30 December 2008
Virgin Trains’ new First Class menu, which starts on 5 January has been sourced entirely from British produce, which can be traced from farm to plate.
"For our new First Class menu we wanted to offer our passengers only the finest British products. We had researched the ideal menu and ensured that everything we used could be traced and authenticated through the entire food chain”, said Nic Cuthbertson, Virgin Trains Product Development and Purchasing Manager.
Traditional English sausages, Welsh beef, Scottish beef and high quality British cheese and are amongst the new ingredients being used, all from sources that are able to confirm provenance.
Nic Cuthbertson added: “We have spent many months finding the highest quality ingredients from the highest quality producers. We have also worked closely with our staff to develop a range of menus that can be prepared and served in the limited confines of a train.”
The highest quality pork sausages, from outdoor reared pigs, made with fresh herbs and natural casings, will form part of the breakfast on all Pendolino trains to and from London Euston until 09:59 on weekdays. The sausages will be served alongside outdoor reared sweet cure Suffolk Crown bacon with free range Yorkshire Farm eggs on a potato rosti.
The meat for the sausages comes from outdoor reared Hampshire Cross Bred pigs, sourced from a number of farms in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and East Anglia. The bacon is also from outdoor reared pigs and is processed by Suffolk Crown in Bury St Edmunds. The free range eggs come from Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs, located in the Vale of York at Thirsk.
Scotch Rare Beef is also on the menu, as part of a mouth-watering sandwich served with Stilton. The sandwich is just one of the options available on the Light Bites menu, available between 10:00 and 15:59, and after 19:00 on weekdays.
A selection of cheeses from around Britain will be offered as part of our Evening Meal offer, served on weekdays between 16:00 and 18:59. Additionally, Lockerbie Cheddar, an award winning medium mature cheddar from the Lockerbie Creamery in Scotland (Supreme Champion Royal Highland Show 2008) will be served on malted brown bread with British Bramley apple and ginger chutney.
To complement the new food, new china place settings will be used, with over a quarter of a million pieces being supplied to Virgin Trains from Stoke-on-Trent based company Dudson. This stylish but simple design of place settings, that will be used throughout the first class accommodation replaces china that was introduced when Pendolino services began in 2004
The changes to the First Class onboard food offer complement the Virgin West Coast high frequency timetable, which has seen the number of trains increase by around a third and journey times cut. This change has introduced a ‘turn-up-and-go’ commuter-style frequency service on the London-Birmingham and London-Manchester long-distance routes, where trains now run every 20 minutes. There are also more direct trains at weekends with the weekday off-peak service frequency being operated on Saturdays and from mid-afternoon on Sundays.
Improvements have also been made to enhance the First Class experience. WiFi is now available in all our First Class Lounges at stations and will be introduced onto our Pendolino trains from Spring 2009. Enhanced mobile phone reception is also now available on all Pendolino trains.
It does not cost a fortune to travel in First Class luxury. We have a range of Advance single fares available from just £26.50 London to Birmingham; from £34 London to Manchester or Liverpool; from £52 London to Glasgow and from £34 London to Chester.
ENDS
Case Study One:
Scottish rare beef
Charcuterie, Twechar, Glasgow
www.goanm.co.uk/charcuterie
Processed in a factory set at the foot of the beautiful Scottish Campsie Hills where the water runs clear and the pastures are green. Established for over 20 years, the commitment to producing the finest cooked meats has never wavered. Scotch Beef has been reared and roamed in this fair Scottish countryside and is entirely traceable from farm to plate. The beef is cooked until it is tender but still perfectly pink - just the way beef should be. This guarantees succulence and tremendous flavour. Seasoned only with a little sea salt, the beef is about as natural as it gets. Charcuterie’s business is now wholly owned by British farmers committed to protecting the interests of farming, agriculture and sustainable manufacturing within the UK.
For the rare beef to be classed as "Specially Selected Scotch" it has to have been born, reared, slaughtered and processed in Scotland and sourced from accredited companies only. These sites are audited and regulated by Quality Meat Scotland. This is a guarantee that the beef is fully traceable from the farm yard gate to plate. Scottish Beef is renowned for being consistently lean, tender and rich in flavour.
Case Study Two:
Delicious mouth-watering cakes
Sara Louise Kakes, Witney, Oxfordshire
http://www.sraralouisekakes.co.uk/
Based in Whitney in Oxfordshire, Sarah Louise Kakes is a gourmet cake bakery and one of our Best of British suppliers, producing sweet and fluffy muffins for our Light Bites menu. All of their muffins and cakes are baked using the finest ingredients and are hand-finished to ensure superb quality. The team at Sarah Louise Kakes has been working together for over 15 years, and their experience and creativity shines through in every bite. And the technically incorrect spelling of ‘kakes’? The bakery didn’t want to appear just like any other cake company and found that people often looked twice at the name spelt with a ‘k’. So even though the spelling is wrong, the cakes are just right every time.
Case Study Three:
Outdoor reared bacon
Suffolk Crown, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
http://www.directtable.co.uk/
Suffolk Crown Outdoor Reared Smoked Sweet cure Back Bacon
Suffolk Crown has been producing Outdoor Reared Smoked Sweet cure Back Bacon
in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk since 1984 and the Virgin Trains choice is sourced from English Freedom Foods approved outdoor reared farms.
The pork is traditionally tank-cured in special sweet brine and left to mature before smoking takes place. The process is overseen by Suffolk Crown’s head curer, Gary Wright, who has over 20 years experience. The bacon is smoked with beech wood for a light smoky flavour and is then carefully sliced and packed for maximum freshness.
Case Study Four
Welsh Cumberland Sausage
Edwards of Conwy, Conwy, North Wales
http://www.edwardsofconwy.co.uk/
Located in beautiful Conwy, close to the North Wales rail route served by our London-Holyhead trains, Edwards supplies its superb Welsh Cumberland sausage that we use for our Bangers and Mash Evening Meal on our London-Chester/North Wales trains.
European award-winning Master Sausage Maker Leuan Edwards ensures that our Welsh Cumberland sausages are traditionally made in small batches using Freedom Food-accredited succulent pork shoulder with a special blend of herbs and spices.
We always strive to use the best local Welsh products on our North Wales services and Edwards of Conwy’s is so local to our network that our Super Voyager train services to Holyhead pass within a few yards of their front door.
Case Study Five
Shropshire Blue Cheese
Cropwell Bishop Creamery, Nottingham
http://www.cropwellbishopstilton.com/
Located in a small village just outside Nottingham, Cropwell Bishop Creamery supplies us with smooth Shropshire Blue cheese which we use for our Evening Meal cheese and biscuits selection. The creamery is owned by the Skailes family, as it has been for three generations.
Cropwell Bishop’s Shropshire Blue is made from pasteurised cows’ milk and has a deep orange-brown natural rind with a sharp, strong flavour and a slightly tangy aroma. Meticulous attention to detail and quality control is part of everyday life for a cheese that is still made using traditional methods passed down through the generations.
The Media Room - Virgin Trains Press Releases
We love keeping everyone informed at all times. Here, in our Media Room, you'll find the latest press releases, as well as downloadable images and our informative and very handy factsheet.
Arthur Leathley
Director, Communications
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wrexham joins the Virgin Trains network
15 December 2008
Ian Lucas, MP for Wrexham, today joined Chris Gibb, Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Trains and other passengers on the new Virgin Trains service connecting Wrexham with London.
The Virgin Trains direct service will run Mondays to Fridays, leaving Wrexham at 07.00 and arriving in Euston at 09.38. The return journey will leave London at 18:10, arriving in Wrexham at 20.44.
The service is being introduced on a trial basis, and more services on weekdays and weekends have not been ruled out if it is successful.
Wrexham MP Ian Lucas said: “Virgin’s decision to start a direct service London is great news for business, shoppers and will bring more visitors to see the improvements in our town. It is a vote of confidence in Wrexham’s future.”
