Press release -
Virgin Trains' special First Class fares for Liverpool to London customers this Summer
Virgin Trains has introduced new First Class Off-Peak fares from Liverpool and Runcorn to London for Summer 2013, offering a saving of over a third compared with the usual fare. They are a great opportunity to try out the Virgin Trains’ First Class journey experience.
Tickets cost £97.30 for a single and £194.60 for a return, and are available on Virgin Trains’ services only. The normal First Class Off-Peak prices are £154.70 single and £309.40. The special fares are available for travel between Merseyside and London or vice versa. On Mondays to Fridays the first available train heading south is the 09:48 from Liverpool Lime Street (10:04 from Runcorn). In the northbound direction the tickets can be used on eight trains from London Euston, departing at 10:07, 11:07, 12:07, 13:07, 14:07, 19:07, 20:07 and 21:07. At weekends the tickets are available on any Virgin Trains’ service.
The journey between Liverpool and London takes just 2 hours 8 minutes and Runcorn takes 1 hour 48 minutes.
The special fares will be available for travel until 2 September 2013; return portions will be available for travel up to 1 October 2013. Railcard discounts are available with these tickets, however any Railcard discounted tickets will not be valid at peak times.
Chris Walton, Virgin Trains’ General Manager for the North West said: “For under £100 one way, this is a great opportunity for customers to give First Class a try, for some added luxury. On First Class services we offer complimentary newspapers and free Wi-Fi internet. Complimentary Fairtrade tea and coffee, soft drinks and refreshments are served at-seat. All First Class ticket holders also have access to First Class lounges at the three stations.”
Topics
- Art, Culture, Entertainment
Regions
- Merseyside
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Virgin Trains has revolutionised rail travel by creating a high speed, high frequency service that has cut journey times and made rail journeys more comfortable. It has operated the West Coast passenger train franchise since 1997, serving key UK cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Glasgow.
Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group (VRG), which is owned 51 percent by Virgin Group and 49 percent by Stagecoach. The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded VRG a franchise contract, which started on 9 December 2012 and will run for up to 23 months. The DfT announced on 26 March 2013 a programme for letting future franchises, with the long-term West Coast franchise expected to start in April 2017.
Virgin Trains has been recognised in numerous awards. In September 2012 Business Traveller magazine readers voted the company the Best UK Domestic Rail Operator for the sixth year running. In 2011 the company was named Best Rail Operator in the Group Leisure Awards (which it also won in 2009 and 2010). In 2011 Virgin Trains won the British Quality Foundation's Achievement Award for Customer Satisfaction.
Customers consistently rate the company the top long-distance rail franchise operator, as measured by the National Passenger Survey (NPS) run by industry watchdog Passenger Focus. In the most recent NPS (Spring 2013) overall satisfaction was 92%, equalling our best ever score from the previous survey (Autumn 2012).
Virgin Trains first achieved Investors In People accreditation in 2007 and this was renewed in 2010; the IIP Gold award was achieved in 2011. In May 2013 Virgin Trains renewed it accreditation against the criteria of the European Foundation for Quality Management's (EFQM) Excellence Model, which it originally achieved in May 2011 The company’s Learning and Development team won a National Training Awards 2011 West Midlands award for its Coaching Culture programme.
For more information about Virgin Trains visit the Virgin Trains' website or the Media Room website.