Edinburgh to London rail travellers top one million
The number of rail passengers travelling between Edinburgh and London on the east coast main line has hit the one million mark for the first time.
Virgin Trains East Coast (Vtec) has carried 8 per cent more than last year as it narrows the gap with airlines on the UK’S busiest air route.
The operator, which is 90 per cent owned by Perth-based Stagecoach, attributed the increase to discounted fares, more frequent services and refurbished trains.
Vtec said its share of passengers against airlines had gone up 2 percentage points to nearly one third.
The number of rail passengers between Edinburgh and London on the east coast main line has topped one million for the first time.
Virgin Trains East Coast (Vtec) has carried 8 per cent more than last year as it narrows the gap with airlines on the UK’S busiest air route, The Scotsman has learned.
The operator, which is 90 per cent owned by Perth-based Stagecoach, attributed the increase to discounted fares, more frequent services and refurbished trains.
Vtec said its share of passengers against airlines had gone up by 2 percentage points to nearly one third.
The firm has vowed to make rail more popular than air within seven years by increasing its annual passenger total to some 1.5m with a new fleet of trains from 2018.
However, competition with air will intensify from March when Flybe launches Edinburgh-heathrow flights, as The Scotsman revealed.
British Airways, Easyjet and Ryanair fly between the capitals, with the Caledonian Sleeper operating overnight.
Vtec’s passenger increase this year from 976,000 in 2015 came as airline growth on the route stalled. That reversed the trend last year - Vtec took over the franchise in March when air grew at the expense of rail.
Vtec managing director David Horne said: “We’ve set out ambitious plans to take on airlines by investing in our services and we’re delighted to see that strategy bearing fruit.”
Transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “It is clear, given the huge numbers of passengers now travelling on Virgin East Coast, that cross-border rail services are more popular than ever, with demand growing year on year.”
However, Airlines UK chief executive Tim Alderslade said: “Scotland should be proud of its aviation links. The decision of the Scottish Government to reduce the tax on air travel by 50 per cent from 2018 will only make it more attractive to would-be airline customers.”