Virgin Trains supports Carlisle United fans hit by Storm Desmond

Not deterred by the recent weather, Cumbrians are travelling in numbers for the match against Notts County. Blues fans are expected to travel in numbers to Deepdale stadium – the home of Preston North End.Virgin Trains, who sponsor Carlisle United, is working with the club and Reays Coaches to offer additional help for fans wanting to see their team.Fans that have not yet arranged transport can travel for free on Virgin Trains services between Carlisle and Preston on Saturday for the match.500 train tickets will be available for fans from 2pm on Friday 18 December.Supporters wishing to travel with Virgin Trains will need to show their match ticket at Carlisle station on Friday 18 December to be allocated a ticket in advance for a specific Virgin Trains service. Train tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the station.Anna Doran, General Manager of Anglo Scot at Virgin Trains, said: “Cumbrians aren’t beaten by the weather and here at Virgin Trains we share their spirit. Storm Desmond has not only affected our service but also our people, who live and work in the region, so we were really keen to lend a helping hand to the Carlisle United fans with their enforced journey to Preston. We want as many fans to travel to the match as possible and cheer the Blues on this Saturday.”Phil King, Sales and Marketing director at Carlisle United Football Club, said: “Both of our main travel partners have been fantastic with the help they’ve given us in getting our fans to this game, and we would like to thank them for their proactive approach.“Key to us when rearranging these fixtures was doing everything we could to get as many fans as possible there with us. Gestures like this have made that task much easier."This particular offer has taken time to pull together, due to the logistics involved on an already busy travel day for Virgin Trains, but I’m sure it will be very well received by those supporters who are still looking at the options available.”Carlisle United fans who have already purchased their train tickets for Saturday 19 December will be fully reimbursed for their journey. Those who have purchased tickets for travel are advised to contact Virgin Trains Customer Relations Team onorReays Coaches have limited spaces available for the weekend trip to Preston and will be picking up from Brunton Park and the West Coast, and dropping-off in the coach park adjacent to Deepdale.For full details on how to book through Reays Coaches, clickTickets are available for purchase from the Cumberland Building Society, Fisher Street, until 5pm on Friday 18 December, or can be purchased onlineFor full match ticket details, click