Press release -
Virgin Trains injects style into Berwick First Class Lounge
A new-look Virgin Trains First Class Lounge has been opened at Berwick-upon-Tweed Station following a root-and-branch makeover.
It is one of eight lounges between London and Edinburgh to have been given the Virgin treatment, doubling the seating capacity and giving more options to hold meetings, work and unwind in a stylish environment.
A splash of red has been introduced into the innovative designs, which include new meeting points, desks for customers to work at and relaxation spots to unwind. Free wifi and powerpoints have been provided throughout, along with soft drinks, snacks and newspapers.
The investment will help Virgin Trains drive further growth in First Class travel among business people who can prepare for meetings onboard and leisure passengers treating themselves to a luxury journey.
In the first year since Virgin Trains took over services on the east coast route, First Class travel has grown by 6%.
The latest improvements come after Virgin Trains embarked on a £21m refurbishment of its trains, including putting leather seat covers in First Class.
Lounges in King’s Cross, Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle, Doncaster, Darlington and Wakefield have all been refurbished.
Councillor Kath Nisbet, Civic Head of Northumberland County Council, said: “This is a welcome investment in the facilities at Berwick-upon-Tweed Station and I’m sure it will boost the experience for train passengers. We have an absolute gem of a town that is loved by visitors from across the UK and abroad and making it easier and more enjoyable to visit by rail is an important part of growing our visitor economy.”
David Horne, Virgin Trains’ managing director for the east coast route, said: “This is the latest investment that will help us lift the experience for our First Class customers.
“We know that being able to relax ahead of a journey or prepare for that key business meeting is one of the things that our customers really value. We’re confident that providing some Virgin style to these Lounges will help us to meet this increasing demand for First Class travel.”
Topics
- Art, Culture, Entertainment
Categories
- berwick
- lounges
- first class
- east coast
- events & launches
- routes & stations
- regional news
- trains
- business news
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. This includes a major fleet revamp, smarter stations and exciting new routes. From May 2016, there will be 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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