2013-02-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — Warrington Bank Quay station, managed by Virgin Trains, is to get a facelift in a project costing some £600,000. Virgin Trains will work with industry partner, Network Rail to deliver improved facilities for customers, as part of the National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP).
Customers at this busy station on the West Coast Main Line will benefit from:
• A cleaner, brighter and more welcoming main subway, and staircases up to every platform, featuring new lighting and CCTV
• New disabled toilet and refurbished toilets for platforms 3/4.
The works start on Monday 18 February 2013 and are expected to last around five months, with completion and commissioning scheduled to finish during July 2013.
Virgin Trains’ Station Manager, Keith Millard said: “We’re committed to making our stations a better place for our customers. Warrington Bank Quay station will remain open as normal while the works are carried out. Customers will continue to have access to platforms and toilets at all times and we ask them to bear with us while we make the improvements.”
Chris Winfield, Project Sponsor for Network Rail added: “Improved facilities, clearer way finding and better waiting areas are just some of the benefits that passengers can expect from the National Stations Improvement Programme. Over 60 projects have been completed so far, with Warrington Bank Quay the latest beneficiary of these improvements.”
Notes to Editors
Virgin Trains
Visit our Media Room website – www.virgintrains.co.uk/about/media-room for an Image Library of pictures of Virgin Trains and the company’s operations, or to subscribe to receive alerts to new press releases.
Virgin Trains has revolutionised rail travel by creating a high speed, high frequency service that has cut journey times and made rail journeys more comfortable. It has operated the West Coast passenger train franchise since 1997, serving key UK cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Glasgow.
Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group (VRG), which is owned 51 percent by Virgin Group and 49 percent by Stagecoach. The Department for Transport has awarded VRG a new franchise contract, which started on 9 December 2012 and will run for up to 23 months.
Virgin Trains has been recognised in numerous awards. In September 2012 Business Traveller magazine readers voted the company the Best UK Domestic Rail Operator for the sixth year running. In 2011 the company was named Best Rail Operator in the Group Leisure Awards (which it also won in 2009 and 2010). In 2011 Virgin Trains won the British Quality Foundation’s Achievement Award for Customer Satisfaction.
Customers consistently rate the company the top long-distance rail franchise operator, as measured by the National Passenger Survey (NPS) run by industry watchdog Passenger Focus. In the most recent NPS (Autumn 2012) overall satisfaction was 92%, our best score ever.
Virgin Trains first achieved Investors In People accreditation in 2007 and this was renewed in 2010; the IIP Gold award was achieved in 2011. In May 2011 Virgin Trains was awarded accreditation against the criteria of the European Foundation for Quality Management’s (EFQM) Excellence Model. The company’s Learning and Development team won a National Training Awards 2011 West Midlands award for its Coaching Culture programme.
For more information about Virgin Trains visit the company’s website www.virgintrains.com or the Media Room website www.virgintrains.co.uk/about/media-room.
Network Rail
Network Rail is the not for dividend owner and operator of Britain’s railway infrastructure, which includes the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, viaducts, level crossings and stations – the largest of which it also manages. Network Rail aims to provide a safe, reliable and efficient rail infrastructure for freight and passenger trains to use. www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk Twitter: @networkrailPR
National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP)
Network Rail is working with the train operating companies to deliver better stations across England and Wales. The £150m National Stations Improvement Programme will make a difference for over 150 medium-sized stations in areas such as passenger information and facilities by 2014.
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