UK railway operator Virgin Trains has decided to invest £50m to upgrade its onboard and station facilities in West Coast Main Line.
In June, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) awarded a contract to Virgin Trains to continue operating the West Coast Main Line, a major intercity railway route in the country.
Go deeper with GlobalData
This plan comes as a response to customer feedback regarding its rail facilities.
As part of this project, Virgin will convert the first-class carriage on 21 of its trains to produce 5,500 improved seats from 2015 onwards.
In addition, an enhanced Wi-Fi service will be introduced to enhance rail journeys, especially for business travellers.
Virgin founder Richard Branson said: "We don’t just want to meet customer expectations; we want to exceed them.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData"And that is why we are committing to go further than any other train operator."
Virgin will spend £20m on renovations and an additional £3m will be spent on new menus, cutlery and its overall catering facilities.
"We have even more ambitious plans to delight every customer who travels with us, whether that is through being able to offer thousands of extra seats or new services to Blackpool and Shrewsbury," Branson added.
Meanwhile, Virgin Trains has also launched a brand new £8m ‘Arrive Awesome’ advertising campaign to support this project.
Image: Virgin founder Richard Branson during the launching ceremony of its advertising campaign ‘Arrive Awesome’. Photo: courtesy of Virgin.
