East Coast Trains, a UK based train service, has announced a low fare for Scottish Executive class tickets between Edinburgh and London.
The new fares will cost £99 return, compared to the £199 return on normal prices, and they are effective from February 3, until March 4, 2013.
The offer is only available through travel management companies, and is booked in standard class but is automatically upgraded to first class. The normal return first class fare is around £416. The tickets are inclusive of complimentary in-seat meals in first class, and free Wi-Fi.
An East Coast spokesman said, ‘We are already seeing modal shift by business travellers from air to rail, and we are steadily gaining share on Edinburgh-London.
The latest National Passenger Survey by transport watchdog Passenger Focus shows we have achieved 92 percent overall satisfaction, the highest score on East Coast since the survey was launched back in 1999.’
With the new fare, the rail company is targeting airline passengers on the route between the two cities, the numbers of which have already decreased by 2 percent from the traffic in the same period last year.
In the National Passenger Survey, conducted recently by independent transport regulator, Passenger Focus, the company recorded a 92 percent overall satisfaction rating.
The company managing director, Karen Boswell, said, ‘We are naturally delighted to have reached such a high overall satisfaction rating with our services.
We want to say thank you to our customers for responding so positively to the many improvements we’ve already made. Our clear message to them and everyone who travels with us is that this is only the beginning.
The improvements to our stations, particularly at London King’s Cross, have contributed to this impressive vote of confidence in our railway. We still have much more to do, particularly on the punctuality and reliability of our services: recently, we’ve seen severe weather causing problems with Network Rail’s infrastructure – track, signals and overhead power lines.
When our train service performs reliably, as we saw during the period this survey was carried out, customers rate us more positively. We’re working hard with Network Rail to secure sustained improvements – while our own engineering teams are constantly striving to deliver the most reliable service possible with our existing train fleet.’
