Virgin Trains' Cheshire Stations are the Best

LONDON, January 19, 2011 - Virgin Trains has scooped two top awards in the annual Cheshire Best
Station awards.

For the second year in a row, Virgin Trains has walked away with the Best
Staffed Station and the Best Customer Care awards, with Crewe and Runcorn
stations taking top honours.

Announcing the awards, John Hulme, Organiser of Cheshire Best Kept
Station, said:

"Our Customer Care Award [Runcorn Station] reflects superior customer
value and reflects the efforts made by the Runcorn staff in satisfying their
customer's needs. There is always a helping hand at this customer-friendly
station and that is why a great number of passengers choose to travel from
Runcorn railway station.

"Our Best Staffed Station Award [Crewe Station] is for the staffed
station that provides its customers with the best customer experience. Once
again Virgin's attitude of going that extra mile and getting it right first
time has to be commended".

Virgin Trains Station Manager for Runcorn Keith Millard said:

"this is fantastic news for the team at Runcorn who take pride in
delivering consistent customer service and are very proud of the care they
give every day at the station."

Sam Dixon, Station Manager at Crewe also congratulated his team:

"This award has been won by every member of my team at Crewe, who are a
huge credit not just to Virgin Trains but to the whole railway industry,
especially coming at a time when the station has a large amount of upgrading
and building work taking place."

News of the awards comes in the week that Virgin Trains will carry its
250 millionth passenger since taking over the West Coast rail route in 1997.
Over 28 million passengers have been carried in the last year. It also
demonstrates that train operators can made a real difference in those station
facilities and environs in which they have direct control and confirms the
continual improvements that Virgin Trains has made since it took over the
West Coast franchise.

Virgin Trains has also been recognised for its investment in its people,
with an Investors In People Gold Award - the only train operator to be
awarded this highest recognition.

Notes to Editors

Images of Virgin Trains and the company's operations are available in the
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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 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 2007and this was renewed in
2010 with the IIP Gold award made in 2011.

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/