Easter - Virgin Trains

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mobile devices
Easter
Travel Guide
Thursday 28 March until
Tuesday 2 April 2013
This information affects Virgin Trains
services over the Easter Bank Holiday,
and may also be of use to customers
travelling with other West Coast
Main Line operators’ services
virgintrains.com
@virgintrains
virgintrains

Whilst most route improvement work is completed
on time, there is a slight possibility that some
projects could overrun, at very short notice.
For last minute service changes,
please visit us at virgintrains.com
Alternatively you can visit National Rail Enquiries at
www.nationalrail.co.uk
or call 08457 48 49 50
virgintrains.com
@virgintrains
virgintrains

Welcome to our
Easter travel guide
Contents
Page
2 Introduction
2 Reserve your seat before you travel
2 First Class upgrades
3 Off-Peak ticket validity
Route improvements guide
4 Route improvements introduction
5 Maundy Thursday 28 March details
5 Good Friday 29 March details
6 Saturday 30 March details
7 Saturday 30 March route map
8 Easter Sunday 31 March details
9 Easter Sunday 31 March route map
10 Easter Monday 1 April details
11 Easter Monday 1 April route map
12 Tuesday 2 April details
12 Thanks for your patience
Call costs to phone numbers listed in this booklet:
Calls to all numbers starting with ‘0845’ will cost 2.04 pence per minute (at peak times)
from a landline. Calls to all numbers starting with ‘0871’ will cost 10 pence per minute (at
all times) from a landline. Rates from mobiles, pay phones and other networks may vary.
1

Travelling over the Easter weekend
There may be some changes that could
affect your journey...
At Virgin Trains, we’d like you to have an ‘eggcellent’ Easter
weekend (sorry, bad pun!) and to relax and enjoy your travel
with us. So we’ve produced this leaflet to highlight some of
the main changes that may effect your journey between
Thursday 28 March and Tuesday 2 April.
We’ll be working extra hard to make your journey run
smoothly and, together with all other train operators
and Network Rail, we will try to keep any disruption you
experience to a minimum.
Reserve your seat before you travel
Got yourself a ticket Then make sure you get yourself a
seat too! Take the opportunity to use our seat reservation
service when buying tickets in advance. It’s easy and
is included free of charge when you buy in advance at
virgintrains.com or call 0871 977 4222.
If you’ve got an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket, you can still
reserve a seat, but only at the station. Just ask at the ticket
office for more details.
Upgrade to First Class from just £10
Relax over the Easter weekend and treat yourself to a
upgrade to First Class. Between Friday 29 March and
Monday 1 April (see chart on next page) you can make
the most of our wider reclining seats, generous legroom,
increased luggage space, free Wi-Fi internet and enjoy our
complimentary offerings of tea, coffee, soft drinks and tasty
nibbles such as crisps and biscuits.
Upgrades to First Class are £15 one way for adults and
£5 one way for children. (If travelling between the West
Midlands and London, upgrades are only £10 for adults). You
can purchase an upgrade on board from your Train Manager
or when you purchase your tickets.
2

A little Easter bonus... Off-Peak tickets
are valid from Friday 29 March until
Monday 1 April, at any time
Save money and travel on any of our services on an Off-Peak
ticket... No restrictions, just buy one and jump onboard!
Please speak to a member of the team if you need help or
advice on the day, and please do check that your ticket is
valid on the route you’re travelling.
Date Ticket Restrictions First Class Upgrade
Thursday 28 March
Maundy Thursday
Friday 29 March
Good Friday
Saturday 30 March
Sunday 31 March
Easter Sunday
Monday 1 April
Easter Monday
Restrictions apply
Off-Peak tickets
valid on all trains
Off-Peak tickets
valid on all trains
Off-Peak tickets
valid on all trains
Off-Peak tickets
valid on all trains
Not available
Available all day
Available all day
Available all day
Available all day
Tuesday 2 April Restrictions apply Not available
33

