Virgin Trains springs Birthday surprise

17 April 2009

Virgin Trains has spring a Birthday surprise on a former train driver, who worked at the Meaford power station near Stoke-on-Trent for over 13 years.

Harold Beeson from Cheadle has been given the VIP treatment to celebrate his 90th Birthday. Virgin Trains has not only arranged a First Class return journey from Stoke-on-Trent to London, but also invited Harold into the drivers cab for the last part of the journey into London’s Euston station.

Mr Beeson was able to experience the power of a modern electric tilting train, a real contrast with the industrial steam locomotives he used to drive. The surprise trip took place on 17 April, just two days before Harold’s 90th Birthday.

Virgin Trains’ Communications Manager for the North West Steven Knight said: “Mr Beeson’s son Michael contacted Virgin Trains last year to see if we were able to offer his father the chance to sample a modern Pendolino train journey. We thought we could do better than that with a First Class journey to London including a full cooked breakfast and the chance to visit the space-age cab of one of our tilting trains.”