Franchise(s):	Cross-Country 5th January 1997 – 10th November 2007 (originally 2012) InterCity West Coast 9th March 1997 – 31st March 2012
Main route(s):	London - Scotland, London - West Midlands, London - North West
Other route(s):	London-North Wales
Fleet size:	53 Pendolino sets 21 Super Voyager sets 16 British Rail Class 57/3 diesel locomotives
Stations called at:	42
Stations operated:	17
National Rail abbreviation:	VT
Parent company:	Virgin Group / Stagecoach Group
Web site:	www.virgintrains.co.uk

Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom, which currently provides services from London Euston to the North West, West Midlands and Scotland on the West Coast Main Line. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The West Midlands is a Metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2591300 North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. The British Class 390 "Pendolino" Electric multiple unit is a Tilting train built by Fiat Ferroviaria utilising Fiat The Class 221 SuperVoyager is a train currently used by Virgin Trains and CrossCountry in the United Kingdom. The British Rail Class 57 Diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004 Virgin Group Ltd is a branded Venture capital conglomerate of separately run companies that each use the Virgin brand of British business tycoon Stagecoach Group plc ( is a leading international transport group operating Bus, Train, Tram, express coach and Ferry operations The term train operating company (abbreviated to TOC is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. Prior to 11 November 2007, the company also provided services linking the south and south-west of England with the north of England via Manchester and Scotland, via Birmingham. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Although it is branded as part of the Virgin Group, their share in the company is only 51%, with the remaining 49% held by Stagecoach Group. Virgin Group Ltd is a branded Venture capital conglomerate of separately run companies that each use the Virgin brand of British business tycoon Stagecoach Group plc ( is a leading international transport group operating Bus, Train, Tram, express coach and Ferry operations

Virgin Trains was formed to take advantage of the privatisation of British Rail in the mid 1990s, and was initially successful in winning two: InterCity West Coast and InterCity Cross Country^[1]. The Privatisation of British Rail was the result of the Railways Act 1993 introduced by John Major 's Conservative government See also Rail transport in Great Britain, National Rail, Network Rail This article is about the defunct entity "British Railways" The two franchises, although separate companies (in common ownership)^[2] both legally and operationally, were marketed as a single brand.

Contents 1 Services 1.1 Until December 2008 1.2 From December 2008 2 Cross Country 3 Performance 4 Grayrigg derailment 5 The past 5.1 Problems 5.2 New Trains 5.3 New Tracks 5.4 New Timetable 6 The future 7 Virgin Trains routes 7.1 Current routes 8 Rolling Stock 8.1 Current fleet 8.2 Past fleet 9 References 10 See also 11 External links

Services

Virgin Trains run at least six trains per hour in and out of London’s Euston station 1 to Birmingham New Street, 1 to Wolverhampton, 2 to Manchester Picc, 1 To Liverpool Lime St And 1 to Preston either Terminating at Lancaster, Carlise or Glasgow. Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden This is noticeably busier than both National Express East Coast in and out of Kings Cross, who operate four trains per hour 2 to Leeds, 1 to Newcastle and 1 to Glasgow with one Terminating at Edinburgh every 2 hours , and East Midlands Trains, who operate four per hour in/out of St Pancras 1 to Derby 1 to Sheffield and 2 to Nottingham. National Express East Coast is the name under which the Train operating company NXEC Trains Ltd operates the InterCity East Coast rail franchise which King's Cross station is a major railway terminus opened in 1852 East Midlands Trains ( EMT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom. St Pancras railway station is a major railway station situated in the St Pancras area of Central London between the British Library and King's Cross

Until December 2008

Manchester Piccadilly services are half hourly. Manchester Piccadilly station, known locally as just Piccadilly, is the principal railway station of Manchester in England. They consist of the faster services at 35 past the hour (taking just 2 hours 11 minutes) which call just at Stoke-on-Trent and Stockport, and the slower departures at 5 past the hour (taking 2 hours 19 minutes) which call at Watford Junction or Milton Keynes Central (alternating, every two hours ), then Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, and Stockport. Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 Stockport ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers Goyt Watford Junction station is a railway station in Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Milton Keynes Central is a Railway station that serves the central area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area The morning peak hour service from Manchester, and the late afternoon peak from Euston, is strikingly frequent with trains every ten or twenty minutes. The 0705 ex Piccadilly, with a stop at Stockport only, completes the journey in 2 hours 5 minutes. There is a daily ‘slow’ service at 0938 between Euston and Manchester via Northampton and Crewe, taking 3 hours 17 minutes for the complete journey. This article is about Northampton in England for other places of the same name see Northampton (disambiguation Northampton ( is a large Market Crewe is a town in Cheshire, England, the largest town in the borough of Crewe and Nantwich, in which it is the only Unparished area.

