NATIONAL EXPRESS LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-12-31 (in 7mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-07-02 (in 2mo)
Last made up 2025-06-18
Watchouts
Cash
£7M
+10,473.9% vs 2023
Net assets
-£202M
-31.3% vs 2023
Employees
973
-1.2% vs 2023
Profit before tax
-£8M
+93.2% vs 2023
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
5 officer resignations in last 12 months
Multiple officers have left the board recently — see the People section for who.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- NATIONAL EXPRESS LIMITED 1981-12-31 → present
- NATIONAL TRAVEL (SOUTH EAST) LIMITED 1928-08-18 → 1981-12-31
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £298,651,000 | £299,863,000 | |
| Operating profit | £25,636,000 | £3,697,000 | |
| Profit before tax | -£121,680,000 | -£8,220,000 | |
| Net profit | -£121,135,000 | -£48,199,000 | |
| Cash | £69,000 | £7,296,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £16,203,000 | £9,742,000 | |
| Net assets | -£153,824,000 | -£201,947,000 | |
| Equity | -£153,824,000 | -£201,947,000 | |
| Average employees | 985 | 973 | |
| Wages | £32,702,000 | £33,873,000 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 8.6% | 1.2% | |
| Net margin | -40.6% | -16.1% | |
| Return on capital employed | 158.2% | 37.9% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 258.6% | 383.1% | |
| Current ratio | 0.31x | 0.62x | |
| Interest cover | 2.46x | 0.31x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Deloitte LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“Consequently, the directors are confident that the Company will have sufficient funds to continue to meet its liabilities as they fall due and adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future being at least twelve months from the date of approval of the financial statements and, therefore, have prepared the financial statements on a going concern basis.”
Group structure
- NATIONAL EXPRESS LIMITED · parent
- National Express Rail GmbH 100%
- National Express Holding GmbH 100%
- National Express Germany GmbH 100%
- Suddeutsche Regioanalbahn GmbH 100%
- Lucketts Holdings Limited 100%
- National Express Leisure Limited 100%
- Solent Coaches Limited 100%
- Worthing Coaches Limited 100%
- H Luckett & Co Limited 100%
- Coliseum Coaches Limited 100%
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
3 active · 61 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAUNDERSON, Gillian | Secretary | 2026-02-01 | — | — |
| MARTINEZ PRIETO, Javier Augusto | Director | 2025-10-28 | Dec 1970 | Spanish |
| RAWLING, Mark Andrew | Director | 2025-10-06 | Feb 1979 | British |
Show 61 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARNAOUTI, Michael | Secretary | 2017-07-01 | 2019-04-30 |
| CALLANDER, Simon | Secretary | 2022-06-13 | 2026-01-19 |
| CASSON, Jenny | Secretary | 1996-07-31 | 2008-09-25 |
| HART, Christopher | Secretary | — | 1996-07-31 |
| LEES, Barbara | Secretary | 2008-09-25 | 2012-12-31 |
| MYRAM, Jennifer Naomi | Secretary | 2019-05-08 | 2022-05-06 |
| ROBINSON, Dianne | Secretary | 2012-12-31 | 2017-06-30 |
| BARKER, Neil James | Director | 2008-04-18 | 2010-11-22 |
| BARLOW, Paul Richard | Director | 2019-05-08 | 2020-06-18 |
| BOWKER, Steven Richard | Director | 2006-09-20 | 2008-04-18 |
| BROWN, Richard Howard | Director | 2000-10-04 | 2001-12-07 |
| BUNTING, Paul Joseph | Director | 2006-02-01 | 2010-09-30 |
| BURKE, Janet | Director | 2019-05-08 | 2024-04-30 |
| CAHILL, William John | Director | 2003-01-28 | 2008-02-29 |
| CALLANDER, Simon | Director | 2023-08-01 | 2026-01-19 |
| CHILD, Colin Charles | Director | 1994-02-01 | 1999-07-31 |
| CLEAVES, Andrew | Director | 2010-08-31 | 2012-12-10 |
| COATES, Peter Timothy | Director | 2008-04-18 | 2011-02-09 |
| CRESSEY, James Bernard | Director | — | 1996-01-02 |
| DODD, John Hamilton | Director | — | 1996-01-02 |
| GALE, Kevin | Director | 2025-01-31 | 2025-10-06 |
| GALE, Kevin | Director | 2015-03-02 | 2019-05-08 |
| GOLDSTRAW, David Joseph | Director | 2003-01-28 | 2006-09-30 |
| HARDY, Chris | Director | 2017-01-12 | 2024-01-31 |
| HARVEY, Andrew Neil | Director | — | 1997-03-06 |