Route improvements over Easter...
What are we doing
We’re working hard with Network Rail and all other train
operators to provide a more robust and reliable railway for
you in 2013. The reason we schedule our improvement
works over Easter is that this is traditionally one of the
quietest times for rail travel across the UK.
We do all we can to keep disruption to a minimum and
provide genuine alternative routes where possible. We still
want to be able to get you to your destinations, even if it
takes a little longer than usual.
Improvements will be taking place at various times between:
• London Euston and Milton Keynes Central
• Sandwell & Dudley and Wolverhampton
• Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street
• Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly
• Preston and Carlisle
• Carlisle and Glasgow Central / Edinburgh
The next few pages of this booklet specify when these
works will take place, but please double check before you
travel to see if there have been any last minute changes.
Other train operators’ services will be running throughout this
time and, where your ticket is permitted, you’re welcome to
use their trains to travel to your destination if it’s faster or
easier. We’d advise you check with the operator first though.
As always, everything you need to know is readily available on
our website virgintrains.com, but you can call us if you have any
problems too. We’re here to help!
Web: virgintrains.com
Phone: 0871 977 4222
These route improvements over the Easter weekend will also
affect London Midland services. For more information about
these changes, please contact London Midland.
Web: londonmidland.com
Phone: 0845 602 4277
Other train operators who use the West Coast Main Line may also
be affected. For more information on all rail services right across
the UK, please contact National Rail Enquiries.
Web: nationalrail.co.uk
Phone: 08457 48 49 50
4

Here’s our useful day by day guide...
Thursday 28 March
Maundy Thursday
Full timetable in operation until 15.00 when route improvement
work will affect the following area:
• Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton
From 15.00 onwards, all of our services from London will start/
terminate at Birmingham New Street. London Midland will be
operating a frequent service between Birmingham New Street
and Sandwell & Dudley. Our Birmingham to Scotland services will
not call at Wolverhampton.
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Sandwell & Dudley and Wolverhampton
Friday 29 March
Good Friday
Route improvement work will affect our services in these areas:
• Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton
• Preston to Lancaster (from 12.50 onwards)
Our services between London and the West Midlands will start/
terminate at Birmingham New Street. London Midland will be
operating a frequent service between Birmingham New Street
and Sandwell & Dudley.
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Sandwell & Dudley - Wolverhampton
From 12.50 onwards, our services between London and Glasgow
will only be operating between London Euston and Preston, and
between Oxenholme Lake District and Glasgow Central.
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Preston - Lancaster - Oxenholme Lake District
Preston - Oxenholme Lake District
The last through services between London and Glasgow /
Birmingham and Scotland will be:
10.15 Birmingham New Street to Glasgow Central
10.30 London Euston to Glasgow Central
11.15 Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh
10.00 Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street
10.40 Glasgow Central to London Euston
08.52 Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street
Our Birmingham to Scotland services will not call at
Wolverhampton, and from 12.50 onwards they will only operate
between Birmingham and Preston.
5

Saturday 30 March (see map to right)
Route improvement work will affect our services in these areas:
• Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton
• Preston to Carlisle
• Carlisle to Carstairs (from 17.00 onwards)
Our services between London and the West Midlands will start/
terminate at Birmingham New Street. London Midland will be
operating a frequent service between Birmingham New Street
and Sandwell & Dudley.
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Sandwell & Dudley - Wolverhampton
Our services between London and Glasgow, and between
Birmingham and Scotland will only operate as far north as
Preston. Until 15.00, services south from Scotland will only
operate as far as Carlisle. After this point rail replacement
coaches will operate between Preston and Scotland
changing at Carlisle.
Our Birmingham to Preston services will not call at
Wolverhampton.
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Preston - Lancaster - Oxenholme - Penrith - Carlisle
Preston - Carlisle (non-stop)
Carlisle - Glasgow Central (from 15.00)
Carlisle - Motherwell - Glasgow Central (from 15.00)
Carlisle - Edinburgh (from 15.00)
Carlisle - Lockerbie - Edinburgh (from 15.00)
West Midlands customers
Centro and Midland Metro will be carrying out engineering
works over the Easter period too, meaning there will be no
services on the Midland Metro line. Trams will finish Friday
29 March and begin again Monday 15 April. During the
closure customers will be able to use Metro and Metro/Bus
tickets and passes on all bus services along the route.
6

