David Kidney MP asks Virgin Trains to guarantee future
of travel centre at Stafford station

  07 July 2009

Stafford’s MP David Kidney has picked up worrying news of a threat to the future of Stafford station’s travel centre. He has written to Virgin Trains to ask for a guarantee that there will be no reduction in the current excellent service provided by virgin Trains staff at Stafford:

“I am dismayed to learn of potential plans by Virgin Trains to close the travel centre at Stafford Railway Station. Its removal could only be described in one way – as a downgrading of services.  The travel centre is an important service to passengers, which gives people the opportunity to make their plans in an informed manner without holding up other passengers at the booking office. I use the services there personally on a regular basis and I have the highest regard for the profgessionalism and helpfulness of the staff who work there.

“My understanding is that Virgin also plans to remove travel centres in Birmingham, Coventry and Crewe, as well as removing 21 booking office machines from across the network.

“In the past Virgin has invested heavily in increased rolling stock and quicker journey times. A downgrade such as this undermines all of the positive work that they have done.

“What confuses me more than anything is that these actions are taking place at a time when more people are using the railways than ever before.

“At Stafford Railway Station last year there were 94,682 more rail journeys to and from the station than the year before; yet this year Virgin have proposed that there will be less services to support those passengers. 

“I believe that Virgin should make clear that they will not implement such a proposal and instead give a full commitment to the stations of all the towns served by the West Coast Mainline, by maintaining and improving services to passengers.”