West Midlands services are half hourly between Euston and Birmingham New Street, with trains continuing every hour to Wolverhampton. The West Midlands is a Metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2591300 Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. Trains leave Euston at 10 and 40 past the hour. The xx. 10s call at Watford Junction, Coventry, Birmingham International and terminate at Birmingham New Street. Watford Junction station is a railway station in Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. Birmingham International railway station is located in the borough of Solihull, just east of the city of Birmingham in England. The xx. 40 departures call at Milton Keynes Central instead of Watford, then the same stops to Birmingham New Street and continuing to Wolverhampton, calling at Sandwell and Dudley. Milton Keynes Central is a Railway station that serves the central area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Sandwell and Dudley is a railway station on the West Coast Main Line, situated between Oldbury and West Bromwich, West Midlands, England Journey time between Euston and Birmingham New Street is 1 hour 30 minutes.

Liverpool Lime Street services are hourly and leave Euston, generally, at 17 past the hour. Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is a mainline and underground Railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England They call at Watford Junction or Milton Keynes Central (alternating, two hourly at each), then at Nuneaton, Stafford, Crewe, and Runcorn. Watford Junction station is a railway station in Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Milton Keynes Central is a Railway station that serves the central area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Nuneaton is the largest town in the English county of Warwickshire, and the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth. This article is about the town of Stafford England For the larger local government district see Borough of Stafford. Crewe is a town in Cheshire, England, the largest town in the borough of Crewe and Nantwich, in which it is the only Unparished area. Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England Journey time is two hours 30 minutes. There is an additional fast morning train from Lime Street to Euston at 0707. Calling only at Runcorn, this train completes the journey in just 2 hours 9 minutes. There is no equivalent late afternoon return, however.

Preston/Scotland services run hourly between Euston and Lancaster, with many trains now continuing to Carlisle and Glasgow Central and one per day continuing to Edinburgh Waverley. Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Lancaster railway station (formerly known as Lancaster Castle railway station) is a Railway station that serves the city of Lancaster in This article is about the English railway station for the Australian station see Carlisle railway station Perth Carlisle railway station Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line Railway terminals in Glasgow, Scotland, and is managed by Network Rail. Edinburgh Waverley railway station, commonly referred to as just " Waverley " locally is the main Railway station in the Scottish capital Trains leave Euston at 46 minutes past the hour calling at either Watford Junction or Milton Keynes Central (two hourly, alternating) and then at Rugby, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston and Lancaster. Watford Junction station is a railway station in Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Milton Keynes Central is a Railway station that serves the central area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Rugby railway station serves the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England Crewe railway station is one of the most historic Railway stations in the world Warrington Bank Quay railway station is a mainline Railway station serving the UK town of Warrington. Wigan North Western railway station is one of two main Railway stations serving the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK. Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line. Lancaster railway station (formerly known as Lancaster Castle railway station) is a Railway station that serves the city of Lancaster in North of Lancaster, most trains call at Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith and Carlisle with a number calling at Motherwell. Oxenholme Lake District railway station is a Railway station in Oxenholme, near Kendal in Cumbria. This article is about the station in Penrith Cumbria UK For the station in Sydney Australia see Penrith railway station Sydney. This article is about the English railway station for the Australian station see Carlisle railway station Perth Carlisle railway station Motherwell railway station serves Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Virgin Trains now run nine trains per day, each way, between Euston and Glasgow Central. Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line Railway terminals in Glasgow, Scotland, and is managed by Network Rail. The pattern is generally every two hours but there are now some hourly intervals and Virgin Trains intend to ‘fill in the gaps’ in time. The service compares favourably with NXEC’s rival service from Kings Cross for both journey time and frequency. National Express East Coast is the name under which the Train operating company NXEC Trains Ltd operates the InterCity East Coast rail franchise which King's Cross station is a major railway terminus opened in 1852 Typical journey times are just over five hours, but there are a couple of reduced stop express services - most notably the 1029 out of Euston which calls just at Preston and Carlisle and takes 4 hours 25 minutes. The 0949 out of Glasgow is the southbound equivalent. Virgin Trains is ‘testing the water’ with a daily Euston to Edinburgh service. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. This does not compare at all favourably with NXEC’s service from Kings Cross, which is far faster and much more frequent.

North Wales: The line from Crewe to Holyhead — via Chester, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction and Bangor — is not electrified, so services are mostly in the hands of Class 221 Super Voyager diesel-electric multiple units. North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. Holyhead ( IPA /ˈhɒlihɛd/ Welsh: Caergybi, "the fort of Saint Cybi " is the largest town in the county of Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 Rhyl ((ə r̥ɨl Welsh Y Rhyl) is a seaside town on the Irish Sea, in the county of Denbighshire (within the preserved Colwyn Bay (Bae Colwyn is a Town and Seaside resort in Conwy county borough on the north coast of Wales. Llandudno Junction (Cyffordd Llandudno once known as Tremarl is a small Town in the county borough of Conwy, Wales. Bangor, in Gwynedd, North Wales, is one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom. The Voyager series is a group of high speed Diesel electric multiple unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in service on the UK railway network 2 trains a day between Euston and Holyhead are worked by Pendolinos, which are pulled by a Class 57 diesel locomotive over the Crewe - Holyhead sector. The British Rail Class 57 Diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004 There are five trains per day in each direction between Euston, Chester and North Wales - four serving Holyhead and one serving Llandudno. Llandudno (pronounced /ɬan'dɪdnɔ/ is a Seaside resort and Town in Conwy, Wales.