| HENRY, John | Director | 2008-04-18 | 2008-09-30 |
| HUTCHINSON, John Michael | Director | 1993-10-21 | 1995-01-26 |
| JENSEN, Alexandra Naomi | Director | 2023-10-02 | 2025-01-31 |
| KELSEY, Alan Howard Mitchell | Director | 1996-07-03 | 1998-02-26 |
| LUNT, Edward Henry | Director | 2015-03-01 | 2018-03-09 |
| MACLEAN, Alan Kenneth | Director | 2003-01-28 | 2005-03-31 |
| MACPHERSON, Alastair Norman | Director | 1994-05-16 | 1997-04-10 |
| MARSHMAN, David | Director | 2000-02-02 | 2001-05-10 |
| MCENHILL, Peter Raymond | Director | — | 1996-08-31 |
| MCEWAN, Neil Tom | Director | 2023-08-01 | 2024-07-01 |
| MCINNESS, Ian | Director | 2005-04-22 | 2008-04-18 |
| MILES, Neil Rowland | Director | 2023-10-02 | 2025-10-06 |
| MILLS, Adam Francis | Director | — | 1996-07-03 |
| MYERS, John Clive | Director | — | 2005-02-01 |
| NEWMAN, Richard Hugh | Director | 2011-05-26 | 2015-02-28 |
| O'TOOLE, Raymond | Director | 1999-11-23 | 2010-05-05 |
| PARKER, Stuart | Director | 2015-03-01 | 2017-04-28 |
| PARKER, Stuart | Director | 2009-09-23 | 2009-09-28 |
| PATTERSON, Ernest | Director | 1996-08-12 | 1997-01-13 |
| PERRY, Alexander Donald | Director | 2010-11-22 | 2012-03-16 |
| PIKE, Elizabeth Anne | Director | 1999-11-23 | 2001-11-21 |
| RICKARD, Edward Martin | Director | 2017-01-12 | 2026-03-31 |
| ROLLASON, William Peter | Director | 1999-12-06 | 2002-12-04 |
| ROYLE, Ian | Director | 1997-04-10 | 2002-01-03 |
| SANGSTER BULLERS, Marc Phillip | Director | 2005-04-22 | 2006-07-20 |
| STABLES, Thomas Findlay | Director | 2012-12-10 | 2023-07-27 |
| STAMP, James Robert | Director | 2022-08-15 | 2023-02-16 |
| TAYLOR, Keith Wilhall | Director | — | 1993-11-23 |
| WALKER, Adam Christopher | Director | 2003-03-05 | 2008-03-26 |
| WATKIN, David Andrew | Director | 2007-03-22 | 2008-01-22 |
| WHITE, Philip Michael | Director | 1997-01-30 | 2006-09-11 |
| WILLIAMS, Nigel Edward | Director | 2001-11-21 | 2008-04-18 |
| WILSON, John Richard | Director | 1998-02-24 | 2000-06-30 |
| WIPER, Robert | Director | 1994-09-27 | 1999-03-31 |
| WOODWARD, David Peter | Director | 2008-04-18 | 2010-06-25 |
| WORMWELL, Denis | Director | 2002-01-07 | 2006-02-01 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Express Holdings Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 311 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company previous extended | |
| 2026-04-01 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-02-05 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2026-01-29 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2026-01-29 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-10-28 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-10-17 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2025-10-07 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-10-07 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-10-07 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-06-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-06-02 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-02-13 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-02-12 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-01-23 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-07-11 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-06-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-05-07 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-02-13 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-10-03 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 12
- Capital events
- 1
- Officers appointed
- 3
- Officers resigned
- 5
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31
-
Turnover
+0.4%
£298,651,000 £299,863,000
-
Cash
+10,473.9%
£69,000 £7,296,000
-
Net assets
-31.3%
-£153,824,000 -£201,947,000
-
Employees
-1.2%
985 973
-
Operating profit
-85.6%
£25,636,000 £3,697,000
-
Profit before tax
+93.2%
-£121,680,000 -£8,220,000
-
Wages
+3.6%
£32,702,000 £33,873,000
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. Periods don't have to be exactly 12 months apart — a long or short period (typical around incorporation or year-end changes) will distort the comparison. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers