New Virgin Trains timetable in place for postponed Watford Blockade weekends

• Many services reinstated for weekends of 14^th/15^th and 21^st/22^nd February
• Customers should check before they travel

Virgin Trains is pleased to confirm that many, previously cancelled, services will now be running following Network Rail’s decision to defer planned engineering works at Watford due to take place later this month. The work, which was due to take place over the weekends of 14^th/15^th and 21^st/22^nd February, would have blocked the West Coast Main Line from Euston at Watford resulting in reduced services on 16^th and 23^rd February too.

Virgin Trains has put as many services in place as possible during the affected period and customers looking to travel on these dates are encouraged to check www.virgintrains.co.uk for updated timetables before finalising their plans.

Phil Bearpark, Executive Director for Operations and Projects said “We have worked closely with Network Rail and other train operators to put in place a timetable that makes best use of the space now available. This means that passengers will be able to travel to and from London on direct services rather than taking diversionary services, which is really good news but I would ask that all customers check before they travel to ensure they have the smoothest journey possible.”

The decision to cancel the works was taken by Network Rail after a landslide near Banbury last week put the Chiltern route out of action until emergency repairs can be completed which would have left no diversionary route for Virgin Trains services during the planned Watford block. Network Rail are currently determining the most suitable time to reschedule the postponed engineering works that will benefit all customers on the West Coast Mainline.

Further notes on services:

Over the affected weekends, there are a number of previously advertised services that will no longer be running (including the removal of a Manchester to Rugby and Milton Keynes service, calling at Stafford, Birmingham International and Coventry). Passengers for these journeys will have to use other train operators and there is ticket acceptance is place to accommodate this.

There are many more trains running but some trains will not be running at the previously advertised times, however the improved timetable will enable customers to easily travel on a different train at a similar time as originally planned.

Another consideration is that a number of services will no longer be calling at some of the additional stations that were previously advertised.