Since December 2007 Virgin Trains have continued to operate the Birmingham - Scotland via Preston services as a self-contained unit with Super Voyagers. The Class 221 SuperVoyager is a train currently used by Virgin Trains and CrossCountry in the United Kingdom. These used to be part of Virgin Cross Country but remained with the Virgin West Coast services after the major re-franchising of November 2007. For the new franchise holder of the Cross Country Route, see CrossCountry.

Due to the continuing works in widening the Trent Valley section of the WCML to four tracks, all Pendolino services south of Stafford are being routed via the West Midlands at weekends. The Trent Valley Line is a Railway line between Rugby and Stafford in England, forming part of the West Coast Main Line. This has an adverse effect on journey times - the Euston-Glasgow Central run for instance being pushed way over the 5hrs 30min mark.

Some of these diverted trains go through and call at Birmingham New Street. Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. A few run via Aston railway station and Perry Barr instead without stopping and skip central Birmingham. Aston railway station serves the district of Aston in Birmingham, England. Perry Barr is an area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own District committee. ^[3]

From December 2008

From December 2008, as a result of the WCML route modernisation works, Virgin will be introducing a completely new timetable with increased frequencies and speeds on many routes. The draft Monday - Friday timetable's general service pattern is shown below. Other calls/timings will occurs, mainly during peak times. There will also be "non/limited stop" trains running to justify the claimed fastest journey times (on adverts for example). There will be 9 trains out of Euston. Most trains are to be run by Pendolinos with exceptions shown below:

Euston-West Midlands There will be 3 trains per hour - an XX:03 calling at Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street - an XX:23 calling at Watford Junction, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley and Wolverhampton and an XX:43 calling at Milton Keynes Central, Coventry, Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street. Rugby railway station serves the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. Birmingham International railway station is located in the borough of Solihull, just east of the city of Birmingham in England. Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. Watford Junction station is a railway station in Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Sandwell and Dudley is a railway station on the West Coast Main Line, situated between Oldbury and West Bromwich, West Midlands, England Milton Keynes Central is a Railway station that serves the central area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire A handful of Birmingham terminators will be operated by Super Voyagers (to be used for the few West Midlands-North Wales trains).

Euston-Manchester 3 trains per hour - an XX:00 calling at Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly - an XX:20 calling at Milton Keynes, Stoke, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly and an XX:40 calling at Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly. Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area Stockport ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers Goyt Manchester Piccadilly station, known locally as just Piccadilly, is the principal railway station of Manchester in England. Crewe is a town in Cheshire, England, the largest town in the borough of Crewe and Nantwich, in which it is the only Unparished area. Wilmslow is a town in the Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. This plan will have a knock-on effect on local services in the Manchester area, with a reduction in the number of peak-period local trains, a matter which has caused some controversy^[4].

Euston-Liverpool 1 train per hour - XX:07 calling at Stafford, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street. This article is about the town of Stafford England For the larger local government district see Borough of Stafford. Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is a mainline and underground Railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England

Euston-Preston/Glasgow 1 train per hour - XX:30 calling at Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston and Lancaster with most continuing to Oxenholme Lake District/Penrith(alternating), Carlisle and Glasgow Central. Warrington Bank Quay railway station is a mainline Railway station serving the UK town of Warrington. Wigan North Western railway station is one of two main Railway stations serving the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK. Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. Lancaster (pronounced ˈlæŋˌkæstə or ˈlænˌkæstə is a City in Lancashire, England. Oxenholme Lake District railway station is a Railway station in Oxenholme, near Kendal in Cumbria. Penrith may be Penrith Cumbria, England before 1974 in Cumberland Penrith New South Wales, Australia home Carlisle (pronounced CARLYLE(emphasis on the first syllable is a City in northern England the largest settlement in Cumbria. Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line Railway terminals in Glasgow, Scotland, and is managed by Network Rail. Some will also call at Motherwell. A handful of Lancaster terminators will be operated by Super Voyagers (the other half of a single unit split at Crewe, with the other half running towards Chester.

Birmingham-Scotland 1 train per hour XX:20 from Birmingham New Street running alternatively to Glasgow/Edinburgh and roughly similar to the current services provided now. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. This service will be provided with Super Voyagers only (in single formation).

