Press release -
INK-REDIBLE: Virgin Trains launches world’s first ticket tattoo
**This story is an April Fool**
Virgin Trains has today launched an innovative new contactless ticket system, offering customers the opportunity to have their train ticket permanently tattooed on their body, preventing season ticket passengers from ever losing their tickets again.
Following the success of the eTicket scheme launched in August 2016, Virgin Trains found that passengers welcome developments that make journeys more straightforward, with just under half of customers suggesting they would opt for eTicket over a paper ticket.
New consumer research revealed that 62% of customers lose their ticket at least once a year, so Virgin Trains set experts on a mission to develop a new contactless technology to combat the issue.
A crack team of scientists, engineers and some of the UK’s finest tattoo artists rolled up their sleeves to develop a solution, Tick-InkTM. Using magnetic tattaniumTM ink, a unique ticket code is inserted into the dermis layer of the skin, so customers who need to get somewhere in a hurry, can save themselves some time.
Kevin Jones, a regional sales manager from Milton Keynes is one of 100 customers trialling the ultimate wearable tech, Tick-InkTM, said: “It’s completely changed my life. I commute from Milton Keynes to Birmingham with Virgin Trains regularly and have missed so many meetings, appointments and dinners with the missus because I’ve lost my ticket. I’d definitely recommend Tick-Ink to other customers, as the saying goes – no pain, no train!”
John Sullivan, Chief Innovation Officer at Virgin Trains, said: “Here at Virgin Trains, we pride ourselves on the innovations we have brought to the rail industry and we like to ensure that our customers have the most comfortable and enjoyable journey possible. We receive hundreds of calls from customers about missing or misplaced season tickets every year and we wanted to provide people with a clever way of always having their ticket on them. What better way than to have it permanently tattooed on their body?”
Professional tattoo artists will be available to apply Tick-InkTM at all major stations across the West Coast and East Coast routes from April 1st 2017.
For video, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7axP5ax3Sx0&feature=youtu.be
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About Virgin Trains:
Stagecoach and Virgin are working in partnership to operate the East Coast and West Coast inter-city routes under the Virgin Trains brand. Together, they are on track to revolutionise rail travel across the UK.
The combined network connects some of the nation’s most iconic destinations including Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, York and London.
Virgin Trains is committed to delivering a high speed, high frequency service, offering shorter journey times, more comfortable travel and excellent customer service. Customers consistently rate Virgin Trains as one of the top long-distance rail franchise operators in the National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) commissioned by industry watchdog, Transport Focus.
On the East Coast route, £140m is being invested to create a more personalised travel experience. We have already invested £21m to completely revamp our existing fleet and customers can now benefit from 42 additional services (22,000 extra seats) per week between Edinburgh and London. 2018 will see the introduction of completely new Azuma trains being built in the UK by Hitachi.
The West Coast route has a proud record of challenging the status quo - from introducing tilting Pendolino trains, to a pioneering automated delay repay scheme and becoming the first franchised rail operator to offer m-Tickets for all ticket types.
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Press Office: 0845 000 3333.
