Longer trains are set to enter service with Virgin Trains in April, providing 150 extra Standard seats on some of the busiest services on the West Coast Main Line.
The longer trains will initially work services on the London to Birmingham route, but as more 11-coach trains come into service they will also operate some of the busiest trains on the Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow routes.
By the end of April they are expected to be running on over 30 services every weekday with the benefits of the longer trains enjoyed by passengers across the Virgin Trains network.
Tony Collins, Virgin Trains Chief Executive Officer said:
“Working closely with the Department for Transport we are delighted to be bringing more capacity on to our services.
“We have listened to feedback from our customers, staff and stakeholders and are putting the longer trains into service where the extra seats are needed the most.
“The lengthened Pendolinos will provide 589 seats, with over 440 being provided for Standard customers, an increase of over 50% in the number of Standard seats.”
106 new Pendolino vehicles are being built, which comprises four new eleven coach trains and 62 additional vehicles to convert 31 existing nine coach Pendolino trains to 11 coach.
….. hopefully all the TOCs making bids for the new WCML franchise are looking carefully at existing occupancy rates of the 1st Class carriages.
As opponents of HS2 have rightly pointed out, if there is a continued lack of demand for 1st Class seats, then some (say 1 of the 4 existing carriages) could be turned over to Standard Class.
And even I say this, as a supporter of HS2 !