Virgin Trains will be running services to all destinations during the Christmas and New Year holiday from Friday 22 December 2006 until Tuesday 2 January 2007, except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when no trains will run.

Saver tickets and Virgin Weekend Upgrade for First Class will be available on all West Coast and CrossCountry services during the holiday period and complimentary seat reservations may be made when buying train tickets.

Essential engineering work at Euston, Birmingham International, Wolverhampton, Tamworth and Manchester Piccadilly and in other parts of the country will necessitate diversions, replacement coach services and in some cases increased journey times. Customers are advised to check travel details in advance by phoning National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50, or by visiting nationalrail.co.uk

Normal services will operate during the run-up to the Christmas holiday, but the pre-Christmas weekend of Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 December will be affected by engineering work. Certain West Coast services leaving London Euston for Glasgow, Manchester, Holyhead and Carlisle/Preston from Thursday 21 until Friday 22 December inclusive will be restricted to passengers holding seat reservations.

PRE-CHRISTMAS WEEKEND
During the weekend before Christmas, on Sunday 17 December, engineering work at Birmingham International, Wolverhampton, Tamworth and Stoke on Trent will mean diversion of Virgin West Coast and Virgin CrossCountry services.

Trains between London Euston and the West Midlands will be diverted between Rugby and Birmingham New Street via Nuneaton with extension of journey times by one hour. Replacement coach services will run between Nuneaton, Coventry and Birmingham International.

Virgin CrossCountry services between Birmingham, the north-west and Scotland will be diverted between Birmingham New Street and Stafford via Nuneaton with special coach services linking Wolverhampton and Stafford.
Until 11:35 on Sunday 17 December, services between Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly will be diverted between Stafford and Stockport via Crewe and Wilmslow and not call at Stoke on Trent and Macclesfield. Replacement coach services will link Stafford with Stoke on Trent and Wilmslow with Macclesfield., services between Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly will be diverted between Stafford and Stockport via Crewe and Wilmslow and not call at Stoke on Trent and Macclesfield. Replacement coach services will link Stafford with Stoke on Trent and Wilmslow with Macclesfield.

Virgin CrossCountry services between Birmingham, the north-east and Scotland will be diverted between Birmingham New Street and Burton on Trent via Lichfield and not call at Tamworth. Replacement coach services will run between Birmingham New Street, Tamworth and Burton on Trent.

On Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 December, engineering work at Taunton will divert Virgin CrossCountry services between Penzance/Plymouth, the north-east and Scotland via Westbury, adding around one hour to journey times.
From 20:50 on Saturday 16 until 12:20 on Sunday 17 December, engineering work at Reading will mean that Virgin CrossCountry services to and from the north-west and Scotland will start from and terminate at Oxford. Special coach services will run between Oxford and Didcot Parkway to connect with trains between Reading, Southampton and Bournemouth. engineering work at Reading will mean that Virgin CrossCountry services to and from the north-west and Scotland will start from and terminate at Oxford. Special coach services will run between Oxford and Didcot Parkway to connect with trains between Reading, Southampton and Bournemouth.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
On Christmas Eve, Sunday 24 December, planned engineering work at Birmingham International, Wolverhampton and Tamworth has been cancelled, which will mean that Virgin West Coast and Virgin CrossCountry services will operate on the main routes between:.
London Euston and the West Midlands: Trains will be diverted between Rugby and Birmingham New Street via Coventry and Birmingham International with journey times being reduced.
South Coast and the West Midlands: Trains will divert between Leamington Spa and Birmingham New Street via Coventry and Birmingham International.
Virgin CrossCountry services between Birmingham, the north-west and Scotland will be diverted between Birmingham New Street and Stafford via Wolverhampton with journey times being reduced.
Virgin CrossCountry services between Birmingham, the north-east and Scotland will be diverted between Birmingham New Street and Derby via Tamworth with journey times being reduced.

On Saturday 23, Sunday 24 and Wednesday 27 December, Virgin CrossCountry services between Manchester Piccadilly and Scotland will be diverted to start from and terminate at Manchester Victoria. Virgin CrossCountry services between Manchester Piccadilly and Scotland will be diverted to start from and terminate at Manchester Victoria.

On Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 December, Virgin CrossCountry services to and from Brighton/Gatwick Airport will be diverted via Kensington Olympia and East Croydon and not call at Guildford and Redhill. Virgin CrossCountry services to and from Brighton/Gatwick Airport will be diverted via Kensington Olympia and East Croydon and not call at Guildford and Redhill.

On Sunday 24 December, Virgin CrossCountry services between the south-west, north-east and Scotland will start from and terminate at Leeds. Special coach services will run between Doncaster and York to connect with additional Virgin Trains services linking York with stations to Newcastle and Edinburgh. Virgin CrossCountry services between the south-west, north-east and Scotland will start from and terminate at Leeds. Special coach services will run between Doncaster and York to connect with additional Virgin Trains services linking York with stations to Newcastle and Edinburgh.

On Sunday 24 December, the network will close down earlier than normal, with some last trains departing up to two hours earlier, so service details should be checked in advance.

No Virgin trains will run on Christmas Day Monday 25 December and Boxing Day Tuesday 26 December.

On the morning of Wednesday 27 December there will be a slightly later than normal start up of services.

From Wednesday 27 December until Monday 1 January 2007, all services between Euston, the north-west and Scotland will be diverted via the West Midlands and will not call at Nuneaton, Tamworth and Lichfield Trent Valley. Replacement coach links will serve these stations and journey times between Euston, the north-west and Scotland will be extended by around one hour.

On New Year's Eve, Sunday 31 December, engineering work at Birmingham International, Wolverhampton and Tamworth has been cancelled which will mean that Virgin West Coast and Virgin CrossCountry services will operate on the main routes between: engineering work at Birmingham International, Wolverhampton and Tamworth has been cancelled which will mean that Virgin West Coast and Virgin CrossCountry services will operate on the main routes between:
London Euston and the West Midlands: Trains will be diverted between Rugby and Birmingham New Street via Coventry and Birmingham International with journey times being reduced.
South Coast and the West Midlands: Trains will divert between Leamington Spa and Birmingham New Street via Coventry and Birmingham International.
Virgin CrossCountry services between Birmingham, the north-west and Scotland will be diverted between Birmingham New Street and Stafford via Wolverhampton with journey times being reduced.
Until 12:30 on Sunday 31 December, Virgin West Coast services will start from and terminate at Milton Keynes Central from where replacement coaches will run to London Euston. Virgin West Coast services will start from and terminate at Milton Keynes Central from where replacement coaches will run to London Euston.

On New Year's Eve, services will run down earlier than usual and arrive at their destinations before 23:00, and on New Year's Day, Monday 1 January there will be a slightly later than normal start up of service.
Customers are advised to check travel details in advance by phoning National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50, or by visiting the National Rail website at www.nationalrail.co.uk