Euston/West Midlands-Chester/North Wales 1 train per hour XX:10 calling at Milton Keynes, Crewe and Chester with 7 trains continuing to Flint, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Bangor (2 terminating here) and Holyhead, and another terminating at Wrexham General^[5]. Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 Flint (or flintstone) is a hard sedimentary Cryptocrystalline form of the Mineral Quartz, categorized as a variety of Chert Prestatyn (prɛs-tə-tin is a Seaside resort in Denbighshire, North Wales. Rhyl ((ə r̥ɨl Welsh Y Rhyl) is a seaside town on the Irish Sea, in the county of Denbighshire (within the preserved Colwyn Bay (Bae Colwyn is a Town and Seaside resort in Conwy county borough on the north coast of Wales. Llandudno Junction (Cyffordd Llandudno once known as Tremarl is a small Town in the county borough of Conwy, Wales. Bangor is a place-name found in a number of countries Australia Bangor New South Wales Bangor South Australia Holyhead ( IPA /ˈhɒlihɛd/ Welsh: Caergybi, "the fort of Saint Cybi " is the largest town in the county of Wrexham General railway station (Wrecsam Cyffredinol is the main Railway station serving Wrexham, north-east Wales. One service will go to/from Birmingham New Street. This service will be provided with Super Voyagers only (they will be in double formation until Crewe/Chester and single formation after that, with one unit terminating at Chester/going to Lancaster, and the other continuing to North Wales/Chester).

As can be seen from above, most calls south of Crewe are to be cut. However affected stations (like Nuneaton, Tamworth and Lichfield) will have most of their service provided by a new London Midland semi-fast Desiro service from London to Crewe. Nuneaton is the largest town in the English county of Warwickshire, and the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth. Tamworth is a Town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located 14 miles (22 km north-east of Birmingham Lichfield is a city and Civil parish in Staffordshire, England. London Midland is a Train operating company in the United Kingdom. Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden Crewe railway station is one of the most historic Railway stations in the world Virgin will stop very few services at these stations (mainly peak hour trains, not suitable for leisure travellers). Watford, Milton Keynes, Rugby and Stafford will also loose out, and the Desiro service will help to fill any gaps and facilitate good connexions at Crewe for further long distant travel.

Sources for the proposed new timetable: Department for Transport and Virgin Trains

Cross Country

Main article: Virgin Cross Country

Prior to 11 November 2007, Virgin Trains ran the Cross Country franchise, which operated long-distance services from the south and south-west of England, via the Midlands to the north of England and Scotland. For the new franchise holder of the Cross Country Route, see CrossCountry. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. For the new franchise holder of the Cross Country Route, see CrossCountry. These services have now been transferred to a new franchise, CrossCountry, which was awarded to the Arriva Group, along with some former Central Trains services. CrossCountry is a Train operating company, the brand name of XC Trains Limited owned by Arriva, that has operated Great Britain ’s Cross Country rail franchise Arriva plc ( is a British -based international public transport operator headquartered in Sunderland. Central Trains was a Train operating company in the United Kingdom, running local and long-distance services in central England. However, the former Virgin Cross Country services between Manchester and Scotland were transferred to First TransPennine Express & CrossCountry services between Birmingham and Glasgow have been transferred to Virgin West Coast. First TransPennine Express is a train operating company in the United Kingdom.

Performance

Virgin Trains has had a poor reputation for punctuality compared with some other transport operators. Punctuality is the characteristic of being able to complete a required task or fulfill an obligation before or at a previously-designated time This perception seems to be a mixture of truth, passenger 'accounts' and media exaggeration. The company has now improved its punctuality and the figures published on Virgin Trains' website are consistent with this view. During the year ending December 31, 2002, only 73. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. 6% of West Coast trains and 62. 5% of Cross-Country trains arrived within 10 minutes of the scheduled arrival time (source: SRA National Rail Trends). In existence from from 2001 to 2006 the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 However Virgin has consistently improved its punctuality and for the year ending December 31, 2005, Cross Country 'Voyager' services were up to 80. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 0% and the West Coast 'Pendolino' services up to 79. 9% against an average of 80. 8% for long-distance operators. ^[6] This has gradually stabilised and figures released by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) of the year 2007 were 83. 8% for the West Coast franchise and 84. 9% for the CrossCountry franchise - based on PPM (Public Performance Measure) for the last quarter of the financial year 2006/7 ^[7].

The final figures published for the CrossCountry franchise were 83. 4% (PPM) for the first half of the third quarter of the financial year of 2007/8 and 85. 3% (MAA) for the final 12 months of the franchise. ^[8]

The latest figures published for the West Coast franchise were 84. 5% (PPM) for the third quarter of 2007/8 and 85. 8% (MAA) up to 31 December 2007. ^[9]

Problems with punctuality had been widely attributed by Virgin to the ageing and increasingly unreliable rolling stock and the equally ageing and outdated infrastructure on which it ran, although other train operating companies managed to operate the same equipment such as High Speed Trains with considerably greater reliability, implying that Virgin’s maintenance regime was partly to blame.

The introduction of the Pendolino stock on the West Coast Main Line and more modern diesel-electric trains on the Cross Country route are now helping improve reliability and punctuality as Virgin and Alstom resolve any teething problems with the Virgin Trains fleet. Pendolino (from Italian Pendolo "Pendulum" and -ino, a diminutive suffix is an Italian family of Tilting trains used in Alstom ( is a large French multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and Transport markets

Despite this however, Virgin has retained some of its elderly Mark 3 coaching stock and associated locomotives to provide back-up for any further teething problems with the Pendolinos and Voyagers.

