[dutchflyer]

So this will mean yet another new rebranding of some local train networks in Germany? Blue+red trains mostly in the Rhein-Ruhr area ,around Köln-Düsseldorf-Dortmund.
By the way, I just saw this : does National Express still run international coaches from GB to the continent on a regular basis? Being based there myself I have quite good memories about that, but its also quite some time ago since I last used them.

 

[GusB]

So this will mean yet another new rebranding of some local train networks in Germany? Blue+red trains mostly in the Rhein-Ruhr area ,around Köln-Düsseldorf-Dortmund.
By the way, I just saw this : does National Express still run international coaches from GB to the continent on a regular basis? Being based there myself I have quite good memories about that, but its also quite some time ago since I last used them.

The rail side of things is off-topic here. Discussion of National Express's bus operations is fine, though.

 

[JonathanH]

It causes confusion with some customers ie thinking the £2 cap is for the coaches too

Does it? There is very limited ability to buy coach tickets directly from the driver on the coach network.

 

[johncrossley]

does National Express still run international coaches from GB to the continent on a regular basis?

Not any more. Their website doesn't even offer Paris or Amsterdam as possible destinations, so they don't even sell tickets on behalf of other operators to those places.

 

[A0wen]

I agree. Hopefully, the Mobico Group will rename it's buses to something else other than what it is and hopefully jazz up the liveries from it's current. Like the Diamond of Rotala.

You didn't read the article quoted which clearly stated "The shift will not affect the company’s customer-facing brands " - so no repaints of vehicles or anything like that.

 

[borage]

The name change seems mainly for the benefit of the stock market, and fair enough – "National Express Group" doesn't reflect the international nature of the business, and people maybe don't realise how much stuff they're involved in outside the UK

You could speculate that it's a precursor to selling the coach business to FlixBus or something, but I very much doubt it

 

[185]

My first thought: Sell your old mobile phone with Mobico™ - get cash even for your old Nokia 3310!


NX get 0.6/10 for effort. Work of a primary school pupil.

 

[pdeaves]

This has huge Consignia vibes.

Just like Consignia, in my opinion a fuss about nothing. With both companies, I think people failed to realise it was only the top group affected, not the customer-facing bits. The media (in general) whipped up a frenzy about Consignia; I think Mobico will go unnoticed and get on with life running the various National Express subsidiaries as now.

 

[Simon75]

Does it? There is very limited ability to buy coach tickets directly from the driver on the coach network.

Sorry, what I meant was some people would expect to book online/ticket off fares for £2

Though the name seems odd, no difference Rotala or Welglafe (no brand called that), which are holding companies

 

[DickWolf]

You didn't read the article quoted which clearly stated "The shift will not affect the company’s customer-facing brands " - so no repaints of vehicles or anything like that.

Noo, I didn't mean, now!". I was talking years down the line. After all, they're only a year in (or more??) in repaints and purchasing new buses in the Platinum scheme because they decided they like it so much and wanted to make it the new standard. In my mind it wouldn't make sense to do, an other change, now. Even for NXBus.

 

[Mwanesh]

Only parent group name is changing. The customer brands are staying as National Express and West Midlands Travel

 

[johncrossley]

West Midlands Travel

I presume you mean it is staying as National Express West Midlands and it is not reverting to West Midlands Travel (even if that is a more sensible name! )