Virgin Trains experiences unprecedented growth on London-Manchester route

Virgin Trains has published figures that show dynamic growth in Britain’s railway industry. The rail connection between London and Manchester led the way, with an impressive growth in passenger traffic of nearly 121% over last year. Taking the train is also a far more popular travel option between these two cities than flying. This stunning growth is, at least in part, due to the increase in the number of trains serving this line on a daily basis. Nevertheless, an increase in the number of passengers traveling on Virgin Trains has been the trend across the board. On average, most routes originating in London and headed to destinations in northern regions of England increased by about 66%.

These impressive statistics were presented by representatives of Virgin Trains, at a conference focused on the future of rail travel in England’s northwest. Virgin has also announced that it plans to expand train service in the northwest in 2009. At the centre of this expansion will be even more trains between Manchester and London-Euston. If everything goes ahead as planned, Virgin will have three trains departing for the British capital every hour. The company will also introduce hourly service from London to a range of other cities, such as to Liverpool and Wilmslow. Some development of the railway’s infrastructure is also likely to occur, such as the renovation and expansion of several train stations in the northwest, as well as track upgrades. The latter represents perhaps the most important development in British rail travel, as this can speed up trains, allow for more service and decreased travel times.

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