Media centre

Wednesday 11 Feb 2009

EXTRA SERVICES ADDED ON WEST COAST (NW)

Region & Route:

Network Rail announced today the addition of further services onto the West Coast main line. The services represent the final step in the introduction of new services on the route following completion of the £9bn upgrade project.

On December 14th over 1,000 extra services were introduced but a handful were held back to allow time for the new timetable to settle in.

From Monday February 16th a further 16 daily Virgin services will be added to almost 100 services that were introduced in December. London Midland will introduce an extra six services to add to their 52 extra services added in December. Southern will see the extension to Milton Keynes of its 32 trains between Watford and south and west London.

Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s director of operations and customer services said: “Passengers have already seen the massive benefits that the £9bn investment in the west coast route has delivered with much more frequent, faster trains. With the new timetable now bedded in, we can introduce the final few services that complete the picture of improved services along the West Coast main line."

Chris Gibb, chief operating officer, Virgin Trains, said: "Virgin Trains is delighted to have a full new timetable, including the most frequent service ever run between Chester and London, and we are looking forward to developing this exciting new market with faster journeys every hour."

Steve Banaghan, managing director of London Midland, said: “We’re delighted to have a full new timetable, which includes our new Trent Valley line service.

This is already proving popular and providing a great connection from the North West and West Midlands into London at affordable prices.”

Chris Burchell, managing director of Southern said: “I’m very pleased we can now put in place the final pieces of our timetable. Southern’s hourly service will provide direct trains for people travelling between towns along the West Coast main line and locations in west and south London, including Wembley, Shepherd’s Bush and Kensington Olympia. With connections to many other destinations at Clapham Junction and East Croydon I am sure these trains will prove very popular.”

In addition from next week the quickest journey between London Euston and Glasgow will be 4h10mins.