Grayrigg derailment

Main article: Grayrigg derailment

On the evening of 23 February 2007, a Virgin Trains service from London Euston to Glasgow Central derailed near Oxenholme in North West England. The Grayrigg derailment was a fatal railway accident that occurred at approximately 2015 GMT on 23 February 2007 just to the south of Grayrigg, Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The train was the 17:15 service, headcode 1S83, from Euston and was a Class 390 Pendolino. A headcode or train reporting number is used by Railway staff in Great Britain to identify a particular Train service ^[10] The train was carrying about 180 people. Several carriages were left lying on the railway embankments. An 84-year-old woman, named as Margaret Masson, from Glasgow, died in the crash. Five seriously injured people were hospitalised suffering from back, neck and head injuries. One of those in a serious condition is the train driver, Iain Black, who has been hailed as a hero by Virgin boss Richard Branson. The accident was caused by a faulty set of points. ^[11]

The past

On privatisation, Virgin West Coast inherited a mixture of Mark 2 and Mark 3 coaches, with electric locomotives of Classes 86, 87 and 90. Copyrighted image says to use a freer equivalent wherever one is available A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. The British Rail Class 86 was the standard Electric locomotive built during the 1960s developed as a result of testing with the earlier Classes 81, The British Rail Class 87 is a type of Electric locomotive built from 1973-75 by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL. The British Rail Class 90 Electric locomotives were built by BREL at Crewe from 1987-1990 Virgin Cross-Country also inherited several Class 43 High Speed Trains, and Mark 2 coaches which were hauled by Class 47 diesel locomotives and Class 86 locomotives on electrified routes. The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain. The British Rail Class 47 (Originally Brush Type 4) is a class of British railway Diesel locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction The British Rail Class 86 was the standard Electric locomotive built during the 1960s developed as a result of testing with the earlier Classes 81,

Problems

A drive was made to improve reliability and punctuality after much press criticism in 2001, but by 2006, due to improved reliability of trains and completion of major infrastructure projects, performance was comparable with other intercity operators. Virgin have undertaken a number of project to increase punctuality, including radio controlled watches^[12]

Given Richard Branson's personal popularity with much of the British public and the high-profile success of some of his other business ventures such as the Virgin Atlantic airline, the failure of Virgin Trains may appear unusual considering that the company receives around £240,000,000 public subsidy from taxpayers annually (but might perhaps be considered alongside Virgin Cola and Virgin Vodka, both brands launched in a blaze of publicity, but have now largely disappeared). Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd (operating as Virgin Atlantic) is a British airline which is owned by Richard Branson 's Virgin Group (51% and Virgin Cola is a carbonated Cola Soft drink produced by Princes limited. Virgin Vodka is an Alcoholic beverage produced by Virgin Drinks, a subsidiary of the Virgin Group owned by Richard Branson.

New Trains

Virgin, in 1997 placed the largest rolling stock order (£1bn) in British history with new Class 390 Pendolino tilting trains for the West Coast Main Line network. The British Class 390 "Pendolino" Electric multiple unit is a Tilting train built by Fiat Ferroviaria utilising Fiat Pendolino (from Italian Pendolo "Pendulum" and -ino, a diminutive suffix is an Italian family of Tilting trains used in A tilting train is a Train with a tilting mechanism that enables increased speed on regular Railway tracks These state-of-the-art units are based on technology developed by state corporation British Rail for their prototype APT tilting train of the early 1980s; the technology was subsequently licensed to the Italian manufacturers. See also Rail transport in Great Britain, National Rail, Network Rail This article is about the defunct entity "British Railways" The Advanced Passenger Train ( APT) was an experimental tilting High Speed Train developed by British Rail during the 1970s and early 1980s which A tilting train is a Train with a tilting mechanism that enables increased speed on regular Railway tracks The Pendolino trains have a nominal top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph), but will be limited to 200 km/h (125 mph) on the West Coast Main Line; there have been proposals for 135mph running on certain sections of the WCML, namely the remodelled Trent Valley area but these are yet to be considered by Network Rail . (For the South African airport with IATA code "KMH" see Johan Pienaar Airport. The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. Network Rail is a British "not for dividend" Company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited a company limited The cross-country routes have been served by new diesel-electric four-carriage Class 220 Voyager and five-carriage Class 221 Super Voyager trains. The Class 220 Voyager is a class of Diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit Trains built by Bombardier Transportation The Class 221 SuperVoyager is a train currently used by Virgin Trains and CrossCountry in the United Kingdom. The Super Voyager trains have tilting ability like the Pendolino and will be used for services operating on the West Coast Main Line. A tilting train is a Train with a tilting mechanism that enables increased speed on regular Railway tracks

By December 2004 Virgin Trains had replaced all of the rolling stock inherited from British Rail. Although the new trains offer many features not available on the older stock they also operate at higher densities, with some seats having reduced leg-room and fewer seats overall meaning passengers often having to stand, sometimes for hundreds of miles. The cramped conditions are attributable to the inward leaning walls of the carriages that facilitate tilting. The trains were intended to work at much higher frequencies than under British Rail, and so each train has fewer seats than the ones it replaced. Shortcomings of the West Coast Mainline modernisation project meant that the higher frequencies have not yet been achieved and during peak periods there is sometimes overcrowding. As well as this, the extremities of the network did not get a higher frequency.

