A TRAIN operator has apologised to East Lancashire customers who have been left hanging on the telephone when they have tried to purchase train tickets.

Virgin Rail bosses say they have been so busy because would-be be air travellers, stranded by the recent cabin crew strike, have been turning to trains.

Since taking over the West Coast main line 10 weeks ago, Richard Branson's Virgin Rail has introduced a low-cost number - 0345 222333 - to field inquiries into booking train tickets.

But for Lancashire Evening Telegraph reporter Catherine Smyth, the new number just meant listening to more than an hour of frustrating music and lots of messages saying: "All our agents are busy, please try later."

British Telecom confirmed that once the call connects with a prerecorded switchboard message, which asks for additional numbers to be pressed, the customer is already being charged for the call. Finally the call was answered - by an operator who said he would ring back but never did.

A spokesman for Virgin said: "I apologise for the problem and to any other customers who have experienced the same difficulties, but in the last week we have had to field inquiries from British Airways passengers, who have been using the rail network while the cabin crew strike was on.

"Before we took over everyone had to ring Preston where there was a total staff of 28 providing bookings.

"We now have 140 staff manning the phone lines, but we had 270,000 calls to deal with in seven days because of the BA strike.

"We have five times the number of staff that existed previously, but we have had to cope with the first major transport strike in five years. We have also taken on an additional 30 people in the last four days to cope with the increased number of calls."

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