In praise of Virgin Trains

There is a God in heaven and she is Vanessa and is to be found in Virgin Trains Customer Services.

Upon calling said services to ask where the 7.07 am train from Euston to Liverpool Lime Street might have got to mid-afternoon, she sets about finding it – the jacket NOT having appeared in Lost Property at either Euston or Lime Street (both extremely efficiently answering the telephone to confirm).

Vanessa decided the jacket must still be above seat 41A on coach 8. Not only did she locate the train on its second run of the day to Liverpool, but she managed to deploy a Virgin Trains Operative to get onto the train at Liverpool to retrieve the jacket.

God’s assistant is to be found at Lost Property in Lime Street station. When I arrive, the sports jacket and bike keys returned, he charges £3 for my nuisance. I try to give him a £5 tip but he insists on putting it in the charity box.

So there you are, corporate Britain providing a service above and beyond the call of duty. Shall we try not to slag them off for a few weeks? If you would have asked me the chances of finding my jacket again complete with keys I’d have said less than 5%.