A small village with big crowds
Castle Donington had a population of 7,346 at the 2021 census, yet it draws visitors in numbers far beyond that. Donington Park, the motor racing circuit to the south-west of the village, is home to an annual festival that is the second largest in the United Kingdom. East Midlands Airport, close by, is served by several passenger airlines. The village has no railway station of its own; its links to the Midland Main Line come through East Midlands Parkway, which opened in 2008 at Ratcliffe-on-Soar. Festival crowds, airport transfers and groups heading for a train are just the sort of work coaches and minibuses do, and every one of those journeys is a vehicle full of people depending on it.
If a coach stops with passengers on board
Passengers come first. Pull clear of the traffic if the vehicle will still move, put the hazards on, and judge whether the group is safer on board or off it and behind a barrier. Then ring 01332 916028, day or night, with the location and the number of passengers. We can advise the driver by phone while a technician heads out, the aim is to put the fault right at the roadside, and the vehicle is recovered when that can't be done safely. Telling your office early means onward travel can be arranged if it is needed.
Servicing and inspections at Melbourne
Coaches, double-deckers and minibuses are serviced on the same lifts as HGVs at our workshop at Calke Mill Farm, Ashby Road, Melbourne. We look after the systems a full vehicle depends on, from brakes and air to steering, suspension, electrics, heating and the drivetrain, and carry out safety inspections and annual test preparation to the same standards as goods vehicles, with brake performance checked every time.
Planning around the big dates
If your diary fills up around the festival, the circuit's events or busy periods at the airport, tell us when those weeks fall. We will plan servicing and inspections into the quieter spells so the vehicles are ready when the work is there, rather than finding a fault the week before. Planned work is booked on 01332 916028 for the workshop, open Monday to Friday, 07:30 to 17:00, and mixed fleets of coaches, minibuses and trucks can sit under one maintenance contract.
