A TRAIN operator says it is breaking new records for passenger numbers on its West Coast Mainline route – a year after a seven-week closure during floods.
Virgin Trains celebrates 20 years of operating the route and figures show it carried 294,000 customers between Glasgow and London over a 24-week period to March 31.
The intercity operator says the total was an increase of 28 per cent compared to the same period two years ago.
According to Virgin, this coincided with punctuality reaching its highest-ever level since privatisation and the introduction of Beam, an on-board entertainment streaming service.
An increase in availability of £30 fares between Glasgow and London has been credited with driving more customers to choose train over plane.
It follows a period in 2016 when the West Coast Main Line was closed to all cross-border trains for seven weeks when heavy rainfall eroded the supporting structure of Lamington viaduct near Abington, South Lanarkshire.
Anna Doran, Virgin Trains’ general manager for Anglo-Scottish services, said: “The closure of our west coast route at Lamington on New Year’s Eve last year was a blow but we’ve worked really hard to get our service back on track.
“Service innovations such as Beam, improved punctuality and more low fares have helped drive strong customer satisfaction ratings and attract more people to rail.”
Following the closure of Lamington viaduct, the operator worked with the ScotRail Alliance to put a replacement service in place, using a route via Kilmarnock and Dumfries, while the bridge was repaired.
The number of trains that arrive on time, the firm says, has increased by 8 per cent to 89 per cent over the last 20 years since it began working with Network Rail which maintains the tracks.
Train services on the West Coast Mainline resumed in February last year after the completion of major repairs to the viaduct. The Victorian-built structure was severely damaged in a storm on New Year’s Eve and was close to collapse. Engineers worked round-the-clock to stabilise the structure, with the repairs completed two weeks early. The closure affected passengers travelling between Carlisle and Glasgow.
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