Chris Gibb added: "Virgin Trains will be transforming services across north Wales over the coming weeks. In the first wave of improvements our Super Voyager tilting trains will connect north Wales’ largest town with London in under two hours and forty minutes, travelling at speeds of up to 125 mph.”
Notes to Editors
Images of Mr Lucas ‘flagging off’ the new service are available from the Virgin Trains Press Office.
Images of Virgin Trains and the company’s operations are available on our online media website www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com. You will need to register to access the Media Resources section containing high-resolution images of our operations.
Ian Lucas, MP for Wrexham, today joined Chris Gibb, Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Trains and other passengers on the new Virgin Trains service connecting Wrexham with London.
The Virgin Trains direct service will run Mondays to Fridays, leaving Wrexham at 07.00 and arriving in Euston at 09.38. The return journey will leave London at 18:10, arriving in Wrexham at 20.44.
The service is being introduced on a trial basis, and more services on weekdays and weekends have not been ruled out if it is successful.
Wrexham MP Ian Lucas said: “Virgin’s decision to start a direct service London is great news for business, shoppers and will bring more visitors to see the improvements in our town. It is a vote of confidence in Wrexham’s future.”
Chris Gibb added: "Virgin Trains will be transforming services across north Wales over the coming weeks. In the first wave of improvements our Super Voyager tilting trains will connect north Wales’ largest town with London in under two hours and forty minutes, travelling at speeds of up to 125 mph.”
Notes to Editors
Images of Mr Lucas ‘flagging off’ the new service are available from the Virgin Trains Press Office.
Images of Virgin Trains and the company’s operations are available on our online media website www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com. You will need to register to access the Media Resources section containing high-resolution images of our operations.
Monday, December 8, 2008
New Virgin Trains’ timetable brings boost to Scotland
08 December 2008
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Accelerations along the West Coast Mainline from Scotland will range from five minutes to one hour. There will be four more trains each way daily to give 13 from Glasgow Central to London Euston and 13 back, new earlier departures from Glasgow Central to London and Birmingham and faster journeys from Edinburgh (Waverley and Haymarket) and Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street.
Journey times from Glasgow to London Euston will come down for most trains by more than 40 minutes to give a typical 4h 32 schedule. Fastest timing will be 4h 21. When a second phase of the timetable comes in on 26 January, the best schedule from London to Glasgow will be just 4h 10.
The first train of the day to London at 04:25 from Glasgow will be 90 minutes earlier than today’s first. The last Glasgow train of the day from London at 19:30 will leave 82 minutes later than today’s last time.
Journeys from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Birmingham New Street through Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire will be around a quarter of an hour faster than now in most cases. The biggest accelerations will be more than half an hour. Typical times to Birmingham will be 4h 03 from Edinburgh and 3h 55 from Glasgow. A new departure at 05:50 from Glasgow Central to Birmingham will be almost two hours earlier than the current first train.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO, said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Lesley Sawers, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Development & Industry, said: “Greater business and consumer choice, and better connectivity between Scotland and our biggest markets south of the border are essential to Scotland’s economic growth.
“Faster journeys between central Glasgow and London will therefore be a real benefit to business and tourism, as will opportunities that are opened up by faster rail journeys from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Birmingham, serving several English centres on the way."
Four Virgin Trains a day from Glasgow to English destinations will continue to call at Motherwell, with a best time to London Euston of 4h 19, some 38 minutes less than the current best. Two evening arrivals from Euston will help day-return opportunities for Motherwell passengers with business in London.
To provide opportunities for return journeys out and back the same day, Lockerbie will have a new early morning direct train to London with two back in the evening instead of one. The 0726 from Lockerbie will be timed to London in 3h 46, compared to 4h 12 by today’s 11:14. At times of day when there are no direct trains there will be good connections for Lockerbie/London passengers, changing between First TransPennine Express and Virgin Trains, usually at Carlisle.
Summary of principal changes
Glasgow Central to London Euston
Hourly trains for most of the day, generally at 40 minutes past the hour.
Opportunity for first time to spend more than ten hours in London but still get there and back by train from Glasgow the same day.
A fast 11:40 from Glasgow Central in 4h 23 calling at Carlisle, Penrith North Lakes and Preston only.
A fast 13:40 from Glasgow Central in 4h 21 calling at Carlisle, Oxenholme Lake District and Preston only (five minutes faster than today’s best, which calls at Carlisle and Preston only).
A typical time of 4h 32, calling at Carlisle, Penrith or Oxenholme, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan and Warrington. Today’s equivalent is 5h 16 with four more intermediate stops.
Glasgow / Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street
* Trains will operate hourly to Birmingham New Street, alternating from Edinburgh or Glasgow. All services will call at Carlisle, Preston, Wigan, Warrington, Crewe and Wolverhampton. Calls at Penrith, Oxenholme and Lancaster will be shared among these trains.
* Southbound services depart from Edinburgh at two hourly intervals at xx:52 (even hours) from Waverley and xx:57 from Haymarket, and from Glasgow Central at approximately two hourly intervals generally on the even hours at xx:00.
* These trains will have much better connections than now with CrossCountry Trains for stations to the South West and South Coast (in many cases it will be more convenient to change at Wolverhampton than Birmingham New Street).
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares from Glasgow and Motherwell to London are reduced from £18.50 to £12.00, and from Lockerbie to London from £17.50 to £11.50. Fares from Glasgow, Motherwell and Edinburgh to Birmingham are reduced from £18.00 to £10.50.
These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Accelerations along the West Coast Mainline from Scotland will range from five minutes to one hour. There will be four more trains each way daily to give 13 from Glasgow Central to London Euston and 13 back, new earlier departures from Glasgow Central to London and Birmingham and faster journeys from Edinburgh (Waverley and Haymarket) and Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street.
Journey times from Glasgow to London Euston will come down for most trains by more than 40 minutes to give a typical 4h 32 schedule. Fastest timing will be 4h 21. When a second phase of the timetable comes in on 26 January, the best schedule from London to Glasgow will be just 4h 10.
The first train of the day to London at 04:25 from Glasgow will be 90 minutes earlier than today’s first. The last Glasgow train of the day from London at 19:30 will leave 82 minutes later than today’s last time.
Journeys from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Birmingham New Street through Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire will be around a quarter of an hour faster than now in most cases. The biggest accelerations will be more than half an hour. Typical times to Birmingham will be 4h 03 from Edinburgh and 3h 55 from Glasgow. A new departure at 05:50 from Glasgow Central to Birmingham will be almost two hours earlier than the current first train.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO, said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Lesley Sawers, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Development & Industry, said: “Greater business and consumer choice, and better connectivity between Scotland and our biggest markets south of the border are essential to Scotland’s economic growth.
“Faster journeys between central Glasgow and London will therefore be a real benefit to business and tourism, as will opportunities that are opened up by faster rail journeys from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Birmingham, serving several English centres on the way."
Four Virgin Trains a day from Glasgow to English destinations will continue to call at Motherwell, with a best time to London Euston of 4h 19, some 38 minutes less than the current best. Two evening arrivals from Euston will help day-return opportunities for Motherwell passengers with business in London.
To provide opportunities for return journeys out and back the same day, Lockerbie will have a new early morning direct train to London with two back in the evening instead of one. The 0726 from Lockerbie will be timed to London in 3h 46, compared to 4h 12 by today’s 11:14. At times of day when there are no direct trains there will be good connections for Lockerbie/London passengers, changing between First TransPennine Express and Virgin Trains, usually at Carlisle.
Summary of principal changes
Glasgow Central to London Euston
Hourly trains for most of the day, generally at 40 minutes past the hour.
Opportunity for first time to spend more than ten hours in London but still get there and back by train from Glasgow the same day.
A fast 11:40 from Glasgow Central in 4h 23 calling at Carlisle, Penrith North Lakes and Preston only.
A fast 13:40 from Glasgow Central in 4h 21 calling at Carlisle, Oxenholme Lake District and Preston only (five minutes faster than today’s best, which calls at Carlisle and Preston only).
