Virgin Trains is seeking to re-enter the West Coast route between London and Glasgow, five years after losing its franchise. This time, it aims to operate under an Open Access licence, which means it won't receive state subsidies and will independently manage the risks of running the service.
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00:00 Virgin Trains is seeking to re-enter the West Coast route between London and Glasgow, five
00:08 years after losing its franchise. This time it aims to operate under an open access licence,
00:15 which means it won't receive state subsidies and will independently manage the risks of
00:19 running the service. The move positions Virgin as a competitor to Avanti West Coast, the
00:25 current operator, which has been criticised for its performance, despite having its contract
00:30 renewed by the Department for Transport. Virgin operated the West Coast route for 22 years
00:37 before being disqualified from bidding due to pension rule failures by its partner Stagecoach.
00:44 Virgin Group's spokesperson expressed confidence in reviving the service and enhancing consumer
00:50 choice and competition. However, this application remains in its early stages and will be subject
00:56 to regulatory approval.
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