Virgin Trains to run West Coast Mainline for extra 23 months [BBC News]





Date: 05/12/2012

The government has announced Virgin Trains will run the West Coast Mainline for a further 23 months - hours before a report into the collapse of the line's franchise deal is published. An inquiry has examined why the £5bn deal collapsed in October. [From Mark Bartlett]


External links

Report condemns rail bid 'flaws'
A Virgin train

BBC News

A report into the collapse of the £5bn West Coast Mainline franchise deal blames a "damning failure" by the Department for Transport - hours after it was announced Virgin Trains will run the service for another 23 months.

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DateItem
07/12/2019Virgin Trains says 'Thank You' as last train set to depart [Virgin Trains]
07/12/2019From talking toilets to speed records: How Virgin Trains changed British railway travel [ITV News]
05/12/2019Virgin Trains becomes first train operator to trial onboard 5G Wi-Fi [Virgin Trains]
26/11/2019All aboard: bosses keep roles as Virgin hands over to First Group [The Guardian]
11/11/2019London-Glasgow passengers choose rail over air [BBC News]
20/09/2019Competition watchdog probes West Coast Rail franchise award [Scotsman]
14/08/2019FirstGroup replaces Virgin to run West Coast route [BBC News]
24/06/2019New app to help rail passengers when services are cancelled [ITV News]
31/05/2019Train firm announces split ticketing rail journey app [ITV News]
24/05/2019Virgin Trains takes government to court over West Coast route [The Guardian]
24/04/2019Standing on long rail journeys to be banned under Virgin Trains plan for airline-style fares [Telegraph]
10/04/2019Virgin Trains 'could disappear' after franchise bar [BBC News]
04/04/2019Passenger numbers up on Virgin trains between Glasgow and London [BBC News]
28/02/2019Virgin Trains rolls out Alexa feature to assist disabled passengers [Railway Technology]
23/12/2018Virgin Trains gets one-year extension to run west coast mainline [The Guardian]
05/09/2018Grayling pushes for Britain railway review amid commuter anger [Guardian]
28/06/2018Chinese rail companies in front to run HS2 trains as British Virgin Trains and First Group struggle [Daily Mail]
24/06/2018East Coast train line back under public control [BBC News]
23/06/2018Final day for Virgin Trains East Coast [ITV News]
19/05/2018The bad bet at the heart of the East Coast rail franchise implosion [Guardian]
14/05/2018East Coast rail franchise 'to be scrapped' by transport secretary [Guardian]
19/04/2018Legal threat over Virgin Trains East Coast rail franchise [BBC News]
19/03/2018Passenger train struck rail left on track near Inverness [BBC News]
10/03/2018Virgin Trains rival Grand Central applies to run more services on East Coast mainline [Telegraph]
02/03/2018ScotRail testing network in bid to get trains moving [Scotsman]
15/01/2018ScotRail ranks bottom in Scotland says consumer watchdog study [Herald]
22/12/2017Virgin Trains West Coast strike called off [BBC News]
19/12/2017New Azumas get inaugural Scottish Highlands run [RTM]
15/12/2017Virgin Trains staff hold 24-hour strike [BBC News]
30/11/2017Grayling misleading Commons on East Coast rail 'bailout', says Labour [Guardian]
16/11/2017Virgin West Coast rail workers to strike [BBC News]
10/10/2017HITRANS Autumn Newsletter [HITRANS]
15/09/2017West Coast main line: Long delays after Harrow fire [BBC News]
16/08/2017Virgin Trains Azuma crosses Border for first time [Scotsman]
04/05/2017Virgin unveil new ticketing structure to save customers £7.1m a year [RTM]
24/04/2017Virgin and Stagecoach join with SNCF on HS2 WCP franchise bid [RTM]
23/04/2017Rail royalty Flying Scotsman meets modern era trains [BBC News]
22/04/2017Flying Scotsman will measure up to modern trains in unique Yorkshire railway event [Yorkshire Post]
13/04/2017Virgin Trains East Coast staff to stage 48-hour strike [BBC News]
23/03/2017ScotRail's 'new' HSTs [Rail Engineer]
21/03/2017Four trains, four generations - history to be made on Yorkshires East Coast Main Line [Virgin Trains]