A typical time of 4h 32, calling at Carlisle, Penrith or Oxenholme, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan and Warrington. Today’s equivalent is 5h 16 with four more intermediate stops.
Glasgow / Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street
* Trains will operate hourly to Birmingham New Street, alternating from Edinburgh or Glasgow. All services will call at Carlisle, Preston, Wigan, Warrington, Crewe and Wolverhampton. Calls at Penrith, Oxenholme and Lancaster will be shared among these trains.
* Southbound services depart from Edinburgh at two hourly intervals at xx:52 (even hours) from Waverley and xx:57 from Haymarket, and from Glasgow Central at approximately two hourly intervals generally on the even hours at xx:00.
* These trains will have much better connections than now with CrossCountry Trains for stations to the South West and South Coast (in many cases it will be more convenient to change at Wolverhampton than Birmingham New Street).
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares from Glasgow and Motherwell to London are reduced from £18.50 to £12.00, and from Lockerbie to London from £17.50 to £11.50. Fares from Glasgow, Motherwell and Edinburgh to Birmingham are reduced from £18.00 to £10.50.
These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
New Virgin Trains’ timetable brings faster journeys for Cumbria
08 December 2008
Faster journey times feature in the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Accelerations of around half-an-hour will apply to many trains with savings of more than 40 minutes for some. There will be new earlier arrivals in London and Birmingham from Carlisle, Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District.
Journey times to London Euston will come down by anything up to 55 minutes to provide a typical schedule of 3h 23 from Carlisle, 29 minutes faster than equivalent trains today.
Best trains of the day will be timed to London in 3h 12 from Carlisle, 3h 00 from Penrith North Lakes and 2h 37 from Oxenholme Lake District.
The first train of the day to London at 05:43 from Carlisle, 05:57 from Penrith North Lakes and 06:20 from Oxenholme Lake District will arrive at London Euston at 09:09, more than 40 minutes earlier than today’s 05:44 from Carlisle.
Journeys to Birmingham New Street will also be faster than before. The biggest acceleration is by a new departure to Birmingham leaving Carlisle 49 minutes earlier than today’s first train and reaching its destination 76 minutes earlier. Leaving Carlisle at 07:04, Penrith North Lakes at 07:19 and Oxenholme Lake District at 07:42, it will be due in Birmingham at 09:55.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO, said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), said: “The West Coast Main Line is a strategic link within the Northwest's public transport system and these improvements will bring significant business and tourism benefits.
"An efficient public transport system is vital for achieving and securing economic growth, and this is excellent news for Cumbria and the whole Northwest region."
Five of the Glasgow-London trains will continue to call at Penrith North Lakes, typically taking 3h 12 to London Euston with the fastest in exactly three hours. At other times there will be services from Penrith North Lakes to London with one change of train, usually at Preston, generally offering faster journeys than today’s direct trains.
Eleven trains to London will call at Oxenholme Lake District, typically taking 2h 49 to Euston with the fastest in 2h 37.
Summary of principal changes
Carlisle to London Euston
Hourly trains, typically at xx:49 for most of the day.
A fast 12:49 from Carlisle in 3h 14 calling at Penrith North Lakes (at 13:03) and Preston only.
A fast 14:49 from Carlisle in 3h 12 calling at Oxenholme Lake District (at 15:24) and Preston only.
A typical time of 3h 23 from Carlisle, calling at Penrith North Lakes or Oxenholme Lake District, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay. Today’s equivalent is 3h 52 (with four more stops).
Carlisle to Birmingham New Street
* Trains will operate hourly to Birmingham New Street, generally leaving Carlisle at xx:07 (even hours) and xx:09 (odd hours), calling at Preston, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay, Crewe and Wolverhampton. Most will also call at Lancaster and several will call at Penrith North Lakes or Oxenholme Lake District.
* These trains will have much better connections than now with CrossCountry Trains for stations to the South West and South Coast (in many cases it will be more convenient to change at Wolverhampton than Birmingham New Street).
* Last southbound Virgin Trains’ departure from Carlisle will be at 21:26 for Penrith North Lakes, Oxenholme Lake District, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay and Crewe.
Cumbria to Scotland
* Trains will operate hourly from Birmingham to Scotland, calling at Carlisle then alternating between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
* Trains will operate almost hourly from London to Carlisle, all continuing to Glasgow Central.
* Most of these trains from Birmingham and London to Carlisle and Scotland will call at Oxenholme Lake District or Penrith North Lakes.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares to London are reduced from £17.50 to £11.50 from Carlisle; and from £17.50 to £11.00 from Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District.
Fares to Birmingham New Street are reduced from £12.50 to £8.00 from Carlisle, and from £12.50 to £6.50 from Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District.
These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
Faster journey times feature in the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Accelerations of around half-an-hour will apply to many trains with savings of more than 40 minutes for some. There will be new earlier arrivals in London and Birmingham from Carlisle, Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District.
Journey times to London Euston will come down by anything up to 55 minutes to provide a typical schedule of 3h 23 from Carlisle, 29 minutes faster than equivalent trains today.
Best trains of the day will be timed to London in 3h 12 from Carlisle, 3h 00 from Penrith North Lakes and 2h 37 from Oxenholme Lake District.
The first train of the day to London at 05:43 from Carlisle, 05:57 from Penrith North Lakes and 06:20 from Oxenholme Lake District will arrive at London Euston at 09:09, more than 40 minutes earlier than today’s 05:44 from Carlisle.
Journeys to Birmingham New Street will also be faster than before. The biggest acceleration is by a new departure to Birmingham leaving Carlisle 49 minutes earlier than today’s first train and reaching its destination 76 minutes earlier. Leaving Carlisle at 07:04, Penrith North Lakes at 07:19 and Oxenholme Lake District at 07:42, it will be due in Birmingham at 09:55.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO, said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), said: “The West Coast Main Line is a strategic link within the Northwest's public transport system and these improvements will bring significant business and tourism benefits.
"An efficient public transport system is vital for achieving and securing economic growth, and this is excellent news for Cumbria and the whole Northwest region."
Five of the Glasgow-London trains will continue to call at Penrith North Lakes, typically taking 3h 12 to London Euston with the fastest in exactly three hours. At other times there will be services from Penrith North Lakes to London with one change of train, usually at Preston, generally offering faster journeys than today’s direct trains.
Eleven trains to London will call at Oxenholme Lake District, typically taking 2h 49 to Euston with the fastest in 2h 37.
Summary of principal changes
Carlisle to London Euston
Hourly trains, typically at xx:49 for most of the day.
A fast 12:49 from Carlisle in 3h 14 calling at Penrith North Lakes (at 13:03) and Preston only.
A fast 14:49 from Carlisle in 3h 12 calling at Oxenholme Lake District (at 15:24) and Preston only.
A typical time of 3h 23 from Carlisle, calling at Penrith North Lakes or Oxenholme Lake District, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay. Today’s equivalent is 3h 52 (with four more stops).
Carlisle to Birmingham New Street
* Trains will operate hourly to Birmingham New Street, generally leaving Carlisle at xx:07 (even hours) and xx:09 (odd hours), calling at Preston, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay, Crewe and Wolverhampton. Most will also call at Lancaster and several will call at Penrith North Lakes or Oxenholme Lake District.
* These trains will have much better connections than now with CrossCountry Trains for stations to the South West and South Coast (in many cases it will be more convenient to change at Wolverhampton than Birmingham New Street).
* Last southbound Virgin Trains’ departure from Carlisle will be at 21:26 for Penrith North Lakes, Oxenholme Lake District, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay and Crewe.
Cumbria to Scotland
* Trains will operate hourly from Birmingham to Scotland, calling at Carlisle then alternating between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
* Trains will operate almost hourly from London to Carlisle, all continuing to Glasgow Central.
* Most of these trains from Birmingham and London to Carlisle and Scotland will call at Oxenholme Lake District or Penrith North Lakes.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares to London are reduced from £17.50 to £11.50 from Carlisle; and from £17.50 to £11.00 from Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District.