turday 30 March 2013
Saturday 30 March 2013
Glasgow
Central
After 15.00
Glasgow
Central
Penrith
After 15.00
Oxenholme
Lancaster
After 15.00
Penrith
After 15.00
Oxenholme
Saturday 30 March
Lancaster
Wigan
Liverpool
Lime St
Runcorn
Liverpool
Lime St
Runcorn
Wigan
Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly
Stations to Holyhead
Stafford
Virgin Trains operating
Stations to Holyhead
Sandwell & Dudley
Use London Midland services
Birmingham New St.
Lichfield
Trent Valley
Stafford
Birmingham Sandwell & Dudley
International
Birmingham New St.
Birmingham
International
Lichfield
Trent Valley
Rail replacement coaches
Carlisle-Scotland Virgin after 15.00 Trains only operating
Preston-Carlisle all day
Sandwell-Wolverhampton Use London all dayMidland services
Rail replacement coaches
Carlisle-Scotland after 15.00 only
Preston-Carlisle all day
Sandwell-Wolverhampton all day
London Euston
Londo
7

Sunday 31 March (see map to right)
Easter Sunday
Route improvement work will affect our services in these areas:
• London Euston to Watford Junction (from 23.00 onwards)
• Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton
• Stoke-on-Trent to Stockport
• Preston to Glasgow Central/Edinburgh
Our late night services in and out of London Euston will start/
terminate at Watford Junction. The last through service from
Euston will be the 22.25 London Euston to Birmingham New St.
After this point, please use London Overground services
between Euston and Watford Junction. These have a typical
journey time of 47 minutes.
Rail replacement coaches will operate at:
22.50 London Euston - Watford Junction
22.40 / 23.10 / 23.45 Watford Junction - London Euston
00.50 Watford Junction - London Euston
Our services between London and the West Midlands will start/
terminate at Birmingham New Street. London Midland will be
operating a frequent service between Birmingham New Street
and Sandwell & Dudley.
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Sandwell & Dudley - Wolverhampton
Our services between London and Liverpool will start/terminate
at Runcorn, calling additionally at Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe.
Our services between London and Manchester will only operate
as two per hour and will all travel via Crewe and Wilmslow.
They will not call at Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield or Stockport.
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Stoke-on-Trent - Macclesfield - Stockport
Stockport - Manchester Piccadilly
Wilmslow - Stockport
Wilmslow - Macclesfield
Our services between London and North Wales will only operate
between Crewe and Holyhead.
Our services between London and Glasgow, and between
Birmingham and Scotland will only operate as far north as
Preston. Between Preston and Glasgow Central/Edinburgh we
will not be operating any train services, rail replacement coaches
will serve all stations en route.
Continues on page 10...
8

nday 31 March 2013
Sunday 31 March 2013
Glasgow
Central
Penrith
Oxenholme
Glasgow
Central
Penrith
Sunday 31 March
Lancaster
Oxenholme
Lancaster
Wigan
North Western
Liverpool
Lime St
Runcorn
Liverpool
Lime St
Warrington
Bank Quay
Runcorn
Wigan
Manchester North Western Piccadilly
Warrington
Bank Quay
Manchester Piccadilly
Stations to Holyhead
Stafford
Virgin Trains operating
Stations to Holyhead
Sandwell & Dudley
Use London Midland services
Birmingham New St.
Lichfield
Trent Valley
Stafford
Birmingham Sandwell & Dudley
International
Birmingham New St.
Use London Overground services
After 23.00 onlyVirgin Trains operating
Rail replacement coaches
Use London Midland services
Use London Overground services
After 23.00 only
Rail replacement coaches
Birmingham
International
Lichfield
Trent Valley
Watford Junction
London Euston
Watford Junction
Londo
9

