Virgin Trains is taking a ride to improved customer experience with the announcement of a GBP50 million investment.
The funding will be used to make strategic improvements to elevate the passenger experience, the company recently revealed. The rail operator solicited feedback from its customers to identify how to allocate the money.
The investment announcement kicked off the reveal of Virgin Trains’ newest promotional campaign that carries the tagline: “Arrive awesome.”
“This is the most extensive piece of research we’ve taken and we are putting the customers’ words into what we invest in,” Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Trains, said. “On the back of what our customers told us, we’ve pledged to invest GBP50m to create an unparalleled onboard experience for all of the millions of passengers that travel with us every year.”
Specifically, Virgin Trains will introduce faster Wi-Fi on its trains, as well as install Wi-Fi at the stations it operates. An additional 5,500 seats will be added to its services, along with a refresh to its catering and an update to services at stations.
These improvements are in addition to steps Virgin Trains has already taken in enhancing customer experience with increased on-board staff and the introduction of Nectar, a points-based rewards system.
“This investment dedicated to enhance in the passenger experience supports our more than 3,000 staff and the job they do day in and day out,” Branson said. “We’ve already started to make this a reality from beefing up our teams to making a great start with our Nectar rewards programme, as well as adding seats to Blackpool and Shrewsbury in the coming months.”
Virgin Trains also gave a special nod to its employees, establishing the company’s commitment to properly serving them so they can serve the customers.
“At the heart of every brand is the customer service and today we’re making our greatest investment yet,” Branson said.