Virgin Trains Launches Pocket Timetables Direct to Your Phone

LONDON, October 14, 2011 -

Looking for a hassle-free, convenient and sustainable alternative to paper timetables or route maps? Virgin Trains has introduced new mobile phone-friendly versions of its popular pocket timetables and route maps. These can be accessed from posters at all our stations and mean that whenever you’ve got your mobile with you, you’ve got your Virgin Trains timetable.

To access the Virgin Trains’ pocket timetables, simply download a QR (Quick Response) Reader, free of charge, from either an Android, or BlackBerry or iPhone app store. Once that’s done, use the phone to scan the QR code on any one of the Virgin Trains posters at stations. The requested timetable will load on to the phone within minutes.

At the moment customers can upload Virgin Trains’ full range of pocket timetables. From 11 December 2011, they will also be able to access the four Route Guides, giving them quick and easy access to Virgin Trains’ comprehensive timetable information. When a new timetable is released the QR code will need to be scanned again.

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.

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