Network Rail Route Improvement Work Means Changes to Virgin Trains' Services at August Bank Holiday Weekend

LONDON, August 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

There will be alterations to services over the August Bank Holiday weekend because of route improvement work but the principal travel days of Friday and Bank Holiday Monday afternoon and evening will see normal weekday services operating.

On the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the holiday weekend there will be work taking place at various times between London Euston and Rugby, Warrington and Wigan/Preston and in the Birmingham area.  With the exception of local journeys between Crewe and Warrington, and Warrington and Wigan (Saturday), and Crewe and Warrington and Warrington-Wigan-Preston (Sunday) where rail replacement coaches will operate, we are operating a train service with trains being diverted over other routes.

Saturday 27 August

Because of route improvement work between Warrington and Wigan services from London Euston to Glasgow Central will terminate at Crewe and services from Birmingham to Glasgow/Edinburgh will be diverted via Manchester calling at Wigan North Western and terminating at Preston.  Trains will also operate between Wigan and Glasgow.  Rail replacement coach services will run between Crewe and Warrington and Warrington and Wigan for local journeys.

There will be no direct services between Euston and Chester while Euston to Holyhead services will run between Crewe and Holyhead only.

Sunday 28 August

Due to route improvement work between London Euston and Rugby a very limited service will be provided until 13:00. Some services will start/terminate at Milton Keynes/Rugby with limited connections to and from London Euston.

From 13:00 work between London Euston and Rugby takes place involving the closure of two out of the normal four lines, London Euston to Birmingham and London Euston to Manchester services will be reduced to two services per hour instead of the normal three per hour that would normally operate from lunchtime over these two routes. There will also be one train an hour between London Euston and Crewe and a further train an hour between London Euston and Liverpool.

There will be no direct services between London Euston and Chester while London Euston to Holyhead services will run between Chester and Holyhead only.

Work in connection with the Birmingham Gateway station scheme at Birmingham New Street means that trains from London Euston to Birmingham will be diverted between Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street stations, adding around 15 mins to the journey time between these two stations.

Route improvement work between Warrington and Wigan continues all day. Services from London Euston to Glasgow Central will terminate at Crewe and services from Birmingham to Glasgow/Edinburgh will be diverted via Manchester and terminate at Preston.  Trains will also operate between Preston and Glasgow.  Rail replacement coach services will run between Crewe and Preston calling at Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western for local journeys only.

Bank Holiday Monday 29 August

Work in connection with the Birmingham Gateway station scheme at Birmingham New Street means that trains from London Euston to Birmingham will be diverted between Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street stations, adding around 15 minutes to the journey time between these two stations. Two trains an hour will operate on this route all day.

Route improvement work between London Euston and Rugby takes place until 12:00, meaning two trains an hour - rather than the normal three - will operate between London and Manchester. After 12:00 the normal three trains an hour will operate on this route.

For further information passengers should visit nationalrail.co.uk or telephone 08457-484950.

Notes to Editors

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Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group (VRG), which is owned 51 percent by Virgin Group and 49 percent by Stagecoach. We have operated the West Coast passenger train franchise since 1997.

The current franchise runs to March 2012 and the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 19 May 2011 that the Department for Transport will seek to agree acceptable terms with VRG for an extension to the current contract to December 2012. We have been short-listed for the new franchise that will start in December 2012.

Virgin Trains has been recognised in numerous industry awards. In 2010 the company has been named Best Rail Operator of the Year at the Travel Globe Awards (voted for by readers of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Evening Standard), and Best Rail Operator in the Group Leisure Awards (which we also won in 2009). In 2009 we were also voted Best UK Domestic Train Service by Business Traveller magazine for the second year running.

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 2011 Virgin Trains was awarded accreditation against the criteria of the European Foundation for Quality Management's (EFQM) Excellence Model.