Richard Scott: Attracting people back to rail
 

As we continue to transition to the new normal and recover from the pandemic, we are not losing sight of all we have to deliver for the customers and communities on our route. This newsletter will highlight just some of the key activities that we have achieved over the last six months as we attract people back to rail.

 

You may have seen our new campaign “Feel Good Travel!” with Turbo the Turtle on your TV or at stations, as well as our new wrap for one of our iconic Pendolinos to highlight COP 26. We also welcomed the return to rail travel with a wedding celebrated on one of our trains and have hosted the Prime Minister, Ministers, and Mayors at our stations. All this promotes the safety of rail travel post-pandemic, something which was backed up by a Network Rail and Imperial College London study which found zero Covid on our trains and stations.

 

During this time we have also been working on upgrades to improve the travel experience for our passengers. We have started on a £117 million upgrade to all our Pendolino trains and a £45 million investment to upgrade Wi-Fi onboard.

 

We have also celebrated successes during this period. We hosted the Prime Minister as he presented a Heart of Gold Award to one of our staff in Warrington, won two awards at the Women in Rail Awards, and were named Sustainability Team of the Year.

 

Over the next six months we expect to host our annual stakeholder conference and our first refurbished Pendolinos will also be completed, bringing a better customer experience for passengers.

 

While this newsletter will give highlights on what we have been up to and what’s ahead, please do get in touch with our team of dedicated Regional Growth Managers if you want to discuss this or any other aspects of our business.