2,787 people got the chance for a bargain trip on East Midlands Trains on Saturday 30 January as the company hosted its seventh, and most successful, Red Dot Day at the new East Midlands Parkway station.

East Midlands Trains’ Red Dot Days are designed to provide a chance for people who have never travelled by train before to have a day out for just £10 for adults, and £5 for kids.  The latest Red Dot Day at East Midlands Parkway attracted the largest number of passengers so far, with 2,308 adults and 479 children travelling on a bargain ticket.

Sharon Dean, from Chellaston in Derby, who took the opportunity for a day out in London with her family on Red Dot Day said:  “It was a fantastic day all round.  The level of customer service was very high, both at the station and on the trains we travelled on, you could choose from plenty of different trains, it was really easy to park at the station and we really liked the free packs giving the kids something to do on the train.  I normally pay £4.20 return for my son to get the bus into Derby on a Saturday, and I couldn’t believe that for just 80p more, he could have a day out in London.

“All in all, it was really easy, lots of staff on hand to help and we’re all looking forward to the next one!”

David Horne, Commercial Director for East Midlands Trains said:  “We’re absolutely delighted with how successful our Red Dot Days have become.  In total, over 10,000 people have now travelled on one of these days, and a large proportion of these people are first time users of the train.

“This latest Red Dot Day at East Midlands Parkway station was in celebration of the station’s first birthday and it was great to see the 850 space car park full, and the station buzzing with people excited about a day trip to London – it really gave the station a birthday feel!

“Our staff have put in a lot of effort and hard work into making the Red Dot Days a success, and it’s fantastic to see more and more people making the most of them.  Our Red Dot Days have also recently been shortlisted for a prestigious Rail Business Award, which gives us even more reason to celebrate.”

The Red Dot Days are shortlisted under the category of Marketing Campaign of the Year in the HSBC Rail Business Awards.  The finalist is announced on Thursday 11 February.