May Bank Holiday sees surge in advance bookings

With excitement building as the May Bank Holiday edges closer, Virgin Trains has revealed the most popular UK destinations so far this year. The long weekend will see travellers heading towards locations including Manchester, Glasgow and the ever popular Lake District for a weekend getaway. According to Virgin Trains overall advance bookings are up 166% on the same bank holiday last year.

Vibrant Manchester is proving the most popular destination choice for the great getaway, as this year’s advance reservations are already up nearly 150% on the amount sold this time last year. Glasgow, and routes to the Lake District will also be busy. Overall, this is considered to be the busiest May Day Holiday since Virgin Trains began running its West Coast service in 1997 even without the additional walk-up tickets expected to be sold throughout the weekend.

The busiest day of travel so far is Friday, 30th April with bookings up 80% on last year. Monday, 3rd May will also be very busy with bookings up 280%. Interestingly, Thursday, 29th April is also proving to be a very popular day of travel bookings up 50% – suggesting people are taking a four day weekend to hopefully take advantage of some sunshine. The cheapest advance fares are up 182% - indicating the large amount that Virgin Trains have made available for this weekend.

Says Jim Rowe, Communications Manager at Virgin Trains: “The May Bank Holiday is always a popular travel period, however this long weekend is certainly set to be most welcome with people trying to enjoy the beginning of the summer. With more frequent services and excellent on-board facilities we’re keen to encourage more people to stay within the UK and use the train wherever possible!”
For further information or to book Virgin Trains log on to www.virgintrains.co.uk or telephone 08457 222 333.
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For further information please contact Amy Hanson or Sophie Lennon on 020 7403 6900 or email amy.hanson@thespaway.com

Additional Services To Continue As Thousands Of Stranded Air Travellers Turn To Virgin Trains

Anglo-Scottish travellers considering their travel options during continuing air travel problems will benefit from Virgin Trains decision to continue providing extra weekday services next week in addition to its regular London – Glasgow services.

London-Glasgow fares start from £17.50 Advance Single making travelling by train the best choice and these Advance tickets are available on many services including the 20:00 Glasgow Central to London Euston additional weekday service.

Virgin Trains will be running a full weekend service this weekend (24-25 April) following the lifting of engineering restrictions on Anglo-Scottish routes by Network Rail. Advance Tickets are still available for many of these weekend services.

This announcement follows a week of enhanced weekday services provided by Virgin Trains to assist air travellers. More than 4,000 additional seats have made available daily on Virgin Trains services to help passengers who have been unable to travel by air. Virgin Trains reports a 205% increase in customers using its London - Glasgow route since the Air Travel crisis began on Thursday 15 April and a 770% increase on its London - Holyhead route.

Virgin Trains confirmed today that their enhanced weekday service would continue from Monday 26 to Friday 30 April to help ease the travel backlog.


Additional Sunday Services for Virgin London Marathon

Demand for rail travel to London is expected to be high this weekend as competitors and spectators travel to London for the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday. Three special early morning trains will into London Euston will be provided for Marathon customers:

• 05:50 Liverpool Lime Street arriving London Euston 08:54
• 05:33 Manchester Piccadilly, arriving London Euston 08:27
• 06:20 Birmingham New Street, arriving London Euston 08:19

Extra early Manchester train for Virgin London Marathon supporters

More than 51,000 runners have been successful in gaining places in the 2010 Virgin London Marathon on Sunday 25 April. Virgin Trains will be running an earlybird service from Manchester for people wanting to lend their support to the biggest charity fund-raising event in the world.

Leaving Piccadilly at 0533 the train will arrive in London Euston at 0827, allowing plenty of time to find a good spot to cheer on friends and family. And while waiting for them there’s plenty to see- from world class athletes to spotting the fastest fruit and veg – course records are held by an orange and a carrot!

Arthur Leathley, Communications Director at Virgin Trains said:

‘The marathon’s a big challenge, but it’s made a little easier by the amazing support runners get from people along the route. Our earlybird train will make it possible for supporters to make a day trip to London for a really special event.’

