FirstGroup plc and Trenitalia UK Ltd are to take over the running of the West Coast mainline train route - replacing Virgin Trains this December.
The West Coast line connecting London with Scotland, the North West of England, West Midlands and North Wales, has been run by Virgin since 1997 but its consortium with Stagecoach was barred from the bidding process this time over a 'non-compliant' bid.
This morning the Department for Transport announced that joint venture First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Limited had been awarded the new contract.
The new partnership will operate in two phases. The first will run from 8 December to March 2026, when First Trenitalia will operate the existing InterCity West Coast services. The second phase will run from March 2026 to March 2031, when it will operate the HS2 high-speed rail service.
It says its 56 Pendolino trains will be completely refurbished, with more reliable free Wi-Fi and better catering.
It offered these further pledges:
- Clearer fares: Easily understandable range of fares and fewer ticket types; easy and rapid refunds when things go wrong; and simpler fares with mobile tickets and smartcards for all fare types.
- More services: By 2022 more than 260 extra services each week, increasing seat miles by more than 10% compared with 2017/18. New direct services to destinations including Liverpool South Parkway, Walsall and Gobowen (for Oswestry), and offer more stops at stations including Rugby, Llandudno Junction and Motherwell.
- Better stations: Investment in stations with refreshed waiting rooms, better customer facilities, more car park spaces, and greater accessibility for those who need it. They said they would work with partners to deliver major upgrades, such as at Coventry and Birmingham International stations.
FirstGroup Chief Executive Matthew Gregory said: “We are pleased to have won the West Coast Partnership contract to operate existing InterCity services on the West Coast Mainline and help deliver high speed rail.
"The West Coast Partnership includes operation of one of the most consistently successful intercity mainline franchises over the last twenty years.
"We are committed to delivering a range of improvements for InterCity West Coast passengers during the first phase of the partnership and our aim is to provide exceptional service as standard for our customers."
First Group's First Rail business currently operates the South Western Railway and TransPennine Express.
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said: “This award is positive news for passengers, with more services, more direct connections and ambitious plans for a cleaner, greener railway, and also represents a decisive shift towards a new model for rail."
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