Article from BTNews 15 AUGUST 2016
Strike threat's bad timing
Last week's strike threat against Virgin Trains comes ironically just as the company has passed the halfway point in its East Coast fleet improvement programme, with the 23rd train to be refurbished rolling out of Craigentinny, Edinburgh.
The new-look trains include luxury leather seats and mood lighting in First Class and red-cloth seats in Standard, which Virgin says provide a new lease of life to the trains and extra comfort for customers.
The refurbishment programme, which also includes new carpets and fittings, is part of a £40m pledge Virgin Trains made when it started operating the East Coast service.
Regional managing director David Horne said: “Since Virgin Trains launched services on the East Coast in 2015, we have committed more than £40m to improving our existing fleet for customers.
“We’re excited to have passed the halfway point of our dedicated refurbishment programme, and thus achieve another milestone on our journey towards totally transforming travel for our customers.”
Stagecoach and Virgin are working in partnership to operate the East Coast and West Coast inter-city routes under the Virgin Trains brand with a stated mission to revolutionise rail travel across the UK.
The combined network connects some of the nation’s most iconic destinations including Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, York and London.
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