The Coach Travel Group (CTG) has continued to shift larger programmes of overseas work that are delivered by its constituent operators during peak periods towards an centrally-integrated approach.
It points to a group-wide project over the Easter period that saw 82 movements into mainland Europe utilising 88 coaches. Nine of its operating brands were involved, with delivery under what CTG adds was “a coordinated structure.”
Vehicles travelled to countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland, capturing a wide variety of destinations and destination types.
The Easter work followed a similar but smaller approach for ski-centred departures earlier this year that was internally christened ‘ski synergy’. Easter reflected “a broader and more diverse programme than the winter season,” The Coach Travel Group says.
It adds that planning for the Easter project focused on aligning vehicle movements, reducing dead mileage and maximising utilisation, with mutual support between operators where capacity was constrained to ensure resilience.
During the Easter peak, engineering and operational support was bolstered, including through central provision in Dover. That was complemented by additional coverage in mainland Europe. Contingency planning included the positioning of spare coaches, shared equipment such as snow chains, and enhanced real-time tracking and communications.
Speaking about the Easter work, Head of Operations, Compliance and Safety Elaine Williams says: “We are pleased to build on the success of ‘ski synergy’ and apply the same collaborative approach to a larger and more varied Easter programme.
“This is a significant step up in scale, and it has been encouraging to see operators across the group working together to deliver it.” The results will be shared around CTG, she adds.