Extra early Liverpool train for Virgin London Marathon supporters

More than 51,000 runners have been successful in gaining places in the 2010 Virgin London Marathon on 25 April. Virgin Trains will be running an earlybird service from Liverpool for people wanting to lend their support to the biggest charity fund-raising event in the world.

Leaving Lime Street at 0550 the train will arrive in London Euston at 0854, allowing plenty of time to find a good spot to cheer on friends and family. And while waiting for them there’s plenty to see- from world class athletes to spotting the fastest fruit and veg – course records are held by an orange and a carrot!

Colin Barrett, Virgin Trains Driver Team Manager at Lime Street, who is running the marathon for children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent said:

‘To make sure family and friends are on hand to lend their support during the long and challenging Marathon in London, Virgin’s earlybird trains will help runners and supporters have a really memorable day. And with our fast trains reducing travel time to London a round trip will probably take supporters less time than it will me to complete the marathon course!’

Extra early Birmingham train for Virgin London Marathon supporters

More than 51,000 runners have been successful in gaining places in the 2010 Virgin London Marathon on 25 April. Virgin Trains will be running an earlybird service from Birmingham for people wanting to lend their support to the biggest charity fund-raising event in the world.

Leaving at New Street at 0620 the train will arrive in London Euston at 0819, allowing plenty of time to find a good spot to cheer on friends and family. And while waiting for them there’s plenty to see- from world class athletes to spotting the fastest fruit and veg – course records are held by an orange and a carrot!

Natasha Grice, Virgin Trains On Board Manager at Wolverhampton, who is running the marathon for children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent said:

‘The marathon’s a big challenge, but it’s made a little easier by the amazing support runners get from people along the route. Our earlybird train will make it possible for supporters to make a day trip to London for a really special event.’

Virgin Trains to provide 2,000 extra seats on Friday 16 April to carry air passengers

Virgin Trains will offer 2,000 extra seats on Friday 16 April to carry passengers who will be unable to use air services due to the extension of restrictions on UK airspace until 1300.

The extra capacity will be offered through a combination of two extra trains and providing extra seats on eight trains compared to their normal operation. Priority has been given to Anglo - Scottish services.

The extra trains will be:
· 0855 London Euston to Glasgow Central calling Crewe 1035, Preston 1112, Carlisle 1216, arriving Glasgow Central 1327
· 1540 Glasgow Central to London Euston calling Carlisle 1647, Preston 1752, Crewe 1827, arriving London Euston 1958.

The eight trains that will have extra seats compared to their usual operation are:
· 0800 Glasgow Central - Birmingham New Street
· 0852 Edinburgh - Birmingham New Street
· 1043 London Euston - Birmingham New Street
· 1220 Birmingham New Street - Edinburgh
· 1230 Birmingham - London Euston
· 1443 London Euston - Birmingham New Street
· 1630 Birmingham – London Euston
· 1652 Edinburgh - Birmingham New Street.

The Trains take the strain once again..Virgin Trains launches new incentive for leisure passengers

Virgin Trains is today announcing the launch of a brand new ‘Small Groups product’ to enable groups of three to eight people to travel together on the train for even less than before. The product is particularly aimed at small groups of friends travelling to events and will be on sale via the website from 3 March.

The launch of the new product comes in response to Virgin Trains reporting an increase in passengers traveling at weekends to events, such as sports matches. The product offers more cost effective and pleasurable train travel for small groups going to sporting events, gigs, or simply visiting friends. The new group ticket is aimed at groups of between three and eight people traveling together on the same train(s) where the first two passengers pay the full applicable Advance fare with the subsequent third through to eighth passenger receiving a 10% discount on their own Advance fare.

