Virgin Trains supports car-free way to explore New Forest

Tuesday, 22, May 2007 12:00

Virgin Trains has thrown its weight behind a campaign to reduce car

journeys through the New Forest National Park in Hampshire. The national train operator has teamed up with the New Forest District Council to encourage use of public transport when visiting this historic and extremely attractive part of Southern England.

Between 26 May and 2 September an hourly open top bus service will connect with Virgin CrossCountry trains at Brockenhurst railway station and serve a wide range of attractions in the area, including Beaulieu Motor Museum and Village, Exbury Gardens, Denny Wood and Lyndhurst.

Passengers can buy their ticket for the Open Top bus link at the same time as they purchase their rail tickets to Brockenhurst by asking for a Brockenhurst Link ticket. Alternatively, tickets can also be bought on the bus. Tickets provide unlimited travel for the day on the open top bus and cost £9 for an adult and £4.50 for a child. Also available free is The New Forest Tour Official Guide which provides a wealth of information on what can be seen from the bus as well as suggestions for walks and cycle rides in the area.

Over 13 million people visit the New Forest National Park every year, but most travel by car, and ever-increasing use of motor vehicles within the National Park threatens the very qualities that attract people to it.

Paul Fulford, the New Forest's Sustainable Tourism Officer (Community &

Environment), comments. "We are all working together to make the New Forest the greenest destination in the UK. As part of this new Car-Free Deal, you can travel down by train, stay at Car-Free Discounted accommodation, take advantage of discounted bus rides, cycle hire and horse riding and gain

cheaper entry into many attractions by leaving your car at home!"

Travelling with Virgin Trains ? by through services from the West Midlands, South Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire - means that visitors keep their carbon emissions to a minimum, and arrive fully refreshed. Trains run hourly on weekdays and also at weekends.

Virgin Trains is taking further steps to make its operation more environmentally-friendly. As part of a national trial it is conducting biodiesel tests with one of its diesel engines and will be running a Voyager train on a 20 percent biodiesel blend in the summer. The train will operate over the entire Virgin CrossCountry network including journeys to Bournemouth via Brockenhurst.

Virgin Trains Managing Director Chris Gibb explained how this can help reduce emissions: "By converting our Voyager fleet to run on B20 biodiesel we could cut our CO2 emissions by 12 percent, bringing a saving of 34,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. The Department for Transport wants to see a reduction in transport's carbon emissions and we are actively playing our part to help it achieve this."

Virgin Trains continues to look at all of its day-to-day operations and is committed to find ways to reduce the amount of energy and water used and on board as well as amounts of office waste. Currently 20 percent of all electricity used to run Virgin-managed stations comes from renewable energy sources. The company has also installed multifunctional print devices in its offices to save paper and energy.

Virgin Trains Media Information

All Virgin Trains Press Releases, and general information about our West Coast and CrossCountry operations can be found on the Virgin Trains media website at www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com Also available is a Media Resources section which contains around 100 high-resolution images, which can be freely downloaded for editorial use. You will need to register to access the Media Resource section and you can choose to have our Press Releases emailed to you as soon as they are issued.

Ø Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group and operates two rail franchises - West Coast Trains and CrossCountry Trains. Both franchises commenced in 1997. Virgin Rail Group is bidding to win the New Cross Country franchise which is due to start in November 2007.

Ø Virgin Rail Group is owned 51 percent by Virgin Group and 49 percent by Stagecoach.

Ø Virgin Group and Stagecoach Group are bidding for the InterCity East Coast franchise.

New Forest Tour Open Top Service

via Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Lymington, Beaulieu & Exbury Gardens

Daily

Eastleigh, Bus Station 0930

Lyndhurst, Main Car Park 1015 1115 1215 1315 1415

1515 1615 1715

Hollands Wood Camp Site 1024 1124 1224 1324 1424

1524 1624 1724

Brockenhurst, Railway Station 1027 1127 1227 1327 1427

1527 1627 1727

Lymington, High Street 1048 1148 1248 1348 1448

1548 1648 1748

Lymington Town Station, Gosport St 1051 1151 1251 1351

1451 1551 1651 1751

Beaulieu Motor Museum 1112 1212 1312 1412 1512

1612 1712 1812

Beaulieu Village 1115 1215 1315 1415 1515

1615 1715 1815

Exbury Gardens 1025 1125 1225 1325 1425 1525

1625 1725

Beaulieu Village 1037 1137 1237 1337 1437 1537

1637 1737

Beaulieu Motor Museum 1042 1142 1242 1342 1442 1542

1642 1742

Denny Wood Camp Site 1055 1155 1255 1355 1455 1555

1655 1755

Lyndhurst, Main Car Park 1105 1205 1305 1405 1505 1605

1705 1805

Lyndhurst, Main Car Park 1810

Eastleigh, Bus Station 1840

(Brockenhurst Railway Station)

1227 1327 1427 1527 1627 1727

New Forest Tour - connections to/from Hythe & Southampton Daily

NOT

Southampton, West Quay 0935 1135

Central Station 0940 1140

Hythe, Ferry Yard 1005 1205

Dibden Purlieu, The Heath 1010 1210

Exbury Gardens 1025 1225

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Bus continues on to the full tour route - no need to change

This is the tour bus that arrives at Beaulieu at 1815.Stay on board to get back to Hythe & Southampton

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NOT |

Beaulieu Village 1815

Exbury Gardens 1425

Dibden Purlieu, The Heath 1435 1825

Hythe, Ferry Yard 1440 1830

Central Station 1855

Southampton, opp. West Quay 1905

NOT - Not an open-topper - change to or from the tour bus at Exbury Gardens