THOUSANDS of extra seats will be provided on Virgin train services between Glasgow and London this summer to cope with Olympics visitors and growing demand on the route.
The company announced the addition of three tilting Pendolino trains per day in each direction on key dates, allowing it to plug gaps in the otherwise hourly timetable that can leave passengers waiting up to two hours for a direct service.
Although the change is only temporary, The Herald understands negotiations are ongoing with Network Rail to ensure the additional trains become a permanent feature in this December's timetable, fulfilling a long-standing ambition of Scottish business leaders and tourism agencies.
The boost follows huge growth in services on the West Coast Main Line – Europe's busiest rail route – which has seen Virgin Trains more than double its passenger numbers, from 14 million a year when it took over the franchise in 1997, to 32 million in the last financial year.
It currently provides 13 departures in each direction between Glasgow Central and London Euston, up from eight northbound and seven southbound services in 1997.
The first of the new services will leave Glasgow at 9.23am on July 2, easing pressure on the 8.40 and 9.40 services, with an additional 10.30am train from London Euston plugging a gap between the 9.30am and 11.30am departures to Glasgow. Both will operate through the summer.
A further two trains in each direction will operate between July 27 and August 10, and from August 29 to September 7, resulting in an extra 1300 seats per day in each direction.
Karen Hattie, Virgin Trains' general manager for Scotland and North England, said: "We expect to be even busier during the Olympics and Paralympics, with people travelling to major sporting events in London and Glasgow.
"The extra trains will offer at least one departure an hour on the busiest dates, and this will be welcome for the growing number of travellers."
Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: "What all this does is offer more choice to those travelling to and from Scotland's cities to do business, and that must be good news. We need to be competitive with other cities in the UK and Europe as a business location and as a visitor destination."
Scott Taylor, chief executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, added: "An increased frequency of journeys will make Glasgow even more accessible during a period when the city will host a number of major conferences and events, including the Olympic Football Tournament, Merchant City Festival, Piping Live and the World Pipe Band Championships."
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