Fares to Birmingham New Street are reduced from £12.50 to £8.00 from Carlisle, and from £12.50 to £6.50 from Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District.
These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
New Virgin Trains’ timetable brings faster journeys for Lancaster, Preston, Wigan and Warrington
08 December 2008
Faster journey times feature in the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Journey times for most trains to London Euston from Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay will be cut by more than 20 minutes.
Faster journeys to London will include typical schedules of 2h 34 from Lancaster, 2h 14 from Preston, 2h 03 from Wigan North Western and 1h 52 from Warrington Bank Quay. The fastest train of the day from Preston will be timed to London in 2h 08.
Schedules will also be faster to Glasgow and Edinburgh, including times such as 2h 20 from Preston to Glasgow Central and 2h 44 from Wigan North Western to Edinburgh. A few minutes will also be trimmed from timings to Birmingham New Street.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO, said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), said: “The West Coast Mainline is a strategic link within the Northwest's public transport system and these improvements will bring significant business and tourism benefits.
"An efficient public transport system is vital for achieving and securing economic growth, and this is excellent news for the whole Northwest region."
Summary of principal changes
Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay to London Euston
Hourly trains mainly 23 minutes faster than today’s equivalents, non-stop south of Warrington (today’s equivalents usually have three intermediate stops south of Warrington – in future passengers will use Birmingham trains to Crewe).
Typical departure times at xx:38 from Lancaster, xx:58 from Preston, xx:09 from Wigan North Western and xx:20 from Warrington Bank Quay for most of the day.
In addition to this pattern, non-stop trains from Preston at 13:53 and 15:53 to London in 2h 10 and 2h 08 respectively, the latter five minutes faster than today’s best.
The last train back from London to Preston will leave Euston at 21:10, 24 minutes later than now, also serving Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western.
To Birmingham New Street
* Trains will operate hourly to Birmingham New Street, generally leaving Preston at xx:17, Wigan North Western at xx:28 and Warrington Bank Quay at xx:39, calling at Crewe and Wolverhampton. The majority will also serve Lancaster, leaving there at xx:57 minutes (most hours).
* These trains will have much better connections than now with CrossCountry Trains for stations to the South West and South Coast (in many cases it will be more convenient to change at Wolverhampton than Birmingham New Street).
To Scotland
* Trains will operate hourly from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle, with the destination alternating between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
* Trains will operate hourly from London to Warrington, Wigan and Preston, almost all serving Lancaster, the majority continuing to Carlisle and Glasgow Central.
* Most of these trains from Birmingham (generally leaving New Street at xx:20) and London Euston (leaving Euston at xx:30) will also call at Oxenholme Lake District or Penrith North Lakes.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares to London from Preston and Lancaster are reduced from £16.50 to £10.50, and from Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay from £13.00 to £8.00. Fares to Birmingham New Street are reduced from £9.50 to £4.50 (Preston and Lancaster), and from £8.50 to £4.00 (Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay).
These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
Faster journey times feature in the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Journey times for most trains to London Euston from Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay will be cut by more than 20 minutes.
Faster journeys to London will include typical schedules of 2h 34 from Lancaster, 2h 14 from Preston, 2h 03 from Wigan North Western and 1h 52 from Warrington Bank Quay. The fastest train of the day from Preston will be timed to London in 2h 08.
Schedules will also be faster to Glasgow and Edinburgh, including times such as 2h 20 from Preston to Glasgow Central and 2h 44 from Wigan North Western to Edinburgh. A few minutes will also be trimmed from timings to Birmingham New Street.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO, said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), said: “The West Coast Mainline is a strategic link within the Northwest's public transport system and these improvements will bring significant business and tourism benefits.
"An efficient public transport system is vital for achieving and securing economic growth, and this is excellent news for the whole Northwest region."
Summary of principal changes
Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay to London Euston
Hourly trains mainly 23 minutes faster than today’s equivalents, non-stop south of Warrington (today’s equivalents usually have three intermediate stops south of Warrington – in future passengers will use Birmingham trains to Crewe).
Typical departure times at xx:38 from Lancaster, xx:58 from Preston, xx:09 from Wigan North Western and xx:20 from Warrington Bank Quay for most of the day.
In addition to this pattern, non-stop trains from Preston at 13:53 and 15:53 to London in 2h 10 and 2h 08 respectively, the latter five minutes faster than today’s best.
The last train back from London to Preston will leave Euston at 21:10, 24 minutes later than now, also serving Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western.
To Birmingham New Street
* Trains will operate hourly to Birmingham New Street, generally leaving Preston at xx:17, Wigan North Western at xx:28 and Warrington Bank Quay at xx:39, calling at Crewe and Wolverhampton. The majority will also serve Lancaster, leaving there at xx:57 minutes (most hours).
* These trains will have much better connections than now with CrossCountry Trains for stations to the South West and South Coast (in many cases it will be more convenient to change at Wolverhampton than Birmingham New Street).
To Scotland
* Trains will operate hourly from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle, with the destination alternating between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
* Trains will operate hourly from London to Warrington, Wigan and Preston, almost all serving Lancaster, the majority continuing to Carlisle and Glasgow Central.
* Most of these trains from Birmingham (generally leaving New Street at xx:20) and London Euston (leaving Euston at xx:30) will also call at Oxenholme Lake District or Penrith North Lakes.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares to London from Preston and Lancaster are reduced from £16.50 to £10.50, and from Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay from £13.00 to £8.00. Fares to Birmingham New Street are reduced from £9.50 to £4.50 (Preston and Lancaster), and from £8.50 to £4.00 (Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay).
These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
New Virgin Trains’ timetable brings massive boost to Manchester, Cheshire and Staffordshire
08 December 2008
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Train services will increase by 30 percent with Manchester linked to the Capital by a Pendolino train every 20 minutes including weekends. Average journey times from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston come down from 2h 22 to 2h 08 and the extra trains will mean an additional 1.5 million seats each year on the route helping to reduce overcrowding.
Stockport also benefits from the step up with 20 minute frequencies to and from London and many journey times down to just two hours.
Wilmslow gains a regular hourly service to and from London Euston, with one of the Manchester-London services each hour serving the Cheshire town. With most trains calling at Crewe only, with a journey time of just 1h 53.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Commenting on the new Virgin Trains’ timetable, Richard Critchley, Policy Manager for Transport at the Greater Manchester Chamber, said: “The new Virgin Trains timetable will provide a huge boost to Manchester - London rail services. The faster journey times and increased service frequency will be welcomed by all business travellers using the busy West Coast Main Line route. This greatly improved service will open up the North West, making the Capital more accessible and helping to bring added investment and jobs to the region”.
Macclesfield will retain one train an hour to and from London Euston, with journey times reduced by around 13 minutes to 1h 47.
Stoke-on-Trent will retain two trains an hour to London, with alternate trains also calling at Milton Keynes Central. Weekday daytime departures for London Euston will be at xx:11 and xx:50 with return services from London at xx:00 and xx:20.
Trains between Birmingham and Scotland via Preston will continue to run every hour and will call at Crewe with alternate services running to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Journey times on many journeys have come down to under four hours, an improvement of around 15 minutes. Crewe will also be served by the Manchester-London via Wilmslow service and also by the North Wales/Chester-London service, which when fully operational from 26 January will provide two trains an hour between Crewe and London. Journey times will fall to around one-and-a-half hours, knocking up to 20 minutes off the current journey time.
Crewe will be linked to Runcorn and Liverpool by two trains an hour, which will be provided by London Midland.
The Stafford to London hourly train service sees a dramatic improvement in journey time, with most of the trains completing the run to Euston non-stop in 1h 21, an acceleration of 16 minutes.
All other Virgin Trains’ routes see significant benefits with the new timetable. Birmingham to London services move to a 20 minute frequency. Chester, a growth destination for both business and leisure travel, moves to hourly London schedules from 26 January, while Liverpool is linked to and from the capital with a half hourly service during the peak periods. Finally, as Virgin starts to take on the Anglo-Scottish airlines, there will be thirteen trains a day between London and Glasgow with typical journey times of 4h 30.