Says Jim Rowe, Senior Communications Manager at Virgin Trains, “We are always looking at ways to innovate and offer better deals, so are keen to monitor how popular this new ticket will prove to be with our passengers… half the enjoyment comes from the journey…Quicker journey times, no traffic, free WI-FI and now cheaper tickets – what better way to make a journey!”
For further information or to book, log on to http://www.virgintrains.com/
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For further information please contact Sophie Lennon or Fran Long on 020 7403 6900 or email fran.long@thespaway.com




Notes to Editors:

About the Small Groups Product
The first two passengers pay the full applicable Advance fare with the subsequent third through eighth passenger receiving 10% off the applicable Advance fare
The discount applies to Adult fares only. No child discount or Railcard discount is available. (Children may be included as the third through to eighth passenger(s) travelling within the group; however they pay 50% of the applicable full fare Advance fare.)
Seats must be booked by 23:59 one day before travel, and are subject to availability. All tickets are non-refundable and a change of journey is not permitted.
Seat reservations are compulsory and travel must be made on the date and service(s) specified on the ticket. Break(s) of journeys are not allowed.
Fares are subject to availability.

Network Rail Improvement work means changes to Virgin Trains’ services at Easter

There will be alterations to services over the Easter weekend because of route improvement work but the principal travel days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday afternoon and evening will see full normal services operating.


On the Saturday and Sunday of the holiday weekend there will be work taking place at various times between Milton Keynes and Rugby, Rugby and Birmingham International, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly, and between Oxenholme and Glasgow/Edinburgh.


Maundy Thursday, 1 April and Good Friday, 2 April

There will be a normal service.


Saturday, 3 April

Because of route improvement work between Birmingham International and Rugby services from Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street to London Euston will be diverted via an alternative route in both directions and will not be able to call at Birmingham International and Coventry. A replacement coach service will run between Birmingham International and Rugby calling at Coventry. Trains serving North Wales and Chester will only run between Holyhead and Crewe where connections can be made to and from London Euston.

The line between Oxenholme and Glasgow Central will be closed from 20:00 with replacement coaches linking Oxenholme with Penrith, Carlisle, and Glasgow Central


Sunday 4 April

Because of route improvement work between Rugby and Milton Keynes (Euston until 12:00) services from the Midlands and North West will terminate and start back from Rugby and include calls at either Nuneaton or Coventry. The hourly West Coast Replacement Shuttle will operate in both directions from Nuneaton and Coventry direct to London Euston via an alternative route through Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. In addition a replacement coach service will run in both directions between Rugby and Milton Keynes connecting with a Pendolino shuttle service running in both directions between Milton Keynes and London Euston and calling at Watford Junction. Before 12:00 the replacement coach service will run to and from London Euston. Trains serving North Wales and Chester will only run between Holyhead and Crewe where connections can be made to and from London Euston.

The line between Manchester Piccadilly and Stockport will be closed all day and trains from the south will have to terminate at Stockport. A replacement coach service will run in both directions between Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly stations.

Trains will be unable to run north of Oxenholme Lake District, because of route improvement work at various locations in Cumbria and southern Scotland. Replacement coaches will connect with trains from the south at either Preston or Oxenholme and convey customers through to Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, and either Edinburgh, or Motherwell and Glasgow Central.


Bank Holiday Monday 5 April

Because of route improvement work taking place until 12:00 between Milton Keynes and Euston train services will be slightly reduced. After 12:00 the full normal service to and from Euston will resume running via Milton Keynes and Watford Junction

For further information passengers should visit nationalrail.co.uk or telephone 08457 484950.

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For further media information contact the Virgin Trains Press Office on 0845 000 3333, or visit our media website at www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com.

Notes to Editors

Virgin Trains Media Information

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You can subscribe to receive alerts to new press releases by visiting www.virgintrains.co.uk/about/media-room/

Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group. We have operated the West Coast passenger train franchise since 1997; the current franchise runs to March 2012.

Virgin Rail Group is owned 51 percent by Virgin Group and 49 percent by Stagecoach.

Virgin Trains has been recognised in numerous industry awards. On 19 January 2010 the company was named Best Rail Operator of the Year at the Travel Globe Awards, voted for by readers of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Evening Standard. In 2009 Virgin Trains was voted Best UK Domestic Train Service by Business Traveller magazine for the second year running; and named Best Rail Operator in the 2009 Group Leisure Awards, run by Group Leisure, the magazine for group travel organisers.