Virgin Trains restates commitment to Blackpool route

VIRGIN Trains is to make a fresh bid to restore the Blackpool to London Euston service.

Having just failed with an appeal  to the Office of Rail Regulation for the service – which was axed in 2003 – to be restored this year, Virgin is hoping improvement to track infrastructure in the coming months will free up capacity and allow the twice daily service to begin in May 14.
 
Phil Bearpark, Virgin Trains’ production director, said that although disappointed with the decisions by Network Rail and the ORR not to allow the direct service to begin this year, Virgin is committed to them.

““The May 2014 timetable changes are 10 months away and we expect Network Rail to significantly improve performance by then. The people of Blackpool have been absolutely clear about their desire to have a direct train link with London, an ambition we fully support and are working very hard to achieve.

“We have continued to work with Network Rail to ensure that they improve performance. It is now down to them to ensure that they honour their commitments on this and for the ORR to hold them to account.”
In its decision on Virgin Trains’ track application on 31 July, the ORR’s Chief Executive, Richard Price, said he wanted the question of new services to Blackpool and Shrewsbury to be “looked at again as soon as possible” once performance improvements were made by Network Rail.

Network Rail is investing nearly £40m in a series of projects aimed improving the reliability of infrastructure and train punctuality on the West Coast main line.

Currently Blackpool passengers have to change at Preston to access the West Coast main line service.