A deal has finally been reached to allow Virgin to continue operating on the West Coast Main Line until a new franchise competition can be run.
The new franchise agreement will run for up to 23 months after which the West Coast Main Line will be let under a long-term franchise.
In an announcement by the Department for Transport (DfT), Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced the early delivery of 106 new Pendolino carriages, creating four new 11-car trains and lengthening 31 from the current fleet.
A new hourly service between London and Glasgow will also be introduced.
Patrick McLoughlin said: “We are determined to ensure not only that passengers continue to experience the same levels of service they have in the past, but that services improve.
“There will be a new hourly service linking Glasgow and London and we will also work with Virgin Trains to explore other service improvements.
“I am also extremely pleased that passengers will benefit from up to 28,000 more seats daily thanks to the delivery of 106 new Pendolino carriages onto the West Coast Main Line which has happened on budget and ahead of schedule.”
Tony Collins, chief executive of Virgin Rail Group, said: “I’m delighted that we have an agreement with the Department for Transport that gives us the chance to continue providing high-quality services to our customers. We have had great support from staff and customers in recent months and we will repay that loyalty with even better service.
“We will not be sitting back in the coming months, but are keen to introduce more improvements to the service, which is already the most popular long-distance service in the country.
“We are proud of what we have achieved since 1997, but there is undoubtedly more to come and we will work closely with the Department for Transport to bring even better services in future.”
