New Stirling to London rail service launched

The new service leaves Stirling at 05:26 and arrives in London before 11:00

A new direct rail service linking Stirling and London has been launched by Virgin Trains.

The inaugural service left Stirling at 05:26, and will arrive at London King's Cross at 10:52.

The direct route means passengers do not have to change trains in Edinburgh and will cut early morning journey times by 46 minutes, Virgin said.

Transport minister Derek Mackay said the new route would boost business and tourism in the city.

Trains will also stop in Scotland at Falkirk, Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverly.

The new early morning service is in addition to the existing direct train to London which is quicker but leaves much later in the morning.

'Major draw'

The new route is Virgin's first expansion of services in Scotland since it won the franchise to operate on the East Coast mainline.

Mr Mackay said: "I am pleased to launch this service from Stirling to London and I am confident that it will be a major draw for tourists, students, business and residents and deliver significant economic benefits to Stirling and the wider locality.

"It will bring further attention to Stirling's diverse and growing business base, its splendid university and Business Innovation Park, its impressive cultural and sporting facilities and its historical attractions."

The inaugural service left Stirling at 05:26

The route is part of Virgin plans to increase services on the East Coast line with a fleet of 65 bigger, faster and more environmentally-friendly trains from 2018, which the company said would mean more capacity on its routes.

Warrick Dent, safety and operations director for Virgin Trains on the East Coast, said: "This is exciting day for us as we connect another of Scotland's cities with a direct, early-morning service to London and start our journey to transform passenger services to Scotland.

"We've been really encouraged by the feedback from people in Stirling, particularly among businesses who have told us how much they value having this additional service, which will get them to and from London faster and without having to change trains."