Christmas and New Year Services on Virgin Trains

LONDON, December 17 - Virgin Trains is reminding passengers to check train times and book seats
in plenty of time as services around the holiday period on all their routes
are likely to be very busy. There has been a 20 percent year-on-year increase
in Advance ticket sales. Seats can be booked when purchasing tickets online
at virgintrains.com, by phone on 08457-222-333, or in person at Virgin Trains
stations. Train times can be checked by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or
calling 08457-48-49-50.

Apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day when there will be no services,
trains will be running every day.

Day by day summary of services

24 December: Normal Thursday service. Services reduced from early evening
in preparation for a mid-evening shutdown.

25 and 26 December: No services

27 December: Normal Sunday service. Some early morning trains withdrawn.
Full service from mid-morning. Wilmslow will be served by rail replacement
coach services all day because of route improvement work.

28 December:: Normal Monday service. Wilmslow will be served by rail
replacement coach services all day because of route improvement work.

29 and 30 December: Normal weekday service.

31 December: Normal Thursday service. Services reduced from early evening
in preparation for a mid-evening shutdown.

1 January: Some early morning services withdrawn. Normal weekday service
from mid-morning.

2 and 3 January: Normal Saturday and Sunday services. No route
improvement work.

4 January onwards: Normal weekday service, except that the 22:30 and
23:30 London Euston to Wolverhampton services will both terminate at
Birmingham New Street.

Ticketing

Time restrictions on Off-Peak tickets will be lifted from 24 December to
3 January inclusive while First Class upgrades will be available from Train
Managers at GBP15.00 from 27 December through until 3 January.

Super Off Peak walk up tickets at just GBP12.50 can be bought at ticket
offices from 29 December to 3 January inclusive for journeys in either
direction between London Euston and Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham
International, and Birmingham New Street. They are also available in either
direction from Watford Junction and Milton Keynes Central to Coventry,
Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street. These bargain tickets do
carry time restrictions; customers should enquire when booking.

Train catering in First Class

Although the full First Class catering offer will be withdrawn between 27
December and 3 January, First Class customers will receive at their seats a
selection of hot drinks, water, crisps, biscuits and fresh fruit.

Notes to Editors

Images of Virgin Trains and the company's operations are available in the
Image Library on our online Media Room website
www.virgintrains.co.uk/about/media-room/

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Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group. We have operated
the West Coast passenger train franchise since 1997; the current franchise
runs to March 2012.

Virgin Rail Group is owned 51 percent by Virgin Group and 49 percent by
Stagecoach.

Virgin Trains has been recognised in numerous industry awards. In 2009
the company was awarded the Globe Travel Awards 2009 'Best Rail Operator'
Category as voted by Evening Standard readers; voted Best UK Domestic Train
Service by Business Traveller magazine for the second year running; and named
Best Rail Operator in the 2009 Group Leisure Awards, run by Group Leisure,
the magazine for group travel organisers.

For further information contact the Virgin Trains Press Desk on +44(0)845-000-3333 or visit www.virgintrains.co.uk/about/media-room/