Online rail sales continue to grow

Between February and March, almost £3 million worth of tickets were sold through crosscountrytrains.co.uk. The company's website is receiving almost 400,000 visits each month - the highest usage since it was launched in November 2007.

Sales of the great value First Class and Standard Advance tickets have grown significantly since the start of the year and 'e-ticket' sales, which allow customers to print their tickets at home, have also increased and are now responsible for over 12% of online sales.

Louise Blyth, CrossCountry's Head of Marketing said: "With the recession loosening its grip people are beginning to come back to the railways, but we know they are still looking for a great deal on their journeys. Booking through our website is by far the quickest and most convenient way to book train travel for any rail journey within Britain.

Louise added: "The popularity of online products such as our 'e-tickets' and the 'select-your-seat' function is encouraging and proves our customers like the simplicity of arranging their journeys from home and avoiding long queues at the station."

Please find notes to editors, CrossCountry facts and figures below.

For more information feel free to contact us on 0121 2006115 or by email [email protected]

Notes to editors

CrossCountry started operating on 11 November 2007. The franchise, which is the most extensive in the UK, will run until 31 March 2016. For further information on CrossCountry services and future franchise plans log on to crosscountrytrains.co.uk

CrossCountry is now live on Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains.

Arriva is one of the largest private sector providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing more than 43,500 people (including share of associate companies) and providing more than one billion passenger journeys every year.

Arriva provides transport services including buses, trains, commuter coaches and water buses, and operates in 12 European countries: Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

CrossCountry facts and figures:

STATIONS SERVED: 118
ROUTE MILES: 1,478
WEEKDAY SERVICES: 295
PASSENGERS CARRIED: Over 30 million passenger journeys a year anticipated
ANNUAL TRAIN MILEAGE: Approximately 16 million
EMPLOYEES: Approximately 1,700
LONGEST TRAIN SERVICE: 08.20 Aberdeen to Penzance (773 miles)

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Contact Information

CrossCountry Press Office: [email protected]

About CrossCountry

CrossCountry is a long-distance passenger train operator, with a network stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff and calling at over 100 stations. Based in Birmingham, CrossCountry connects seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities and delivers 240 services every weekday, equating to over 42 million passenger journeys each year.

For further information on CrossCountry services, visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk or visit one of our social media platforms via X @crosscountryuk or Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains