Tag: virgin trains

30% Off Train Fares In Support Of Flood Hit Areas

By on 13th February 2016in Lifestyle

A discount of 30% on Off Peak Advance fares to regions hit by floods is now available as part of Virgin Trains’ partnership with VisitEngland for their ‘Love the North’ campaign…

Virgin Trains, which operates passenger services on both the East Coast and West Coast, has teamed up with VisitEngland to support ‘Love the North’, which aims to promote tourism in the North of England and demonstrate that Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and Yorkshire are #OpenForBusiness following the damage caused by storms Desmond, Eva and Frank in December 2015.

The offer is available for travel between 19th February and 13th May, and is timed to coincide with the February half-term holiday and the Easter break in March.

Discounted fares can be purchased on direct Virgin Trains services to destinations including Carlisle, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith and Preston on the West Coast route, and Berwick-upon-Tweed, Doncaster, Leeds, Morpeth and York on the East Coast until Tuesday 1st March.

Destination organisations along the East and West Coast have pulled together some accommodation offers and deals to help customers make the most of this great travel discount.

Phil Whittingham, Managing Director at Virgin Trains, said: “We care about the local communities and want to show our continued support for them. We’re pleased to launch this 30% discount as part of VisitEngland’s ‘Love the North’ campaign. We look forward to welcoming visitors on board our trains, and hope they make the most of the many offers that show the region is very much open for business.”

David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains East Coast, said: “This is a fantastic initiative to bolster areas affected by flooding and put them back on the map for visitors. As our head offices are in York, we have seen firsthand the damage the storms caused to communities and businesses this winter. Indeed we were one of many businesses affected as our offices were flooded.

“York is just one of the wonderful destinations on our route which is linked by some of Britain’s most breathtaking scenery. From the Flying Scotsman season at York’s National Railway Museum to the great shopping on offer in Leeds or the spectacular backdrop of Berwick-upon-Tweed, there are plenty of great reasons to visit, and we hope customers take advantage of this offer.”

TV’s ‘First Dates’ Host Invites Lonely Valentines Aboard The Love Train

By on 5th February 2016in Lifestyle

Stuck for what to do on Valentine’s day? The Virgin Trains love carriage is set to be a one-of-a-kind speed dating experience…

Virgin Trains is offering passengers a romantic train journey from London King’s Cross to York on the 14th February. This one off event will be hosted by service expert and TV celebrity Fred Sirieix, the charming French General Manager of Galvin at Windows and founder of The Art of Service. Get your love life back on track by booking yourself a ‘single ticket’ and make it a Valentine’s to remember.

This unique experience at 125mph will set your heart racing. Playing cupid, Fred has designed a world-class experience using his service expertise, and will guide passengers on their journey of love up the east coast. Fred is known for his charisma and hospitality, and is the perfect host to get singletons in the mood for love.

As one of the UK’s top rated Maître D’s with plenty of dating experience, Fred will help the lucky singletons find their perfect match on the love carriage. Virgin Trains on-board staff will be given a masterclass in the art of service by Fred to ensure the evening goes off with a bang.

This revolutionary dating experience will see 24 singletons switching seats throughout the journey, meeting potential suiters. The carriages will be decked out with red roses, romantic music and prosecco to set the mood. Sit back, relax and get on board for a chance at finding love.

Tickets will sell out fast, so visit www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/lovecarriage to ensure your love life doesn’t go off the rails. The singles only carriage will leave King’s Cross at 2.52pm, and returns at 7.52pm.

Fred Sirieix commented: “Valentine’s Day should be celebrated by all, and I am over the moon that Virgin Trains has brought me on-board to host the festivities and officiate as the on-board matchmaker. Both happiness and love are within each of us. The thing is we need to go and get it, and we have laid it on especially for you with top service and hospitality in a first class carriage this Valentine’s Day. It’s here for the taking, so come and join us!”

David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains on the east coast route said: “Here at Virgin Trains, we want all our amazing customers to enjoy Valentine’s Day, including our single passengers. The love carriage is the perfect place to meet new people, and who knows, romance could be one train-ride away.”

High speed dating guests are invited to enjoy the excitement of the ‘Love Carriage’ upon one of Virgin’s newly revamped trains. Virgin Trains recently announced a £42m investment for its East Coast route, including money for refurbishing the interior and exterior of the trains, as well as an engine overhaul for the fleet ahead of the arrival of Hitachi Super Express Trains in 2018.

Virgin Trains Voted Among Best UK Workplaces

By on 18th January 2016in Local Biz

Virgin Trains has been recognised as one of the best companies to work for in the UK…

 

Ahead of British Airways, EasyJet and Transport for London, Virgin Trains’ east coast business was ranked second out of all transportation and logistics companies, and 43rd overall in an independent UK-wide survey of 1,600 companies.

The Bloomberg-sponsored survey, which lists the top 400 employers in the UK, used a robust sample of 15,000 UK employees who answered questions about their employer.