The 20 minute frequency service on the London-Manchester and London-Birmingham routes make them “the most frequent ‘long distance train services in Europe” according to Brendan Fox, Editor of the Thomas Cook timetable, and is unique on a railway where fast and local trains share the same tracks with freight trains. With such a frequent service, which is unmatched on many commuter routes, customers can rip up the timetable.
Summary of principal changes
Manchester-London
A 20 minute frequency throughout the main part of the day between Manchester and London Euston, with all trains calling at Stockport.
A fast 07:00 Manchester to London Euston service calling at Stockport only and taking just 1h 58 to reach London.
Off peak trains at xx:15 from Manchester to London also serve Milton Keynes Central.
New off peak Wilmslow-London service at xx:11, with return from London Euston at xx:40.
Crewe to Glasgow / Edinburgh
* Trains will operate hourly from Crewe to Carlisle (departing generally at xx:09), continuing forward to either Edinburgh or Glasgow. All services will call at Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, then generally at either Oxenholme Lake District or Penrith North Lakes, and Carlisle
* Southbound services from Edinburgh depart at two hourly intervals at xx:52, and from Glasgow Central at approximately two hourly intervals, generally at xx:00.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares from Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Wilmslow, Macclesfield and Crewe are reduced from £13.00 to £8.00. The single fare from Crewe to Birmingham New Street is reduced from £8.50 to £4.00.
These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Train services will increase by 30 percent with Manchester linked to the Capital by a Pendolino train every 20 minutes including weekends. Average journey times from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston come down from 2h 22 to 2h 08 and the extra trains will mean an additional 1.5 million seats each year on the route helping to reduce overcrowding.
Stockport also benefits from the step up with 20 minute frequencies to and from London and many journey times down to just two hours.
Wilmslow gains a regular hourly service to and from London Euston, with one of the Manchester-London services each hour serving the Cheshire town. With most trains calling at Crewe only, with a journey time of just 1h 53.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Commenting on the new Virgin Trains’ timetable, Richard Critchley, Policy Manager for Transport at the Greater Manchester Chamber, said: “The new Virgin Trains timetable will provide a huge boost to Manchester - London rail services. The faster journey times and increased service frequency will be welcomed by all business travellers using the busy West Coast Main Line route. This greatly improved service will open up the North West, making the Capital more accessible and helping to bring added investment and jobs to the region”.
Macclesfield will retain one train an hour to and from London Euston, with journey times reduced by around 13 minutes to 1h 47.
Stoke-on-Trent will retain two trains an hour to London, with alternate trains also calling at Milton Keynes Central. Weekday daytime departures for London Euston will be at xx:11 and xx:50 with return services from London at xx:00 and xx:20.
Trains between Birmingham and Scotland via Preston will continue to run every hour and will call at Crewe with alternate services running to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Journey times on many journeys have come down to under four hours, an improvement of around 15 minutes. Crewe will also be served by the Manchester-London via Wilmslow service and also by the North Wales/Chester-London service, which when fully operational from 26 January will provide two trains an hour between Crewe and London. Journey times will fall to around one-and-a-half hours, knocking up to 20 minutes off the current journey time.
Crewe will be linked to Runcorn and Liverpool by two trains an hour, which will be provided by London Midland.
The Stafford to London hourly train service sees a dramatic improvement in journey time, with most of the trains completing the run to Euston non-stop in 1h 21, an acceleration of 16 minutes.
All other Virgin Trains’ routes see significant benefits with the new timetable. Birmingham to London services move to a 20 minute frequency. Chester, a growth destination for both business and leisure travel, moves to hourly London schedules from 26 January, while Liverpool is linked to and from the capital with a half hourly service during the peak periods. Finally, as Virgin starts to take on the Anglo-Scottish airlines, there will be thirteen trains a day between London and Glasgow with typical journey times of 4h 30.
The 20 minute frequency service on the London-Manchester and London-Birmingham routes make them “the most frequent ‘long distance train services in Europe” according to Brendan Fox, Editor of the Thomas Cook timetable, and is unique on a railway where fast and local trains share the same tracks with freight trains. With such a frequent service, which is unmatched on many commuter routes, customers can rip up the timetable.
Summary of principal changes
Manchester-London
A 20 minute frequency throughout the main part of the day between Manchester and London Euston, with all trains calling at Stockport.
A fast 07:00 Manchester to London Euston service calling at Stockport only and taking just 1h 58 to reach London.
Off peak trains at xx:15 from Manchester to London also serve Milton Keynes Central.
New off peak Wilmslow-London service at xx:11, with return from London Euston at xx:40.
Crewe to Glasgow / Edinburgh
* Trains will operate hourly from Crewe to Carlisle (departing generally at xx:09), continuing forward to either Edinburgh or Glasgow. All services will call at Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, then generally at either Oxenholme Lake District or Penrith North Lakes, and Carlisle
* Southbound services from Edinburgh depart at two hourly intervals at xx:52, and from Glasgow Central at approximately two hourly intervals, generally at xx:00.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares from Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Wilmslow, Macclesfield and Crewe are reduced from £13.00 to £8.00. The single fare from Crewe to Birmingham New Street is reduced from £8.50 to £4.00.
These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
New Virgin Trains’ timetable brings massive boost to West Midlands
08 December 2008
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Train services will increase by 30 percent with the UK’s Second City linked to the Capital by a Pendolino train every 20 minutes including weekends. Average journey times from Birmingham New Street to London Euston come down from 1h 30 to 1h 22 and the extra trains will mean an additional 1.5 million seats each year on the route helping to reduce overcrowding.
Coventry also benefits from the step up with 20 minute frequencies to and from London and many journey times down to just one hour and three minutes (1h 03).
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Jerry Blackett, CEO of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Chair of the West Midlands Business Transport Group, commented: “The new services - once they have had time to bed in - will offer a significant boost to businesses along the West Coast route. Reduced average journey times from London Euston to Birmingham New Street and an increased frequency of journeys will make Birmingham even more accessible to the Capital, encouraging investment and supporting many of our firms, particularly those within the financial and professional services sector. We can also expect improved services on weekends to provide a welcome fillip to the region's hospitality and tourism sector giving an important boost to our economy.”
Wolverhampton and Sandwell & Dudley, although retaining their existing frequencies, will also benefit from quicker journey times and the increase in seats between London and Birmingham will mean more room for passengers particularly for those boarding at London Euston.
Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth, Nuneaton and Rugby all keep their fast commuter services to London Euston during the morning and evening peak periods, with Rugby having an hourly off peak fast service to London also serving Milton Keynes. Although Nuneaton loses its off peak services to London it gains a completely new hourly service operated by London Midland.
The Stafford to London hourly train service sees a dramatic improvement in journey time with most trains completing the run to Euston non-stop in 1h 21, compared with 1h 37 currently.
Trains between Birmingham and Scotland via Preston will continue to run every hour and call at Wolverhampton with alternate services running to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Journey times on many journeys have come down to under four hours, an improvement of around 15 minutes.
All other Virgin Trains’ routes see significant benefits with the new timetable. Manchester to London services move to a 20 minute frequency with a new hourly train serving Wilmslow. Chester, a growth destination for both business and leisure travel, moves to hourly London schedules from 26 January, while Liverpool is linked to and from the Capital with a half hourly service during the peak periods. Finally, as Virgin starts to take on the Anglo-Scottish airlines, there will be thirteen trains a day between London and Glasgow with typical journey times of 4h 30.
Summary of principal changes
Wolverhampton/Birmingham to London Euston
A 20 minute frequency throughout the main part of the day between Birmingham and Euston, with one train starting back from Wolverhampton.
A fast 07:04 Wolverhampton to London Euston service calling at Sandwell & Dudley and Birmingham New Street only.
