Virgin Price Hike on East Coast

RAIL UNION RMT condemns the latest price rises on Virgin East Coast.

Having already pulled many of its cheapest advance fares on popular routes, the company are now at it again with yet more misery for passengers through price hikes allowing them to extract even more profit from their long-suffering customers.

Over half of their fares are being increased by an average of 1.4% from this Sunday for travel after 4 September as well as introducing a return leg restriction on off peak return journeys on Monday to Thursday.

Instead of continuing with the same service that the public sector East Coast operator did previously, Virgin East Coast are now penalising passengers by applying restrictions during peak times.

Although the increase starts from 4th September, Virgin have had to accept that passengers cannot be ‘excessed’ immediately as tickets are valid for a month and customers could be travelling on tickets sold using the old conditions until October 2nd.  

Showing contempt for regular passengers, Virgin have made it clear that in future if they wish to travel at the same time as they currently do – and it falls within the restricted morning or evening peak – they can ‘change their plans to travel at an unrestricted time’ or pay for an appropriate (and more expensive) Anytime Return ticket.

In future the last train before the evening restriction at Kings Cross will be 15.30 for most trains although for some journeys it is 15.00. The first train after the evening restriction is 17.49 although some trains are later than that and for Berwick Upon Tweed it is 19.00.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;

“When the East Coast mainline was run in the public sector it was the most efficient and most popular rail service in the country. Reprivatisation has dragged it back down with Virgin/Stagecoach seeing it as nothing more than an opportunity to bleed the travelling public dry”.

“Meanwhile, RMT is balloting for action on VTEC over the attack on jobs and safety. This company has declared war on its staff and passengers alike and we need to stand together to stop them. The result of our ballot is due next Tuesday – 9th August.”

Ends

Note:

Full details of the changes from Sunday can be found in the attached PDF