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CM reporter looks at National's Europa bus service and says...

3rd December 1976
Page 74
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Page 74, 3rd December 1976 — CM reporter looks at National's Europa bus service and says...
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

...don't let it die

"WOULD passengers for Brussels, Cologne, Frankfurt, .Munich, Maribor, Belgrade, Skopje, Thessalonika and Athens please report to the check-in desk adjacent to Bay 25, where the coaches are now loading," said the announcer over the Victoria Coach Station tannoy.

Such announcements were typical on Friday nights during the summer when coaches operated by National Travel (South East) Ltd., departed on Continental services marketed under the Europabus banner.

Exciting, even possibly romantic, but are such services profitable and worth while, and are they likely to be further developed? These were questions I put to National Travel recently.

Europabus is basically an international coach network under the umbrella of URF, the central organisation of European Railways, whose headquarters are in Berne.

This railway control explains why, with one or two exceptions — the most notable being Victoria Coach Station — the advertised pick-up and setdown points are at, or adjacent to, railway stations.

It was following National's attendance at the annual Europabus conference, which in 1972 was hosted by the UK at Bournemouth, that its progression into through-coach services, then conside'red as natural growth and development, was agreed.

National's involvement with Europabus is nothing new. One of its Regional Companies, the East Kent Road Car Co. Ltd., has been operating advertised Europabus connections between London and Dover Dock for onward coach travel from Ostend, for some years.

The "natural growth and development" came in the summer of 1973, when National operated its first through-coach, timed to connect in Frankfurt with a number of Europabus international departures.

This service ran weekly and left Victoria on a Friday lunchtime and returned the following Sunday. It was routed via Chelmsford, Colchester and the Harwich-Ostend ferry.

The vehicle was operated with one driver from the Tillings Travel (NBC) Ltd., fleet at Kelvedon, which in 1973 was still trading under that name before merger into National ,Travel (South East) Ltd., on January 1, 1974.

In May 1974, the first through-coach, with its crew of two drivers and one hostess, left Victoria on the 2,000-mile five-day trip to Athens, and the service ran every Friday from then on throughout the season.

National was unable to invest capital into new purpose-built vehicles, but adapted two 1973 registered, 12-metre, Leyland Leopard PS U 54R/Plaxton 53-seat coaches. one of which was originally liveried for a Skyways contract to Hum n Airport, which failed to materialise due to the Dan Air take-over.

That coach, for the purpose of the contract, was fitted with a wc at the rear. There were also a variety of air-conditioned Bristol RE/Plaxton coaches with Gardner rear engine, air suspension and Aeon rubbers: and a 1973 registered 12-metre AEC/Plaxton with 50 reclining seats.

Little was done in the way of adaption to these vehicles. Basically, the Leyland Leopard was reseated to 44, with Chapman recliners and a small 24-volt domestic refrigerator fitted at the rear.

The Bristol REs, 44-seat touring coaches purchased by Eastern National to operate its developing Continental tour

programme, also had 24-volt refrigerators fitted — in both cases for the sale of cans of cold: soft drinks.

There have only been two real changes from the original timetable — both this year.

The first was to move from Dover Eastern to Folkestone harbour, anticipating an improvement in Customs clearance and, by using BR /Sealink's ships the Hengist and the Horsa, better on-board ship facilities. But a move back to Dover is taking place in one direction for 1977.

The second was to operate a scheduled duplicate during the seven peak weeks of the season. This was thought practical in light of the previous year's experience when it was often necessary to lay on a duplicate, invariably at short notice, and then have to endure all the associated problems of obtaining additional ferry space, hotel beds, drivers and hostess, etc.

This year the scheduled duplicate departed London on a Thursday and Athens on a Wednesday. By changing the duplicate vehicle/crew with the "service" vehicle/crew in Athens, it allowed the added advantage of giving both crews and vehicles a much appreciated day's layover in Athens.

During 1974 the vehicles were, in theory, detailed to operate ex-London on a Friday night to Athens, returning on a Sunday morning 10 days later, and then ex-London that same Sunday night to Brussels, returning to London the following Tuesday morning.

In practice, however, this never worked The mechanical condition of the vehicles was such that they were in no fit state to undergo a quick turnround to Brussels. They were invariably off the road for engineering purposes until the next Friday night departure to Athens.

By this year, with the operating and engineering experience, National was able to detail one vehicle to work the following 14-day cycle.

Day 1 2100 depart London to Athens Day 11 0830 return to London, then to engineers Day 12 Engineering repairs/, maintenance /bodywork 'Day 13 Cleaners, then 201 5 depart London to Paris line 121 Day 1 11.30 return London; engineers/cleaners: then cycle restarts 2100 depart London to Athens.

National's experience in 1974 was that the Bristol RE was an ideal tour coach but for long-distance Continental express the air-suspension proved unsatisfactory and the low-revving Gardner engine unsuitable. Conversely, however, the Leyland Leopard proved ideal and the same original vehicle has worked, with one or two exceptions, fortnightly departures to Athens during the seven-month summer seasons of 1974, 1975 and 1976.

In 1975 another Leyland Leopard of similar vintage was converted to the same specification and, before its first Athens run, won the Class D (Widney Trophy) in the Concours d'Elegance at the Britjsh Coach Rally at Brighton During the winter of 1974/5 both the original Leyland and the one being converted were fitted with full air conditioning. This IBK equipment was fitted to National's own design and was a hydraulically operated system with the drive off the engine damper.

In practice it was not successful, the main recurring fault being the drive shaft at the power take-off point. Other disadvantages from fitting the air conditioning were a loss of

ihp, which sometimes caused he driver to switch it off to limb hills, and the loss of Aggage space caused by the Dmoval of a side locker to ,ouse the extra equipment.

