Virgin Trains to Provide Extra Seats to Meet Increased Demand From Frustrated Air Passengers on Wednesday 25 May 2011

LONDON, May 24, 2011 -

Virgin Trains will provide over 3000 extra seats on Wednesday 25 May 2011
for airline passengers facing uncertainty over airspace closures due to
volcanic ash clouds.

The disruption following airspace closures has seen increases in demand
for trains and more seats will be provided on the London to Glasgow and
Birmingham to Glasgow/Edinburgh routes.

Besides the extra seats, Virgin Trains will operate an additional train
from London Euston to Crewe, Warrington, Wigan and Preston at 13:33 and also
extend the 14:30 London Euston to Lancaster service through to Carlisle and
Glasgow Central.

An additional 20:40 Edinburgh Waverley to Manchester Piccadilly service
will also run calling at Preston and Crewe.

Based on experience during prolonged airspace closures last year ,Virgin
Trains has now set up a mechanism for quickly uplifting services in response
to ash cloud warnings.

For details of times and fares and for booking tickets visit
virgintrains.com or any Virgin Trains ticket office.

A decision on the level of service to be run later in the week will be
made in the light of further updated forecasts from the Met Office.

Notes to Editors

For further information please call +44(0)845-000-3333

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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; discussions are
currently taking place with regard to the extension of the current franchise
through to 8 December 2012 and we have been invited to bid for the new
franchise.

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; the IIP Gold award was achieved 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/