New Tracks

The West Coast Main Line itself has been the subject of a massive £10bn refurbishment programme to accept the new trains, one that has been the subject of massive controversy, since it is now running three years late, and has cost twice the original estimate. (see West Coast Main Line page for full details). The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom.

New Timetable

In May 2003, following the poor punctuality and extreme overcrowding brought on by their new 'Operation Princess' clockface timetable launched in September 2002, Virgin Trains introduced some new set-down only or pick-up only stops into its passenger timetable. What is unusual about these restricted stops is that they are in the middle of the train journey, rather than the common practice of instituting set-down only stops at the next-to-last station or pick-up only on the second station of a train’s run. For instance, some South-North trains are pick-up only at Oxford, despite Oxford being the sixth or seventh stop and previous stops not being pick-up only. The company has stated that these are enforceable by means of fines; for example, a passenger leaving the train at a pick-up only stop is deemed not to have a valid ticket, and could be charged accordingly, although exactly how this can be enforced once a passenger has left the train is unclear. The apparent intention of the restricted stops is to stop short-distance passengers from overcrowding the long-distance trains.

Additionally, some destinations, including Blackpool, Poole, Portsmouth, London Paddington and Swansea, were removed from the Virgin Trains network altogether, and some services pass through important junction stations, such as Taunton, Exeter St Davids and Didcot Parkway without stopping. Taunton railway station is a junction station on the London to Penzance Line, from London Paddington station. Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. For the Winter 2005 timetable, Milton Keynes Central was now sparsely served by peak time West Coast services in order to deter commuters from using Virgin's services as an additional link to Euston. Milton Keynes Central is a Railway station that serves the central area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

The future

Projected growth in passenger numbers on the West Coast routes has prompted discussions about increasing the length of Pendolino sets to 11 or (more likely) 10 vehicles. The likelihood of 10 car formations was foreseen in the original WCML strategy, so minimal infrastructure improvements would be required. A decision was expected from DfT by the end of 2006. This has been put in jeopardy recently as a result of an enquiry into the leasing of trains being carried out by the Competition Commission. ^[13] It is likely that plans will delay the improvements until 2011/2012. The DFT is now going to order 2 extra coaches for 31 of the 52 sets to start with. This will be completed by 2012 just before the franchise change in the march of 2012. Ther is now talk that a further 23 9-car 390's will be ordered for extra capicaty and to replace the class 221's on Birmingham to Scotland services. The Voyagers might be used to help increase services to North Wales or some to be returned to Cross-Country. This could be completed by 2014.

Following the completion of the Trent Valley Line quadrupling and Rugby junction upgrades to allow 125mph running (completed by 2008), West Coast journey times are expected to fall further; Glasgow-Euston 4hr 15mins, Euston-Birmingham 1hr 10 mins (fastest) or 1hr 20mins (off-peak). The Trent Valley Line is a Railway line between Rugby and Stafford in England, forming part of the West Coast Main Line. Virgin claim that 135 mph running may be possible in places, although Network Rail remain sceptical - stating that significant signalling upgrades would be required.

Virgin have consistently expressed an interest in the InterCity East Coast franchise since privatisation. However, it failed in its bid in 2005 to gain control of the route from incumbent GNER. On 15 December 2006, the DfT announced its wishes for GNER to 'surrender' the East Coast franchise, following financial and operational problems at its parent company, Sea Containers. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[14] This caused a re-start of the bidding process in which the DfT stated that GNER was welcome to re-bid for the franchise, an opportunity which they did not take up. However in a curious twist the GNER board later announced they would join the bid submitted Virgin and Stagecoach Group which has been shortlisted under the name "Intercity Railways". Stagecoach Group plc ( is a leading international transport group operating Bus, Train, Tram, express coach and Ferry operations ^[15] On Tuesday 14 August 2007, Department for Transport announced that National Express East Coast (NXEC Trains Ltd) had won the franchise ^[16]. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department National Express East Coast is the name under which the Train operating company NXEC Trains Ltd operates the InterCity East Coast rail franchise which

After much planning an open-access operator, Wrexham & Shropshire submitted a plan to operate services between London and North Wales. Wrexham & Shropshire is the operating name of the Wrexham Shropshire and Marylebone Railway Company, a Train operating company in the United Kingdom This involves utilising a stretch of the WCML. Virgin Trains unsuccessfully objected to this proposal, which sees Wrexham & Shropshire having trains call at Wolverhampton. Due to the moderation of competition protection that is part of Virgin's West Coast franchise agreement, Wrexham & Shropshire had to submit a modified proposal that will involve only limited use of Wolverhampton, with Tame Bridge Parkway railway station used as its main Midlands stop. Tame Bridge Parkway is a railway station in the north of the borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England, close to the boundary with Walsall Wrexham & Shropshire began their operations on 28th April 2008. In February 2008, Virgin announced that they would also begin services between London and Wrexham via Chester. Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 Initially on a trial basis with one train per day on weekdays in each direction, should the service prove successful Virgin plan to introduce more services during the week and at weekends. ^[17].

