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South Shields-based Westoe Travel has had its own van for the past 10 years but four weeks ago co-owner Graeme Brett decided to order a new wrap with the agency’s coloured branding.
The vehicle – known as the “ticket van” by Westoe staff – is primarily used to deliver tickets issued by the agency’s Rail Adventures brand which it launched following the collapse of Superbreak in 2019.
However, Brett told TTG, if required, his team will deliver tickets to customers which have been sent by other operators and cruise lines to the shop.
Speaking to mark the fifth anniversary of Rail Adventures, Brett said: “Only now are we doing the same volume of rail trips as we did with Superbreak when it was operating.
“We’ve had several challenges along the way. We had Covid and then after Covid we could not always do theatre breaks because if one member of the cast was ill the show would be cancelled and then for the best part of two years we’ve had these rail strikes.”
Brett added: “It has only been the last two years that we’ve been able to move forward and run Rail Adventures the way we want to. I’m very happy with the way Rail Adventures is going. It’s the majority part of our business.”
When asked how Westoe is growing the Rail Adventures brand, he said: “We’ve been expanding our destination focus. Previously, we would mainly offer London but now we’re offering trips to Glasgow and Loch Lomond; Dundee and St Andrews; and Liverpool to see The Beatles Museum.”
He also noted “another challenge” that Westoe Travel is having to deal with. “Because Royal Mail is cutting its delivery days, we’re doing deliveries with the van to customers with departures between seven to 10 days away.
“We try to deliver tickets to people in the same area to make it a bit easier for ourselves. Typically, we will deliver to four or five households a day.”
Royal Mail estimates that it will take between 12 to 18 months to fully implement the changes.
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