'Passion for Success' and Employee Engagement Praise for Virgin Trains

By Virgin Trains, PRNE
Wednesday, November 3, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, England, November 4, 2010 - Virgin Trains' 'Passion for success and providing a great customer
experience' is shared by all its employees says a report by Investors In
People just published.

The IIP review report praised Virgin Trains' high levels of employee
engagement, saying that 'virtually everyone feels they can make a difference
to the success of the company'. More than a hundred Virgin Trains employees
were interviewed at 8 locations by IIP West Midlands in a full review which
confirmed that Virgin Trains continues to meet and exceed the IIP standard.

The report also singled out excellent internal communications, including
the company's intranet and staff magazine, the organisational learning
culture and the 'open and accessible behaviour of the management team',
effectively reflecting the company's vision. The 'seamless integration' of
organisational development within the business planning process was also
singled out for praise.

Virgin Trains operates services from London to Birmingham and
Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Holyhead and in the last
year has created regional executive teams to make tactical and strategic
management decisions according informed by regional requirements. The IIP
report says that early experience of this regional devolution has been
positive, with individuals bringing ideas to the regional teams and receiving
support and resources to implement them. The report also highlights enhanced
understanding between front line employees and corporate teams such as
marketing and finance

Virgin Trains first achieved IIP accreditation in 2007 and currently
employs 3,100 staff running 330 train services daily and carrying more than
25 million passengers a year.

Virgin Trains Chief Executive, Tony Collins, expressed delight that the
company had retained its IIP accreditation:

"It's vital for the business that we invest time, effort and resources to
develop and support our employees. They provide great feedback and ideas for
improving the business and it is crucial that we listen and that we help them
to take those ideas forward,' he said.

"It's great to see the report confirm that this process is working
throughout the company. I have no doubt that the passion for success and
providing great customer experience is one of the major reasons Virgin Trains
continues to grow and succeed and why we're bringing more and more customers
onto our trains."

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/

You can subscribe to receive alerts to new press releases by visiting
www.virgintrains.co.uk/about/media-room/

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 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.

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

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