In December 2008 there will be a dramatic change to Virgin Trains Services in and out of London Euston

On June 7, 2007, Richard Branson and Gordon Brown launched Europe's first bio-diesel train for a scheduled 11:27 London Euston - Llandudno service. Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is ^[18]

Virgin Trains routes

Current routes

Code		Route	Rollingstock
A		London Euston to Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton	Pendolino/ 1 Voyager service a day
B		London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent or Crewe	Pendolino
C		London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street	Pendolino
D		London Euston to North Wales	Super Voyager/Pendolino
E		London Euston to the North West of England/Scotland	Pendolino
F		Birmingham New Street to Glasgow Central/Edinburgh	Super Voyager/Pendolino (Sundays only)

Rolling Stock

Current fleet

The majority of Virgin's services along the WCML are operated by its fleet of 53 nine-car Class 390 Pendolino EMUs. Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 Crewe is a town in Cheshire, England, the largest town in the borough of Crewe and Nantwich, in which it is the only Unparished area. Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is a mainline and underground Railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line Railway terminals in Glasgow, Scotland, and is managed by Network Rail. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. The British Class 390 "Pendolino" Electric multiple unit is a Tilting train built by Fiat Ferroviaria utilising Fiat The Class 390 units are also used on services along the unelectrfied North Wales Coast Line. For these, they are pulled by one of 16 Class 57 diesel locomotives operated by Virgin. The British Rail Class 57 Diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004 These locomotives are primarily used for "Thunderbird" duties. Virgin also operates 16 five-car Class 221 Super Voyager DMUs; these primarily operate on the WCML north of Birmingham, and on the North Wales line. The Class 221 SuperVoyager is a train currently used by Virgin Trains and CrossCountry in the United Kingdom. Virgin has also been operating a Class 90 electric locomotive and rake of coaches as a back-up set for the WCML to cover any problems with the Pendolino and Voyager fleets. The British Rail Class 90 Electric locomotives were built by BREL at Crewe from 1987-1990

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 57/3		Diesel locomotive	95	120	16	North Wales Coast Line Thunderbird Locomotive	2002 - 2004
Class 221 Super Voyager		Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit	125	200	16	West Coast Main Line North Wales Coast Line	2001 - 2002
Class 390 Pendolino		Electric Multiple Unit	125	200	53	West Coast Main Line North Wales Coast Line	2001 - 2004
Class 90		Electric Locomotive	110	177	1	As needed	1987-1990
Mark 3 Coach		Trailer Open Coach	125	200	8	As needed	1975-1988
Mark 3 DVT		Unpowered Trailer	125	200	2	As needed	1987-1990

The Pendolino fleet is allocated to the Manchester Traincare Centre at Longsight , with lighter maintenance and overnight stabling also carried out at Wembley (London), Oxley ( Wolverhampton ), Edge Hill ( Liverpool ) and Polmadie ( Glasgow ). The British Rail Class 57 Diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004 A Diesel locomotive is a type of Railroad Locomotive in which the prime mover is a Diesel engine. A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. The Class 221 SuperVoyager is a train currently used by Virgin Trains and CrossCountry in the United Kingdom. A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. The British Class 390 "Pendolino" Electric multiple unit is a Tilting train built by Fiat Ferroviaria utilising Fiat An electric multiple unit or EMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of many carriages using Electricity as the motive power The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. The British Rail Class 90 Electric locomotives were built by BREL at Crewe from 1987-1990 Copyrighted image says to use a freer equivalent wherever one is available A Driving Van Trailer ( DVT) sometimes referred to as Driving Luggage Van ( DLV) is a purpose-built railway vehicle that allows the driver to operate The Trans-Pennine Express Traincare Facility is based at Ardwick, Manchester. Longsight is an area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. Longsight is also ' home ' to the Class 57 ' Thunderbird' fleet. Thunderbird locomotives are stationed at strategic points along the WCML such as Rugby, Stafford and Preston.

The Class 221 Super Voyager fleet is allocated to Central Rivers depot near Burton on Trent, Staffordshire.