A fast 07:41 Birmingham International to Euston service calling at Coventry only.
All off peak services call at Birmingham International and Coventry, then at either Rugby, Milton Keynes Central or Watford Junction.
Birmingham New Street to Glasgow / Edinburgh
* Trains will operate hourly from Birmingham New Street to Carlisle (departing generally at xx:20 past each hour), continuing forward to either Edinburgh or Glasgow. All services will call at Wolverhampton, Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, then generally at either Oxenholme or Penrith, and Carlisle.
* Southbound services from Edinburgh at two hourly intervals depart at xx:52 and from Glasgow Central at approximately two hourly intervals generally at xx:00.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares to London are reduced from £10.50 to £5.00 (from Wolverhampton, Sandwell & Dudley, Birmingham New Street, Birmingham International, Coventry, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth and Rugby), and from £13.00 to £7.50 from Stafford. These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Train services will increase by 30 percent with the UK’s Second City linked to the Capital by a Pendolino train every 20 minutes including weekends. Average journey times from Birmingham New Street to London Euston come down from 1h 30 to 1h 22 and the extra trains will mean an additional 1.5 million seats each year on the route helping to reduce overcrowding.
Coventry also benefits from the step up with 20 minute frequencies to and from London and many journey times down to just one hour and three minutes (1h 03).
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Jerry Blackett, CEO of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Chair of the West Midlands Business Transport Group, commented: “The new services - once they have had time to bed in - will offer a significant boost to businesses along the West Coast route. Reduced average journey times from London Euston to Birmingham New Street and an increased frequency of journeys will make Birmingham even more accessible to the Capital, encouraging investment and supporting many of our firms, particularly those within the financial and professional services sector. We can also expect improved services on weekends to provide a welcome fillip to the region's hospitality and tourism sector giving an important boost to our economy.”
Wolverhampton and Sandwell & Dudley, although retaining their existing frequencies, will also benefit from quicker journey times and the increase in seats between London and Birmingham will mean more room for passengers particularly for those boarding at London Euston.
Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth, Nuneaton and Rugby all keep their fast commuter services to London Euston during the morning and evening peak periods, with Rugby having an hourly off peak fast service to London also serving Milton Keynes. Although Nuneaton loses its off peak services to London it gains a completely new hourly service operated by London Midland.
The Stafford to London hourly train service sees a dramatic improvement in journey time with most trains completing the run to Euston non-stop in 1h 21, compared with 1h 37 currently.
Trains between Birmingham and Scotland via Preston will continue to run every hour and call at Wolverhampton with alternate services running to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Journey times on many journeys have come down to under four hours, an improvement of around 15 minutes.
All other Virgin Trains’ routes see significant benefits with the new timetable. Manchester to London services move to a 20 minute frequency with a new hourly train serving Wilmslow. Chester, a growth destination for both business and leisure travel, moves to hourly London schedules from 26 January, while Liverpool is linked to and from the Capital with a half hourly service during the peak periods. Finally, as Virgin starts to take on the Anglo-Scottish airlines, there will be thirteen trains a day between London and Glasgow with typical journey times of 4h 30.
Summary of principal changes
Wolverhampton/Birmingham to London Euston
A 20 minute frequency throughout the main part of the day between Birmingham and Euston, with one train starting back from Wolverhampton.
A fast 07:04 Wolverhampton to London Euston service calling at Sandwell & Dudley and Birmingham New Street only.
A fast 07:41 Birmingham International to Euston service calling at Coventry only.
All off peak services call at Birmingham International and Coventry, then at either Rugby, Milton Keynes Central or Watford Junction.
Birmingham New Street to Glasgow / Edinburgh
* Trains will operate hourly from Birmingham New Street to Carlisle (departing generally at xx:20 past each hour), continuing forward to either Edinburgh or Glasgow. All services will call at Wolverhampton, Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, then generally at either Oxenholme or Penrith, and Carlisle.
* Southbound services from Edinburgh at two hourly intervals depart at xx:52 and from Glasgow Central at approximately two hourly intervals generally at xx:00.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares to London are reduced from £10.50 to £5.00 (from Wolverhampton, Sandwell & Dudley, Birmingham New Street, Birmingham International, Coventry, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth and Rugby), and from £13.00 to £7.50 from Stafford. These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
Britain leads Europe with most frequent long-distance inter-city service
08 December 2008
The new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December represents “the most frequent long-distance inter-city service in Europe”, according to Brendan Fox, Editor of Thomas Cook’s European Timetable.
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new timetable, details of which were announced today.
Train services overall will increase by 30 percent following a £9bn upgrade of the key West Coast Main Line that links London with some of Britain’s most important cities - Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow - as well as important tourist destinations such as North Wales and the Lake District.
The routes from Manchester and Birmingham to London Euston see train frequencies increased to every 20 minutes, comparable with many local commuter routes, and average journey times in the case of Manchester slashed to as little as 2h 05. The number of direct trains from London to Glasgow increases from nine to 13 per day while from 26 January Chester will be linked to the Capital by a train each hour. Liverpool receives extra peak period trains to and from Euston.
Further details of the new timetable are given in separate regional press releases, available on request.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Passengers travelling at weekends and previously used to slow schedules will see some of the biggest changes as the weekday improvements will be carried over into Saturdays and Sunday afternoons. Those travelling after weekend breaks will, for example, enjoy 20 minute interval services between London and Birmingham through to mid-evening on Sundays.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares from London to Birmingham are reduced from £10.50 to £5.00, to Manchester and Liverpool from £13.00 to £8.00, to Preston from £16.50 to £10.50 and to Glasgow from £18.50 to £12.00. These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
The new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December represents “the most frequent long-distance inter-city service in Europe”, according to Brendan Fox, Editor of Thomas Cook’s European Timetable.
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new timetable, details of which were announced today.
Train services overall will increase by 30 percent following a £9bn upgrade of the key West Coast Main Line that links London with some of Britain’s most important cities - Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow - as well as important tourist destinations such as North Wales and the Lake District.
The routes from Manchester and Birmingham to London Euston see train frequencies increased to every 20 minutes, comparable with many local commuter routes, and average journey times in the case of Manchester slashed to as little as 2h 05. The number of direct trains from London to Glasgow increases from nine to 13 per day while from 26 January Chester will be linked to the Capital by a train each hour. Liverpool receives extra peak period trains to and from Euston.
Further details of the new timetable are given in separate regional press releases, available on request.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Passengers travelling at weekends and previously used to slow schedules will see some of the biggest changes as the weekday improvements will be carried over into Saturdays and Sunday afternoons. Those travelling after weekend breaks will, for example, enjoy 20 minute interval services between London and Birmingham through to mid-evening on Sundays.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares from London to Birmingham are reduced from £10.50 to £5.00, to Manchester and Liverpool from £13.00 to £8.00, to Preston from £16.50 to £10.50 and to Glasgow from £18.50 to £12.00. These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
New Virgin Trains’ timetable brings massive boost to Merseyside and North Cheshire
08 December 2008
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Train services across the network will increase by over 30 percent with Liverpool and Runcorn getting additional peak hour trains to and from London Euston. There will also be a regular service at weekends. Average journey times from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston come down from 2h 30 to 2h 08. The extra trains will provide over 400,000 additional seats each year on the route, helping to reduce overcrowding.
Runcorn also benefits from the extra trains to and from London and many journey times down to just 1h 52.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Maresa Molloy, Head of Policy at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce said: “Liverpool businesses are delighted at the prospect of a faster, more frequent service to and from London. The work on the West Coast Main Line has required patience from the business community. We hope these improvements will now see Liverpool city region businesses get the first rate service they need. The improvement in direct services at weekends is particularly welcomed and is a move which we hope will open up the weekend leisure and retail markets that we have not been able to utilise fully in 2008.”
Crewe will be served by two trains an hour from Liverpool and Runcorn, which will be operated by London Midland. Customers from Liverpool and Runcorn for Nuneaton will be able to change at Stafford for connections into a new hourly London Midland service. Connections will also be available off the London Midland service at Crewe for Virgin Trains’ services to Lancashire, Cumbria and Scotland.
