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Virgin Trains (VT) (legal name West Coast Trains Limited) [1] was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Virgin Rail Group, a joint venture between Virgin Group and Stagecoach, which operated the InterCity West Coast franchise from 9 March 1997 to 7 December 2019.
Virgin Trains West Coast Pendolino at Birmingham New Street in September 2003. Virgin Rail Group (WCT Group since 2021) [1] is a British rail transport company that was formed by the Virgin Group to bid for rail franchises in the United Kingdom during the privatisation of British Rail in the late 1990s.
Virgin CrossCountry Class 221 in May 2006. In the mid-1990s the Virgin Rail Group was formed to bid for passenger franchises as part of the privatisation of British Rail.It successfully bid to operate the CrossCountry and InterCity West Coast franchises, with Virgin CrossCountry and Virgin West Coast commencing in March 1997. [2]
Virgin Trains is a prospective open access operator proposing to operate services on the West Coast Main Line between London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Rochdale and Glasgow.
Class 800 in Virgin Trains East Coast livery. Although Virgin Trains East Coast had no plans of its own to introduce new rolling stock, 10 five-car and 13 nine-car Class 800 bi-mode trains and 12 five-car and 30 nine-car Class 801 EMUs were due to be introduced during VTEC's franchise term as part of the DfT-led Intercity Express Programme. [24]
In October 1998, Virgin Group sold 49% of the shares in Virgin Rail Group to Stagecoach. [8] Virgin sought to introduce new tilting trains upon some of its services; however, their introduction was repeatedly delayed as a consequence of poor project management by the national railway infrastructure owner of the era, Railtrack. [9]
On 19 February 1997, the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising awarded a 15-year franchise to Virgin Rail Group, with Virgin Trains commencing operations on 9 March 1997. [3] In order for tilting trains to be operated, Railtrack was committed to upgrade the West Coast Main Line to allow 140 mph operation by 2005.
Virgin Trains West Coast: VT c2c: Essex Thameside: Trenitalia: 84% 26 May 1996: Network SouthEast (London, Tilbury & Southend Division) CC Caledonian Sleeper: Caledonian Sleeper Scottish Rail Holdings — 25 June 2023: Caledonian Sleeper CS Chiltern Railways: Chiltern Railways Arriva UK Trains: 88% 21 July 1996: Network SouthEast (Chiltern ...