The company is stopping saver tickets on trains leaving for the capital before 8am, accusing passengers of "cheating the system" by buying cheap Flint-London tickets and then travelling from Chester instead.
The controversial changes by the Richar
d Branson-owned operator will mean fare increases of more than 100 per cent for some passengers – with prices rocketing from £62.60 to up to £192.
Passengers and politicians have condemned the decision.
One passenger contacted us via our website, eveningleader.co.uk, saying: "We can't all book well in advance and even if we could, the chance of a cheap ticket at peak times is minimal.
"Should we all transfer to road travel and pollute the environment? Thank you Mr Branson!"
Delyn MP David Hanson joined in the chorus of disapproval.
He said: "I am extremely concerned by Virgin Trains' decision to make saver tickets no longer valid on trains leaving Flint before 8am.
"I understand that there will still be advance cheaper tickets available, but I think this is a retrograde step, which will hit many passengers in the pocket.
"The North Wales group of MPs is due to meet with representatives of Virgin Trains early next month and I will be making strong representations to the company on behalf of the passengers that have already expressed their concern.
"This will be an extra cost to train users and is a retrograde step in the development of rail services from North Wales."
Virgin Trains defended the move. Spokesman Steven Knight told the Leader: "The issue is that we've found people are buying the saver ticket from Flint to London but then getting the train from Chester to London. Basically, people have found a loophole in the system to get cheaper tickets. We're not just talking about one or two people – this has become extremely widespread. People are cheating the system so we have to change things.
"It is not a decision we have taken lightly but as a business we have been left with no option.
"We have to protect our business and also think about those people who are legitimately paying the full fare – what's going on is very unfair to them.
"As a result, we're imposing the saver restrictions west of Chester that we have across the rest of our network."
Mr Knight added that Virgin Trains would be making more cheap advance tickets available to compensate passengers.
The changes come into effect on May 18.
The full article contains 438 words and appears in Evening Leader Flintshire newspaper.
