More than 40 staff are to leave Great Rail Journeys as the business downsizes as a result of the impact of Covid-19.
The rail specialist began a consultation process in August which has led to 43 employees from across the business taking voluntary redundancy. Those leaving include the whole of the trade sales team.
A further five roles are still under consultation.
Chief executive Peter Liney said a business restructure to protect the long-term future of the business had become “inevitable”.
He said: “I can confirm that due to the impact of Covid-19 and the unknown nature or timescales of the recovery, we have had to make the difficult decision to reduce the size of our team.
“Throughout the pandemic there has been immense uncertainty for our business, exacerbated by constant change in government policy.
“Following recent quarantine announcements, consumer confidence has once again fallen away. While we sought to delay any decisions regarding our future for as long as possible, the restructuring of our operations to protect the future of the business in the long term was inevitable.”
He added: “We have a dedicated and passionate team who have made this a successful business, much loved by customers. My focus at this time is both on handling this process as considerately as is possible for those affected, but also working tirelessly with the wider team to protect our position as the UK’s leading escorted rail holiday provider.”
The company said it remained committed to working with the trade despite the redundancies, with agent enquiries dealt with via the central head office.
In a statement it said: “Whilst we remain fully committed to the trade sector, the cost of having a team of business development managers across the regions is not viable in the current economic climate.
“Trade business and questions will instead be handled centrally by our existing operational teams in York and also through enhanced digital support – as they have throughout Covid. This has worked well, ensuring that we are open for business whilst supporting the trade effectively.”