Virgin launches 42 new Edinburgh-London services
 |
Virgin Trains has added 42 additional services between Edinburgh and London per week, adding 22,000 seats to the route and prompting a surge in advance bookings.
The new timetable was launched on May 16 by Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell, who was joined by Stagecoach Chief Executive Martin Griffiths and David Horne, Virgin Trains' Managing Director on the east coast route, to see off the first departure at 9am.
Welcoming the frequency uplift, Mr Mundell said it would mean "more choice and flexibility" for rail travellers. "It will make it easier for Scottish businesses to reach customers and markets right across the UK. These new services will also bring more visitors to Scotland, helping to boost jobs and prosperity," he said.
There are now an additional eight departures on weekdays, which extend services to and from London that previously started or terminated in Newcastle, and two extra weekend services, meaning customers have a half-hourly timetable between the UK and Scottish capitals for most of the day.
Bookings for the new services have grown by 15% in the first two months, compared to the same period last year.
David Horne said the new timetable would give customers more choice and flexibility, making rail a more attractive alternative to flying between England and Scotland. “We’re really pleased that our new services have proved so popular with the travelling public. We think the combination of service improvements and a half-hourly frequency is a winning combination, and that together with low fares we’ll be able to persuade more people to switch from the inconvenience of air travel to the comfort of our trains,” he said.
More than a million rail passengers travelled between London and Edinburgh last year. Virgin Trains has unveiled ambitions plans to capture half of this market from airlines by the end of its eight-year franchise on the east coast route in 2023.
|
|
