Article from BTNews 8 JANUARY 2018
East Coast train expansion
Virgin Trains East Coast is creating a similar frequency of services on Saturdays to those enjoyed on weekdays. The franchise is a joint venture between Stagecoach (90%) and Virgin Group (10%) promoted as Virgin Trains. 
Used on the service are Intercity trains which last year were refurbished with new interiors. Later in 2018 sees the arrival of Virgin Trains’ Azuma fleet. Officials say these are set to be among the most advanced trains in the UK and illustrate Virgin’s continued pledge “to enhance and transform the customer experience”.
Introduced is a new timetable, part of a £140m investment in the route by the franchise. In total, 151 services now operate every Saturday from today, only six fewer than on weekdays, making it easier for leisure passengers to secure bargain fares. This is an increase of 45% compared to when Virgin Trains took over the route in March 2015. It represents the largest growth of weekend services since the introduction of Intercity 225 trains in 1990, following electrification of the East Coast.
Edinburgh, which has already gained 46 additional services per week connecting it to London since the start of the Virgin Trains franchise, sees an additional train in each direction between the UK and Scottish capitals on a Saturday. See also AND FINALLY and BTN 25 January 2016.
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