National Express expands partnership to optimise performance using AI

National Express West Midlands (NXWM), has announced the continuation of its partnership with CitySwift, the leader in performance optimisation for the public transport sector across the globe.

The three year extension comes following impressive year-on-year results, including improved bus punctuality and efficiencies.

Since September 2023 NXWM’s use of CitySwift’s advanced AI and data technology has led to a reduction of more than 20 per cent in late running, customer wait times have been reduced, and passengers per journey have increased.

This follows strong results from previous years and consequently NXWM is now rolling out CitySwift’s platform across its entire fleet of over 1,400 buses.

As a leader in the largest UK urban bus market outside of London, NXWM provides on average 210 million bus passenger journeys per year across the West Midlands and has worked collaboratively with CitySwift to develop best-in-class transport solutions that analyse passenger and service data, drive optimum performance, and delivers a much more efficient use of resources.

Speaking on the announcement, Alan Farrelly, CCO and co-founder of CitySwift, said: “National Express West Midlands has been core to CitySwift’s product development since 2019, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership for a further three years.

“This next phase will enable National Express West Midlands to further strengthen their commitment to enhancing the public transport network and improving the passenger experience through our technology.”

The latest innovative CitySwift solution is Spotlight, a globally leading intelligent recommendation engine for bus network enhancements that is integral to building smart cities and regions of the future.

NXWM is the first UK transport operator to adopt Spotlight, with the West Midlands being the first region in the world to benefit, resulting in faster, more customer-centric choices that balance resources, passengers, cities, and operators.

Ed Rickard, network director at National Express, said: “Our collaboration with CitySwift to deliver Spotlight for the benefit of bus users across the West Midlands, and in major cities across the UK, is a groundbreaking achievement for the National Express West Midlands and CitySwift teams.
 

“We are delighted to continue working in partnership with CitySwift over the coming years and proudly leading the charge in the UK when it comes to the use of AI-powered data and insights that are key to an efficient, cost-effective delivery of bus service performance for customers across our network.”

Designed for schedulers; Spotlight improves scheduler decision-making by providing AI-powered insights into performance and resource considerations such as timeliness, cost, and vehicle numbers. It scans the entire network, delivering service optimisation options, and efficiency improvements.

Andy Foster, director of Bus Planning at National Express, said: “We are excited to be extending CitySwift’s AI performance optimisation capabilities across our bus network in the West Midlands.

“Traffic conditions on our region’s roads have worsened and can negatively impact the reliability of our services.

“However, using CitySwift’s AI analytics and optimisation tools our skilled schedulers and network planners have been able to respond effectively, maximising our productivity and efficiency while also reducing late running for customers that rely on our bus services.”