All other Virgin Trains’ routes see significant benefits with the new timetable. Manchester to London and Birmingham to London services move to a 20 minute frequency with a new hourly train serving Wilmslow. Chester, a growth destination for both business and leisure travel, moves to hourly London schedules from 26 January. Finally, as Virgin starts to take on the Anglo-Scottish airlines, there will be thirteen trains a day between London and Glasgow with typical journey times of 4h 30.
Summary of principal changes
Liverpool to London Euston
Commuter-time departures from Liverpool Lime Street for London Euston at 05:27, 06:05; 07:00 and 07:48.
A fast 07:00 Liverpool to London Euston service calling at Runcorn only and arriving in London at 09:01 – a journey time of 2h 01 at an average end-to-end speed of 95.2mph.
Evening peak departures from London Euston to Liverpool at 16:07, 17:07, 17:33, 18:07, 18:33, 19:07.
More direct trains at weekends and on Sundays an additional late afternoon departure at 16:18.
Runcorn to London Euston
Commuter-time departures from Runcorn for London Euston at 05:43, 06:21; 07:15 and 08:04.
A fast 07:15 to London Euston service running non-stop arriving in London at 09:01 – a journey time of 1h 46 at an impressive average end-to-end speed of 101.88mph.
Evening peak departures from London Euston to Runcorn at 16:07, 16:33, 17:07, 18:07, 18:33, 19:07.
More direct trains at weekends and on Sundays an additional late afternoon departure at 16:35.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares to London from Liverpool, Runcorn and Crewe are reduced from £13.00 to £8.00. These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
More trains and faster journey times are the key ingredients of the new Virgin Trains’ timetable from 14 December, details of which were announced today.
Train services across the network will increase by over 30 percent with Liverpool and Runcorn getting additional peak hour trains to and from London Euston. There will also be a regular service at weekends. Average journey times from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston come down from 2h 30 to 2h 08. The extra trains will provide over 400,000 additional seats each year on the route, helping to reduce overcrowding.
Runcorn also benefits from the extra trains to and from London and many journey times down to just 1h 52.
Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO said today: “The new West Coast timetable represents a huge opportunity for the industry following the £9bn upgrade by Network Rail. More seats and dramatically reduced journey times are huge wins for passengers but quite rightly we will all be judged on how well this railway will perform. The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail and, during the first few months as the timetable beds in, passengers’ expectations may not always be fulfilled. I believe however that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.”
Maresa Molloy, Head of Policy at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce said: “Liverpool businesses are delighted at the prospect of a faster, more frequent service to and from London. The work on the West Coast Main Line has required patience from the business community. We hope these improvements will now see Liverpool city region businesses get the first rate service they need. The improvement in direct services at weekends is particularly welcomed and is a move which we hope will open up the weekend leisure and retail markets that we have not been able to utilise fully in 2008.”
Crewe will be served by two trains an hour from Liverpool and Runcorn, which will be operated by London Midland. Customers from Liverpool and Runcorn for Nuneaton will be able to change at Stafford for connections into a new hourly London Midland service. Connections will also be available off the London Midland service at Crewe for Virgin Trains’ services to Lancashire, Cumbria and Scotland.
All other Virgin Trains’ routes see significant benefits with the new timetable. Manchester to London and Birmingham to London services move to a 20 minute frequency with a new hourly train serving Wilmslow. Chester, a growth destination for both business and leisure travel, moves to hourly London schedules from 26 January. Finally, as Virgin starts to take on the Anglo-Scottish airlines, there will be thirteen trains a day between London and Glasgow with typical journey times of 4h 30.
Summary of principal changes
Liverpool to London Euston
Commuter-time departures from Liverpool Lime Street for London Euston at 05:27, 06:05; 07:00 and 07:48.
A fast 07:00 Liverpool to London Euston service calling at Runcorn only and arriving in London at 09:01 – a journey time of 2h 01 at an average end-to-end speed of 95.2mph.
Evening peak departures from London Euston to Liverpool at 16:07, 17:07, 17:33, 18:07, 18:33, 19:07.
More direct trains at weekends and on Sundays an additional late afternoon departure at 16:18.
Runcorn to London Euston
Commuter-time departures from Runcorn for London Euston at 05:43, 06:21; 07:15 and 08:04.
A fast 07:15 to London Euston service running non-stop arriving in London at 09:01 – a journey time of 1h 46 at an impressive average end-to-end speed of 101.88mph.
Evening peak departures from London Euston to Runcorn at 16:07, 16:33, 17:07, 18:07, 18:33, 19:07.
More direct trains at weekends and on Sundays an additional late afternoon departure at 16:35.
Cheapest fares reduced
To celebrate the start of the new timetable, prices of the cheapest Advance tickets have been slashed from 14 December. Single fares to London from Liverpool, Runcorn and Crewe are reduced from £13.00 to £8.00. These prices are not being increased in January.
More information
Route guides can be viewed or downloaded at virgintrains.com and free printed copies of the guides are available at any station served by Virgin Trains.
Individual journey details for travel from 14 December can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 08457 48 49 50.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thousands take a Pendolino home for Christmas - Ticket sales hit record levels as customers beat credit crunch
05 December 2008
Tens of thousands rail passengers are already set to take a Virgin Trains' Pendolino home for the Christmas and New Year holiday. Sales show that over 80% of tickets already bought for the festive period are at the cheaper Advance fares.
Ticket sales have already hit a record level for travel between December 17 and January 6. Over 132,000 passengers will be travelling in Pendolino luxury on Virgin Trains' services from London to the West Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool, Cumbria and Glasgow. Already more than the comparable period last year and still with eleven days to go before the start of the main festive travel period.
On a smaller level thousands of scale models of the Pendolino train have already been bought and wrapped as Christmas presents. Made by model manufacturer Hornby, the Pendolino train set has already been named as its best selling train model during 2008, a record that it is expected to retain for Christmas 2008 sales.
Virgin's fleet of 52 Pendolino tilting trains, built and maintained by Alstom, will have covered over a million miles each, when the final set clocks up the magical 1,000,000 miles in the week leading up to Christmas. The entire fleet has travelled over 58 million miles and following the introduction of the high frequency timetable on December 14 is expected to travel around 16 million miles a year – that’s over 30 return trips to the moon!.
The 'real' Pendolino features at seat service in First Class of hot and cold drinks and light refreshments, including a typically British breakfast. Improvements have been made to enhance mobile phone reception and onboard WiFi will be introduced during early 2009. Power points at most seats allow charging of laptop computers and mobile phones and an audio entertainment system operates throughout the train. A walk-in shop is also provided and regenerative braking captures the energy from brake applications and puts electricity back into the electricity supply system.
Hornby's Pendolino takes railway models to new levels. This stunning four car Pendolino pack is representative of Virgin Trains latest state of the art passenger train. The new Hornby 4 car model is ready to use straight out of the box. Designed to capture the real essence and style of its full size counterpart, the Pendolino certainly can show off its accurate tilting mechanism especially when the train travels at speed around bends. Each Power Car unit is fitted with directional lights plus a Hornby Digital decoder so that the lights can be switched on and off even when the train is in motion! Additional Pendolino coaches are available so that a full-length train can be created.
Chris Gibb, Virgin Trains Chief Operating Officer said: "We are pleased that record numbers of passengers have already bought tickets for travel on our Pendolino train services over the festive period. Many have been attracted by our new lower priced Advance fares, such as London to Birmingham single from £5. These are not just Festive offers, and tickets at this price are already on sale for travel through until late February, with more dates added each week.
"It is also pleasing that in homes around the UK, and possibly abroad, the Pendolino train will be running and delighting many thousands of children, and adults, on Christmas Day when our fleet of full sized trains will be taking a well earned break."
