In addition, at long last, the Virgin Trains service between
Birmingham New Street and London Euston has experienced a strong
revival. At least some of the passengers using this must have moved
back from Chiltern Railways' services between Snow Hill/Moor Street
and London Marylebone. Anyway, the result is that the Birmingham
traffic on Chiltern, which experienced explosive growth, only to be
cut short by the Gerrards Cross blockade, is now being hit by
competition from a much faster (although vastly more expensive) Virgin
Trains service, and is therefore growing much more slowly than
expected.


I can't say I've ever noticed much demand from Birmingham whenever
I've used it.

Warwick Parkway is a different story, in the peak it's Warwick that
fills the trains and I would guess Virgin's business from Coventry has
been hit hard.

The Parkway station is so much easier to drive to than the congested
city centre.