As part of the Government's new rolling stock programme, the Pendolino fleet will be extended with the construction of up to 106 new vehicles, which will be used to lengthen the existing fleet, as well as form a complete new train to replace the one written off due to The Grayrigg Train Disaster. ^[19]

Past fleet

Class	Image	Type	Built	Withdrawn	Notes
Class 43 High Speed Train		diesel locomotive	1976 - 1982	2004	Most now in service with FGW/NXEC/EMT Grand Central
Class 47		diesel locomotive	1962 - 1968	2003	16 locos converted into Class 57
Class 86		electric locomotive	1965 - 1966	2003
Class 87		electric locomotive	1973 - 1975	2006	Moved to Bulgaria
Class 90		electric locomotive	1987 - 1990	2004	Now used by National Express East Anglia, small number of vehicles retained for backup purposes. The British Rail Class 43 is the classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars built by BREL from 1976 to 1982 A Diesel locomotive is a type of Railroad Locomotive in which the prime mover is a Diesel engine. The British Rail Class 47 (Originally Brush Type 4) is a class of British railway Diesel locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction A Diesel locomotive is a type of Railroad Locomotive in which the prime mover is a Diesel engine. The British Rail Class 86 was the standard Electric locomotive built during the 1960s developed as a result of testing with the earlier Classes 81, "Electric Trains" redirects here For the 1995 Squeeze single see Electric Trains (song. The British Rail Class 87 is a type of Electric locomotive built from 1973-75 by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL. "Electric Trains" redirects here For the 1995 Squeeze single see Electric Trains (song. The British Rail Class 90 Electric locomotives were built by BREL at Crewe from 1987-1990 "Electric Trains" redirects here For the 1995 Squeeze single see Electric Trains (song. National Express East Anglia is a Train operating company and brand name of London Eastern Railway Ltd in the United Kingdom.
Class 158 Express Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	1989 - 1992	2001	now operated by First Great Western
Class 220 Voyager		Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit	2001	2007	now operated by CrossCountry
Mark 2 Coach		Passenger Rolling stock	1964 - 1975	2003	In Storage - some vehicles exported to New Zealand
Mark 3 Coach		Passenger Rolling stock	1975 - 1988	2006	Now used by National Express East Anglia, small number of vehicles retained for backup purposes. A British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a Diesel multiple unit (DMU train built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates The Class 220 Voyager is a class of Diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit Trains built by Bombardier Transportation A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel CrossCountry is a Train operating company, the brand name of XC Trains Limited owned by Arriva, that has operated Great Britain ’s Cross Country rail franchise This article is about passengers in commercial transportation for other uses see Passenger (disambiguation A passenger is a term broadly used Rolling Stock was a Newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Copyrighted image says to use a freer equivalent wherever one is available This article is about passengers in commercial transportation for other uses see Passenger (disambiguation A passenger is a term broadly used Rolling Stock was a Newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado National Express East Anglia is a Train operating company and brand name of London Eastern Railway Ltd in the United Kingdom.
		Driving Van Trailer	1988	2006	Now used by National Express East Anglia, small number of vehicles retained for backup purposes. A Driving Van Trailer ( DVT) sometimes referred to as Driving Luggage Van ( DLV) is a purpose-built railway vehicle that allows the driver to operate National Express East Anglia is a Train operating company and brand name of London Eastern Railway Ltd in the United Kingdom.

The Class 87 and 90 electric locomotives, as well as the small number of Class 86's retained for WCML duties, were allocated to Willesden depot in northwest London. Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. Cross Country's allocation of '86's' were allocated to Longsight, Manchester. The HST sets were allocated to Laira ( Plymouth ) although a small number of these would be regularly based at Longsight to operate on WCML services between Manchester/Holyhead and Euston. The Mk3 coaching sets were allocated to Longsight and Polmadie (Glasgow) whilst the West Coast allocation of Mk2 sets - used almost exclusively on Euston to West Midlands trains - were allocated to Oxley ( Wolverhampton ).

References

See also

• Megatrain
• National Rail

External links

• Virgin Trains web site
• Virgin Trains Pendolino Seat Plans from V-Flyer, customer created site. Megatrain is a virtual No-frills intercity Train service run by Scottish -based Stagecoach Group. National Rail is a brand name of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC
• Virgin Trains Voyager Seat Plans from V-Flyer, customer created site.
• In-depth analysis of the circumstances surrounding the recent Pendolino derailing in Cumbria
• Report and technical analysis on the 23/02/2007 Pendelino Accident in Cumbria Updated from the scene at the iVirtua Community
• BBC News on Cross Country loss

Preceded by InterCity As part of British Rail	Operator of Cross-Country franchise 1997 — 2007	Succeeded by CrossCountry
	Operator of InterCity West Coast franchise 1997 — 2012	Incumbent

Preceded by First Transpennine Express

Train Operator of the Year 2007

Succeeded by Incumbent

InterCity (or in the earliest days the hyphenated Inter-City was introduced by British Rail in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services See also Rail transport in Great Britain, National Rail, Network Rail This article is about the defunct entity "British Railways" CrossCountry is a Train operating company, the brand name of XC Trains Limited owned by Arriva, that has operated Great Britain ’s Cross Country rail franchise First TransPennine Express is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Train Operator of the Year is a Rail transport industry award to recognize excellence among train operating companies of the United Kingdom.

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