Sunday 31 March continued...
Our Birmingham to Preston services will not call at
Wolverhampton.
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Preston - Lancaster - Oxenholme - Penrith - Carlisle
Carlisle - Glasgow Central
Carlisle - Motherwell - Glasgow Central
Carlisle - Edinburgh
Carlisle - Lockerbie - Edinburgh
West Midlands customers
Centro and Midland Metro will be carrying out engineering
works over the Easter period, see page 7 for more details
Monday 1 April (see map to right)
Easter Monday
Route improvement work will affect our services in these areas:
• London Euston to Watford Junction (until 08.30)
• London Euston to Milton Keynes Central (until midday)
• Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton
• Preston to Lancaster (until 12.50)
Our early morning services in and out of London Euston will
start/terminate at Watford Junction. The first through service
from Euston will be the 08.30 to Manchester Piccdilly.
Before this point, please use London Overground services
between Euston and Watford Junction. These have a typical
journey time of 47 minutes.
Rail replacement coaches will operate at:
06.50 / 07.20 Watford Junction - London Euston
Until midday our services in and out of London Euston will be
reduced due to improvements works at Milton Keynes. Services
to Birmingham and services to Manchester will be reduced to
two per hour in both directions.
Our services between London and the West Midlands will start/
terminate at Birmingham New Street. London Midland will be
operating a frequent service between Birmingham New Street
and Sandwell & Dudley.
Continues on page 12...
10

onday Monday 1 April 12013
April 2013
Glasgow
Central
Penrith
Oxenholme
Lancaster
Glasgow
Central
Penrith
Oxenholme
Coaches until 10.50
Trains resume after
Lancaster
Coaches until 10.50
Trains resume after
Monday 1 April
Liverpool
Lime St
Runcorn
Liverpool
Lime St
Wigan
North Western
Warrington
Bank Quay
Runcorn
Wigan
North Western
Manchester WarringtonPiccadilly
Bank Quay
Manchester Piccadilly
Stations to Holyhead
Virgin Trains operating
Stafford
Stations to Holyhead
Sandwell & Dudley
Use London Midland services
Lichfield
Stafford Trent Valley
Birmingham New St.
Sandwell & Dudley
Birmingham
International Birmingham New St.
Use London Overground Virgin Trains services operating
Before 08.30 only
Use London Midland services
Rail replacement coaches
Preston-Oxenholme Use until London 10.50Overground services
Sandwell-Wolverhampton Before 08.30 all day only
Rail replacement coaches
Preston-Oxenholme until 10.50
Sandwell-Wolverhampton all day
Birmingham
International
Lichfield
Trent Valley
Watford Junction
London Euston
Watford Junction
Londo
11

Monday 1 April continued...
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Sandwell & Dudley - Wolverhampton
Until 12.50, our services between London and Glasgow, and
between Birmingham and Scotland will only operate as far north
as Preston. Services south from Scotland will only operate as far
south as Oxenholme.
Our Birmingham to Scotland services will not call at
Wolverhampton.
The first through services will be:
11.15 Birmingham New Street to Glasgow Central
11.20 London Euston to Glasgow Central
12.15 Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh
11.40 Glasgow Central to London Euston
12.00 Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street
12.51 Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street
Rail replacement coaches will operate between:
Preston - Lancaster - Oxenholme (until 10.50)
Oxenholme - Lancaster - Preston (until 10.10)
Oxenholme - Preston (non-stop) (until 10.30)
West Midlands customers
Centro and Midland Metro will be carrying out engineering
works over the Easter period, see page 7 for more details
Tuesday 2 April
A full timetable will operate to and from London Euston,
and right across our entire network.
Thanks for your patience
We understand how frustrating route improvement works
on the railways can be. We just want to say thanks for your
patience as we work with Network Rail to upgrade our
routes and bring you even more of the fast, reliable train
services you’ve come to love, every single day of the week
Thanks for travelling with Virgin Trains, and we look forward
to seeing you onboard again soon.
12

Whilst most engineering work is completed on time,
please note that some projects do overrun by varying
amounts of time at very short notice. For last minute
services changes, please visit us at
virgintrains.com
Or nationalrail.co.uk (click on ‘changes to train times’).
Or by calling National Rail Enquires on 08457 48 49 50
Most of the work contained within this booklet is
in connection with the continued update and
improvement of our network infrastructure.
Published February 2013. All details correct at time of going to press. VT0156
Published by West Coast Trains Limited, subsidiary of the Virgin Rail Group Limited. Registered in
England No. 3007940. Registered Office: The School House, 50 Brook Green, London W6 7RR.