VIRGIN last night warned festive travellers it could be standing room only on some trains.

The company which runs cross country services between Newcastle and the South-West said it was extremely busy with Christmas and New Year bookings.

It is urging passengers to book in advance for journeys wherever possible.

A spokesman said: "All our trains are going to be extremely busy, there is no doubt about that.

"It is possible that for people who do not reserve their travel they may not get a seat for part of their journey.

"Obviously it makes sense to book in advance, but people who can't for whatever reason are advised to check for availability before travelling."

GNER, which operates East Coast Mainline services, said its call centre was handling up to 13,000 calls a day from rail travellers.

Last year it was forced to put sold out signs up early on many of its services due to a reduced Christmas and New Year timetable caused by the Hatfield rail crash.

GNER said the busiest times for travel this Christmas will be on Saturday from London Kings Cross to northern destinations, December 27 heading south into London and on January 2 from Scotland.

Extra trains will be running over Christmas and the New Year, but there will be no trains on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Full details of train times and fares are available from the National Rail Enquiries Service on (08457) 484950