Luggage has always tended ) be a problem on the Athens ervice, especially in respect of le original Leyland, whose rear ic occupied much of the boot.

It is not uncommon for Greek ationals to bring with them umerous suitcases of varying apacities, large trunks, even alevision sets in cardboard oxes — not to mention the levitable plastic Containers of live oil, which leak over veryone else's luggage.

It is interesting to note that ational has specified the )of-mounted luggage pen on 3 new left-hand drive AEC/ Jillowbrooks to ease the lugage problem, even though in iy opinion it is strangely iconventional to put luggage .1 the roof and the air-condi)ning plant in side lockers and pt vice versa.

In an effort to restrict lugage, Europabus generally vies a surcharge on baggage. n line 195 to Athens the rates #:1 for the first case, £2 each ir the second and third and 3.65 for fourth and subseuent cases.

National would be the first to knit that it would have been ore difficult to operate the ,rvice to Athens without the i-operation of its pool partners Deutsche Touring asellschaft mbH, of Frankfurt, id Voyages L'Epervier, of .ussels.

A particularly good relationpip has been established with 1G in Frankfurt. Its assistance is been invaluable on many :casions.

Vehicles from both pool inners operated on service to Victoria in 1975 and )76, following grant of EEC irmit No 2, the Belgian )mpany on line 165 to Innsuck via Brussels and the arman company to Frankfurt 'line 163.

In 1977 it is planned that a regular duplication to Aths on Thursdays will be .erated by DIG. This winter itionars weekly operation to ankfurt is driven by a National 'ver as far as Cologne and an by a DTG driver from there Frankfurt and back to Cojne.

This is more economical than method adopted last year )en it was necessary to uble-man from London to )nkfurt and timetable a rest period at Frankfurt before the return Many of the DTG 80-vehicle fleet are engaged on Europabus routes and they have operated regular services to Istanbul and a variety of European destinations for years.

It was originally DTG that operated the Athens service, starting in 1965 from Brussels and being extended back to Ostend in 1971.

Prior to National's own EEC licence authorisation, it was on DTG's various permits from Ostend to Athens that National was able to operate its through-service. As Athens is beyond EEC boundaries, the Munich-Athens section is side operated "on-hire" to DTG.

Ticketing an express service to Athens, including accommodation and the cross-Channel portion, could reasonably be assumed to be more complex than ticketing a domestic National Express service, but not so for National Travel's 4,000 agents. They simply issue an ordinary National Express ticket for the overall journey in the normal way.

This ticket is exchanged at Victoria by the specialist Continental chartroom staff for a. five-part, airline-style' Europabus ticket.

The five segments relate to an accounting copy and four journey segments, allowing for travel on connecting services on various lines, or routes. For accounting purposes, the whole return route is split into four and the journey waybills docu.mented accordingly.

The fare includes demi-pension in Munich, Maribor and Skopje, and it is the responsibility of the hostess to phone ahead to the relevant hotel each day to confirm the number of meals and the type of accommodation required.

The hostess, who has to be able to speak fluent English and German (and preferably one other language) is also responsible for the ticket collection, with any surcharges where necessary; progressively updating the vehicle and passenger waybill documentation; pointing out places of interest en route; and looking after the passengers' welfare generally.

From its one through-coach to Frankfurt at weekends in the summer of 1973, National progressively expanded its Europabus operations. This year a three-times weekly overnight service to Paris and a once a week extension of line 163 to Findel Airport, Luxembourg, were introduced. Line 121 to Paris was operated in co-operation with SCETA, of Paris, who undertook one of the three weekly departures. The route was via Croydon and Crawley, and the Newhaven-Dieppe Sealink ferry.

Although National are reasonably happy with the buildup in passenger traffic — loads were averaging over 30 at the season end — it is disappointed at not being allowed to offer day-return fares, which to Brussels has created good traffic.

This is being rectified in its 1977 proposals which have been submitted for UK and French government approval.

The midweek extension of line 163 to Luxembourg and its airport gave National's agents — including countless sweet shops, etc -the facility to sell a ticket from London or any of its provincial coach stops to New York, Chicago and Nassau, in the Bahamas. _ The coach that left Victoria at 2030 on the Wednesday night arrived at Finden Airport at 1140 the following day, in time to connect with the flights operated by Loftleidir, a nonIATA airline, to the USA, This facility offered a cheap fare (from £127.70 single) without the restrictions of the ABC fare.

National was disappointed that the passenger loadings on the Luxembourg service did not come up to expectations. There is now some doubt that the service will be reintroduced in 1977.

Personally, I feel that without a massive advertising cam

paign in support, it will take time to educate potential USA passengers that they may book at their local agent. Meanwhile it is likely that the travel agent, who will be looking for the highest commission incentive, will be steering the non-ABC passenger towards the scheduled flights ex-UK until the passenger himself is fully aware of the alternative.. _

In fact, for the first time in three years, National appears not to be planning any further expansion, but rather a consolidation and re-appraisal.

Next year could well be the year that determines whether National will, in the future, look to expand or withdraw from Europe altogether.

1977 could also be the year that its arch-rival Wallace Arnold, breaks into the same market and at fares not subject to the same railway control. Even regardless of Wallace Arnold, National knows that the growing army of cut-price, illegal operators offering fares into Europe, especially Athens, at often less than half its own price for virtually non-stop journeys, will continue to flourish unabated. This despite National's continual complaints to the relevant British and European enforcement bodies.

I would hope that the obviously efficient and increasingly well-supported European express services pioneered by National — still in their infancy even after three years of rapid expansion — will not be allowed to stagnate or diminish through unnecessary bureaucracy and lack of law enforcement.


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