Clare Burles, People Director for Virgin Trains on its east coast route, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to feature so highly in this list. It’s our people – both customer-facing and behind the scenes – and their commitment, skills and personality that drive our amazing business.”

The company has already enjoyed an eventful January, delivering the first of its newly refurbished trains as part of a £40m investment in its train fleet. This includes a stylish makeover with new interiors, including luxurious leather seats in First Class, and new carpets and fittings throughout to bring added customer comfort and a touch of the glamour for which the Virgin brand is famous, as well as an improved working environment for staff.

Since it launched in March 2015, Virgin Trains has been transforming the business, including introducing new uniforms, a revamped staff benefits package, and a Red Hot awards ceremony to recognise the great work of its customer-facing, operational and engineering employees.

A new recognition scheme, Virgin Stars, has also been launched to recognise and celebrate the company’s best people, and examples of customer service. Meanwhile, Newcastle Driver, John Scott was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours.

Virgin Trains Unveil Newly Refurbished East Coast Trains

By on 12th January 2016in Local Biz

Virgin Trains has unveiled the first of its newly refurbished trains as part of a £40m project to improve its customers’ experience…

All of Virgin’s trains on its east coast route are being given a makeover with stylish new interiors, bringing added customer comfort and a touch of the glamour for which the Virgin brand is famous.

A total of £21m has been earmarked to complete the refurbishment of the trains’ interiors, including adding luxurious leather seats to First Class, new carpets and fittings throughout, as well as bringing the distinctive Virgin red on-board.

Since taking over the East Coast Mainline in March 2015, Virgin Trains has invested millions of pounds to improve the customer experience. The refurbishment programme, which also includes a £16m investment in new diesel engines and the re-branding of the exterior of the trains, has been brought in ahead of the arrival of Virgin’s new fleet in 2018. These trains are being built in the UK by Hitachi.

David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains on its east coast route, said: “Our new fleet of trains arrive in 2018, but we want to ensure the trains people are catching right now deliver the same comfort and glamour for which Virgin Trains is known.

“The East Coast Mainline features some of the world’s iconic rail journeys and has played host to some of the most famous locomotives ever made, including the Flying Scotsman. Our own uniquely Virgin Flying Scotsman was unveiled last year, and is a symbol of this major investment that will bring the Virgin style and a dash of glamour back to the east coast route in the build up to the launch of our new trains.”

Virgin Trains Offer 200,000 Cheap Rail Tickets

By on 5th January 2016in In & Around

If you’ve spent too much time soothing feuds between family members over the holidays, it might be time to bag yourself a bargain escape route…

A total of 200,000 cheap tickets are up for grabs from Virgin Trains along their east coast route from London to Edinburgh. At £5 for a single ticket between London and Leeds, £10 between London to Newcastle and £15 between London and Edinburgh, the bargains are eye-wateringly tempting.

Those needing that extra bit of nurturing after dealing with particularly irritating relatives should be able to justify upgrading to First Class. At just £40 for a First Class ticket all the way from London to Edinburgh, their deal will include the full package – including complimentary food and drink, free Wi-Fi and more spacious and comfortable seats.

George Shuttlewood, Head of Marketing for Virgin Trains on the east coast, said:

“All those who’ve spent the last two weeks with seriously annoying relatives have our deepest sympathy. We’re delighted to be able to offer a sharp exit with our super-cheap tickets.

“This is an excellent opportunity to save big on travel between Edinburgh and London, and many of our destinations in between. And with 200,000 seats available over the travel period, there’s plenty of choice.

“London is always our most popular destination, but with prices so low it’s the perfect opportunity to try somewhere new.”

The bargain seats are on sale from today until Friday 8th January, and only through this web page. All tickets are for travel from 5th January to 23rd March 2016.

All offers are subject to availability. As well as seriously beguiling bargains for off-peak week-day travel, some peak-time tickets are up for grabs as well as more limited (due to engineering works) but equally tempting deals for weekend travel.

Because the prices are already so low, no other offers or discounts can be used, including Railcard or child reductions. Once booked, no changes, refunds or break of journey can be made.

Virgin Trains Bring In Extra Staff For Christmas Period

By on 18th December 2015in Local Biz

Worried about travelling with extra luggage this Christmas?

And how will you carry all those presents? If you’re travelling by Virgin Trains, then you no longer have to worry.

Virgin Trains will be bringing in more staff this festive period, helping travellers along their way during the busy Christmas holidays.

David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains on the east coast route, said: “Our trains are often busy throughout Christmas time, as people travel across the country to spend time with their loved ones.

“We’ve noticed that customers are bringing bigger, bulkier luggage onto our trains, so we thought we’d make our customers travel easier this festive season by providing more people to help with their luggage.”

Luggage assistants will be in place at Leeds, London King’s Cross and Edinburgh throughout the festive holidays, and a dedicated luggage check-in will be available at London King’s Cross and Edinburgh.

For further information, visit www.virgintrainseastcoast.com.

ADVERTISERS