Date: 19/06/2014

Virgin Trains has won the contract to carry on running the west coast mainline rail franchise by agreeing to provide thousands of extra standard seats, better Wi-Fi, station upgrades and other improvements. [From Mark Bartlett]

External links

West coast mainline: Virgin Trains and Stagecoach are expected to triple profits

Guardian

New 'risk and reward' franchise could result in profit margin of 3%, instead of previous 1%, with contract to run until 2017

West Coast line: Branson to bid again

BBC News

The boss of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, has told the BBC he will bid for the West Coast Main Line contract again in two years time.

Related images

Virgin Pendolinos 390017 and 390006 at Platforms 1 and 2 of Glasgow Central on 23rd January.
Location: Glasgow Central
Company: Glasgow Central Station (Caledonian Railway)
23/01/2008 Graham Morgan

The 12.37 special Glasgow Central - London Euston Virgin Pendolino during its record breaking non-stop run of 3 hours 55 minutes on 22 September 2006. The special is seen here approaching Lamington Viaduct.
Location: Lamington
Company: Caledonian Railway
22/09/2006 John Furnevel

Until the December 2012 timetable change several WCML trains from Euston terminated at Lancaster and then ran ECS to Carnforth before returning to London. Pendolino 390015 Virgin Crusader arrived at Lancaster at 1500 and is seen here rejoining the main line, after a brief layover in a Carnforth loop, running ECS to form the 1539 Lancaster to Euston. With the introductionof the hourly Euston - Glasgow services these Carnforth manoeuvres have now stopped.
Location: Carnforth
Company: Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
01/02/2011 Mark Bartlett

Related news items

Tags: x Virgin Trains