04/02/2017Virgin Trains acting like Gestapo, says businessman detained after exploiting ticket loophole [Telegraph]
04/02/2017Woman praises train guard after racist attack [BBC News]
01/02/2017Air passenger duty cut 'will reduce train travel' [BBC News]
25/01/2017Virgin Trains completes £40m East Coast fleet refurbishment [RTM]
10/01/2017Lancashire MP Mark Menzies to fight 'barmy' rail fares to London [BBC News]
10/10/2016Virgin Trains recruiting £57,000 drivers for east coast line [Scotsman]
03/10/2016Virgin Trains East Coast rail staff strike under way [BBC News]
26/09/2016Virgin East Coast rail staff to strike on 3 October [BBC News]
21/08/2016Services resume after West Coast Main Line derailing [BBC News]
18/08/2016Virgin Trains East Coast August strikes suspended [BBC News]
09/08/2016Virgin East Coast rail staff vote to strike [BBC News]
12/05/2016First Group to run Edinburgh to London budget rail service[BBC News]
03/04/2016Trains, boasts and planes: Virgin bids to put rail on top [Scotland on Sunday]
20/03/2016Virgin Trains East Coast Azuma Train In Action! [Citytransportinfo]
18/02/2016How much for a private rail carriage from Edinburgh to London? [Scotsman]
15/02/2016Extra trains launched linking London with Edinburgh [Evening Standard]
10/01/2016Virgin unveils first train of refurbished fleet [Rail News]
06/01/2016Virgin to by-pass West Coast Rail Line blockage [BBC News]
14/12/2015
14/12/2015First Sunderland Virgin train arrives in London King's Cross [Sunderlad Echo]
08/12/2015West Coast Main Line reopens after Carlisle flood [Rail News]
24/11/2015Virgin East Coast plans £21m refurbishment for trains [BBC News]
29/10/2015New livery for Flying Scotsman train unveiled [Evening News]
22/06/2015First Virgin liveried HST enters service on East Coast [Rail News]
21/05/2015Rail unions call off national bank holiday strike [BBC News]
25/03/2015Edinburgh rail workers to strike on Good Friday [BBC News]
01/03/2015East Coast rail back in private hands [BBC News]
12/01/2015Virgin Trains reports surge in cross-border travel [BBC News]
14/12/2014New Shrewsbury to London rail service begins [BBC News]
24/09/2014Major rail disruption | Virgin Trains driver injured by electric shock en route to Liverpool Lime Street [Liverpool Echo]
23/09/2014Blackpool and Shrewsbury direct rail services to London approved [BBC News]
17/08/2014ScotRail and Virgin ‘trusted’ by passengers [Scotland on Sunday]
19/06/2014Virgin Trains to run west coast mainline until 2018 [Guardian]
13/06/2014Network Rail grants access rights to new WCML operator [IRJ]
03/12/2013Railway changes to benefit passengers [Blackpool Gazette]
16/11/2013Direct Shrewsbury-to-London train services to restart [BBC News]
01/10/2013Richard Branson's Virgin Trains tops fares league with 210% increase in prices [Evening Standard]
07/06/2013Network Rail faces action over late and cancelled trains [BBC News]
30/05/2013Virgin Trains expands for Glasgow 2014 [BBC News]
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30/08/2012Plans to transform railway station [Lancashire Evening Post]
28/08/2012Virgin Takes Legal Action Over Train Deal [Sky News]
26/08/2012Virgin Trains offers to run West Coast 'for free' [BBC News]
15/08/2012Richard Branson attacks Government 'insanity' after Virgin Trains loses West Coast rail contract [Telegraph]
16/07/2012FirstGroup vies with Virgin in west coast rail bidding war [The Guardian]
23/06/2012Trains disrupted by heavy flooding on West Coast main line [STV]
23/03/2012Virgin just the ticket but ScotRail lagging behind, say travellers [Scotsman]
14/03/2012Longer trains to boost Virgin Trains capacity [Rail.co]
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27/05/2009Rise in on-time trains but Virgin complains of delay [Guardian]
25/01/2008Virgin is best for customers [Evening News]
16/10/2007Virgin trains end on best punctuality
10/07/2007Virgin loses Cross Country rail [BBC News]
15/05/2007All change for train [Scotsman]
22/09/2006Virgin train speed record attempt [BBC News]
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