Let us Improve our Stations, Says Sir Richard Branson

LONDON, November 17 - Virgin Trains today pressed for train operators to be allowed to make
major station improvements as it welcomed a Government report calling for
stations to be made an investment priority.

Plans to invest GBP50million in stations were unveiled by Lord Adonis,
Secretary of State for Transport, during a fact-finding tour of 10 stations,
including five operated by Virgin Trains.

Virgin Trains has previously made clear that investment in stations is
urgently required to cope with increasing numbers of customers. Virgin Trains
has seen growth in customer numbers of almost 20 percent this year and wants
greater investment in its stations to help cope with demand.

Although Virgin Trains' stations outscored the national average in the
latest National Passenger Survey, there is room for massive improvement.
Whilst Virgin Trains operates 17 of its stations, it is not allowed to carry
out major changes that are required to dilapidated station buildings.

Virgin Trains is working with partners to introduce new car parking for
more than 4000 cars, and new lounges and ticket buying facilities at its 17
stations.

Virgin Trains now wants changes to stations to come within the franchise
process so that train operators can introduce substantial improvements such
as new business meeting rooms, lounges and waiting rooms, as well as other
new customer facilities.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, called in May for a major
change in the way station improvements are funded.

Today he said: "The private sector has already invested heavily in fleets
of new trains, and there is much more that we at Virgin would like to do to
add further rail improvements in future.

Stations are clearly in need of major overhaul and, with public finances
under constraint, the time is right for the private sector to be even more
heavily involved in pioneering projects that would radically change public
perceptions."

Tony Collins, Virgin Trains' chief executive officer, said: "Our train
service is second to none and the growth we are currently seeing reflects the
popularity of train travel. But stations are a different story and they need
to be the priority of the coming years.

We would relish the chance to make significant changes within our
franchise agreement that would bring station standards into line with our
trains and I would be keen to discuss with Lord Adonis how quickly this could
be achieved."

Notes to Editors

In the Spring 2009 National Passenger Survey published by Passenger
Focus, Virgin Trains outscored the national average for all 13 'Station
Facilities' categories, by an average of 6.4%.

For the 'Facilities and services' category, customers scored Virgin
Trains at 64%, compared with a national average of 50%.

Station improvements made to date

Working with industry partners such as Network Rail, Greater Manchester
Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) and North West Regional Development
Agency (NWDA), a large programme of improvements has been delivered at Virgin
Trains' managed stations.

    Crewe

    - First Class Lounge
    - Renewed and enhanced CCTV coverage of station
    - Extended parking provision (2005 and 2009)
    - Refurbished all toilets on station to modern anti-vandal standard
    - Enhanced retail provision across the station
    - Replacement of Customer Information System/PA
    - Replacement of signage
    - Completed DDA Minor works
    - Refurbished ticket office
    - Carried out electrical remedials across station to bring up to current
      regulations
    - Refurbished staff accommodation.

    Warrington Bank Quay

    - Ticket office - complete rebuild
    - Remodelling of station front and access for road users and pedestrians
    - Refurbished all public toilets
    - Leveraged inward investment from retailers on station to increase
      retail on station and refurbish existing
    - Replaced Customer Information System//PA
    - Renewed and enhanced CCTV coverage of station
    - Completed DDA Minor works
    - Carried out electrical remedials across station to bring up to current
      regulations.

    Preston

    - Refurbished ticket office
    - Major investment on retail to bring dilapidated listed building back
      into public use for shop and bar/restaurant/buffet
    - Provision of dedicated customer information office
    - Rebuilt toilets to modern standard
    - Renewed and enhanced CCTV coverage of station
    - Replacement of Customer Information System/PA
    - Carried out electrical remedials across station to bring up to current
      regulations
    - Provision of new multi-story car park
    - Extensive refurbishment of staff and management accommodation to create
      an integrated function.

    Wigan North Western

    - Refurbishment of ticket office
    - Refurbished toilets
    - Refurbished customer services office
    - Renewed and enhanced CCTV coverage of station
    - Replacement of Customer Information System/PA
    - Carried out electrical remedials across station to bring up to current
      regulations.

    Stockport

    - Rebuilt ticket office, concourse and provided lift access
    - New platform with lift and waiting room
    - Refurbished subway
    - Refurbished customer services office
    - Refurbished staff accommodation
    - Rebuilt toilets to modern anti-vandal standard
    - Renewed and enhanced CCTV coverage of station
    - Replacement of Customer Information System/ PA
    - Carried out electrical remedials across station to bring up to current
      regulations.

Future improvements we would like to see

The Government has today issued its response to an independent report by
the Station Champions, Chris Green and Sir Peter Hall, advising the
Government on ways to improve rail stations. Improvements that Virgin Trains
would like to see at stations that it manages, which are mentioned in the
report, are:

Crewe: Roof repairs, additional car parking, new roof/canopies (including
removal of central roof pillars to allow increased line speed on fast lines
through station), new ticket office, escalators to platforms, various
cladding, toilet upgrade, new retail provision.

Wigan North Western: Additional car parking upgrades to seating, subways,
customer information, platform resurfacing, enclose waiting areas on
platforms, ticket office upgrade, canopy extensions, toilet upgrade, new
retail provision.

Warrington Bank Quay: Additional car parking, platform
reconstruction/resurfacing/repairs, enclose waiting areas on platforms,
toilet upgrade, new First Class Lounge, various cladding of
subways/staircases, new retail provision.

Preston: Additional car parking, subway cladding and lighting,
reconfiguration of waiting area on platforms 5&6, lift renewal, extension to
platforms 5&6 for 11-car Pendolinos, platform resurfacing on platforms 3,4,5
& 6, de-clutter platforms 1&2, new station front (span across station
approach to link access to town centre and shopping centre), new ticket
office, new footbridge across all platforms (with associated lifts and
escalators), decommission existing footbridge, widen platforms 5/6. new First
Class Lounge, new retail facilities

Stockport: Platforms 1,2,3 & 4 re-surfacing, additional car parking,
various subway and staircase cladding, roof replacement with modern canopies,
new retail facilities, new First Class Lounge on platform 2, toilet upgrade,
new customer information point.

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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.

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