Simon Kohler, Hornby's Railways Group Marketing Manager said: "Virgin’s Pendolino has become the iconic image of high speed trains in the UK and we are pleased that we have been able to include it in our range of railway models. It is one of our most popular train sets and we are sure that the Pendolino will make it a happy Christmas for thousands of people.”
ENDS
For further information contact the Virgin Trains Press Desk on 0845 000 3333
or at virgintrainsmediaroom.com
or
Hornby Hobbies Limited 01843 233500 or simon.kohler@hornby.com
The popularity and intensive use of the Pendolino trains means that they will each clock up a million miles in around half the time trains took a decade ago. In providing a 24/7 maintenance regime for the Pendolino fleet, Alstom ensures that the trains can meet their demanding schedule every day.
The state-of-the-art 125mph Pendolino trains emit on average 76% less carbon dioxide per seat than domestic airlines and are also saving energy and reducing pollution as they return energy to the electrical feeder stations every time they brake. The 52 tilting trains, designed, built and maintained by Alstom, are fitted with electronic control systems that cause the traction motors to provide braking effort by generating electricity back into the supply system. The generated electricity which is put back into the supply system achieves an overall energy saving of 17 percent.
Regenerative braking used on the Pendolino trains also reduces the use of the friction brakes, dramatically reducing brake-pad dust and pollution, to provide a double environmental benefit.
Virgin Trains also has 21 Super Voyager diesel trains, built by Bombardier, which operate alongside the Pendolino fleet, normally on services from London to Chester and North Wales and between Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh. On Saturday and Sunday 27/28 December, due to engineering work in the Milton Keynes area, the Super Voyager fleet will be used to provide an hourly shuttle service between London Euston and Coventry/Birmingham International.
Photographs are available to illustrate this Press Release. Please contact the Virgin Trains Press Office on 0845 000 3333.
Caption Pic 390-001:
Virgin Trains onboard Customer Service Assistant Ingrid Hrehova with a Hornby Pendolino, whilst the imposing scale of the real train towers above. Both Pendolinos, big and small, will bring delight to thousands this Christmas.
Caption Pic 390-002
Virgin Trains Instructor Driver Bob Dunn and onboard Customer Service Assistant Ingrid Hrehova with a Hornby Pendolino, whilst a real Pendolino stands in the background. Both Pendolinos, big and small, will bring delight to thousands this Christmas.
Caption Pic 390-003
The dream for many is to be a train driver when they grow up, Virgin Trains Instructor Driver Bob Dunn and onboard Customer Service Assistant Ingrid Hrehova hold a coach from the Hornby Pendolino alongside the real thing. Both Pendolinos, big and small, will bring delight to thousands this Christmas.
Caption Pic 390-004
Seasonal image of Pendolino train and Christmas Tree.
Tens of thousands rail passengers are already set to take a Virgin Trains' Pendolino home for the Christmas and New Year holiday. Sales show that over 80% of tickets already bought for the festive period are at the cheaper Advance fares.
Ticket sales have already hit a record level for travel between December 17 and January 6. Over 132,000 passengers will be travelling in Pendolino luxury on Virgin Trains' services from London to the West Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool, Cumbria and Glasgow. Already more than the comparable period last year and still with eleven days to go before the start of the main festive travel period.
On a smaller level thousands of scale models of the Pendolino train have already been bought and wrapped as Christmas presents. Made by model manufacturer Hornby, the Pendolino train set has already been named as its best selling train model during 2008, a record that it is expected to retain for Christmas 2008 sales.
Virgin's fleet of 52 Pendolino tilting trains, built and maintained by Alstom, will have covered over a million miles each, when the final set clocks up the magical 1,000,000 miles in the week leading up to Christmas. The entire fleet has travelled over 58 million miles and following the introduction of the high frequency timetable on December 14 is expected to travel around 16 million miles a year – that’s over 30 return trips to the moon!.
The 'real' Pendolino features at seat service in First Class of hot and cold drinks and light refreshments, including a typically British breakfast. Improvements have been made to enhance mobile phone reception and onboard WiFi will be introduced during early 2009. Power points at most seats allow charging of laptop computers and mobile phones and an audio entertainment system operates throughout the train. A walk-in shop is also provided and regenerative braking captures the energy from brake applications and puts electricity back into the electricity supply system.
Hornby's Pendolino takes railway models to new levels. This stunning four car Pendolino pack is representative of Virgin Trains latest state of the art passenger train. The new Hornby 4 car model is ready to use straight out of the box. Designed to capture the real essence and style of its full size counterpart, the Pendolino certainly can show off its accurate tilting mechanism especially when the train travels at speed around bends. Each Power Car unit is fitted with directional lights plus a Hornby Digital decoder so that the lights can be switched on and off even when the train is in motion! Additional Pendolino coaches are available so that a full-length train can be created.
Chris Gibb, Virgin Trains Chief Operating Officer said: "We are pleased that record numbers of passengers have already bought tickets for travel on our Pendolino train services over the festive period. Many have been attracted by our new lower priced Advance fares, such as London to Birmingham single from £5. These are not just Festive offers, and tickets at this price are already on sale for travel through until late February, with more dates added each week.
"It is also pleasing that in homes around the UK, and possibly abroad, the Pendolino train will be running and delighting many thousands of children, and adults, on Christmas Day when our fleet of full sized trains will be taking a well earned break."
Simon Kohler, Hornby's Railways Group Marketing Manager said: "Virgin’s Pendolino has become the iconic image of high speed trains in the UK and we are pleased that we have been able to include it in our range of railway models. It is one of our most popular train sets and we are sure that the Pendolino will make it a happy Christmas for thousands of people.”
ENDS
For further information contact the Virgin Trains Press Desk on 0845 000 3333
or at virgintrainsmediaroom.com
or
Hornby Hobbies Limited 01843 233500 or simon.kohler@hornby.com
The popularity and intensive use of the Pendolino trains means that they will each clock up a million miles in around half the time trains took a decade ago. In providing a 24/7 maintenance regime for the Pendolino fleet, Alstom ensures that the trains can meet their demanding schedule every day.
The state-of-the-art 125mph Pendolino trains emit on average 76% less carbon dioxide per seat than domestic airlines and are also saving energy and reducing pollution as they return energy to the electrical feeder stations every time they brake. The 52 tilting trains, designed, built and maintained by Alstom, are fitted with electronic control systems that cause the traction motors to provide braking effort by generating electricity back into the supply system. The generated electricity which is put back into the supply system achieves an overall energy saving of 17 percent.
Regenerative braking used on the Pendolino trains also reduces the use of the friction brakes, dramatically reducing brake-pad dust and pollution, to provide a double environmental benefit.
Virgin Trains also has 21 Super Voyager diesel trains, built by Bombardier, which operate alongside the Pendolino fleet, normally on services from London to Chester and North Wales and between Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh. On Saturday and Sunday 27/28 December, due to engineering work in the Milton Keynes area, the Super Voyager fleet will be used to provide an hourly shuttle service between London Euston and Coventry/Birmingham International.
Photographs are available to illustrate this Press Release. Please contact the Virgin Trains Press Office on 0845 000 3333.
Caption Pic 390-001:
Virgin Trains onboard Customer Service Assistant Ingrid Hrehova with a Hornby Pendolino, whilst the imposing scale of the real train towers above. Both Pendolinos, big and small, will bring delight to thousands this Christmas.
Caption Pic 390-002
Virgin Trains Instructor Driver Bob Dunn and onboard Customer Service Assistant Ingrid Hrehova with a Hornby Pendolino, whilst a real Pendolino stands in the background. Both Pendolinos, big and small, will bring delight to thousands this Christmas.
Caption Pic 390-003
The dream for many is to be a train driver when they grow up, Virgin Trains Instructor Driver Bob Dunn and onboard Customer Service Assistant Ingrid Hrehova hold a coach from the Hornby Pendolino alongside the real thing. Both Pendolinos, big and small, will bring delight to thousands this Christmas.
Caption Pic 390-004
Seasonal image of Pendolino train and Christmas Tree.
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