[mkcol74]

[postquote quote=981284][/postquote]

@WilliamRead I think you need a lesson in how to use Google, or other search engines, as there’s a plethora of information out there.

Just because you can’t see the path doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

[AMcWhirter]

[quote quote=981284]Yes, but I was hoping for some informtion from the new company re timetables, facilities, booking arrangements etc before the actual start date.[/quote]

There is some news this morning about Avanti ordering £350 million worth of new Hitachi trains which will be manufactured in the UK. Service entry is 2022.

We have therefore updated our piece dated August 14 … see “UPDATE” at the end.

Virgin Trains loses West Coast rail franchise to First Trenitalia

[TominScotland]

I have just received the following e-mail from VT, under the heading ‘All change’….. Intriguing ending?

Hi,

We’ve been proudly serving you for 22 years. But from 8 December 2019, we’ll no longer be running trains on the West Coast Main Line.

About your booking
If you’ve already made a booking with us, don’t worry – your tickets are still valid for travel. You don’t need to do anything, just use your ticket as normal. And, you can keep booking tickets with us until 8 December 2019.

Making a change
If you’d like to make any changes to a booking made with us before 8 December 2019, then call our After Sales team on 0344 556 5650.

Delay Repay
If you have a claim for a booking made before 8 December 2019, then we’ll honour Automatic Delay Repay even if your journey is after this date.

Bon voyage, but not forever
Thought we were going to just disappear out of your life in a puff of smoke? Think again.

We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve to add some techy magic to the way you buy train tickets and save the UK £1bn on rail fares.

Stay tuned and see you in the new year.

The Virgin Trains Team

[AMcWhirter]

FAO William Read

Earlier you were asking about Stafford stn. Well it has now been rebranded.

[mkcol74]

Also: Virgin Trains website is back. Looks like they’re a ticket seller (for now).

[AMcWhirter]

Appears that Virgin Trains is now an online rail agent. Probably using Trainline for the reservations.

Maybe Avanti West Coast switched booking engines. There are certainly quite a number of complaints because some features are unavailable on its website.

[SimonS1]

There are three sure fire things about a change of franchisee:

1. The new operator will spend a fortune on repainting trains and stations, things which few travellers could care less about.
2. The new operator will make big promises (eg new trains in 2022) which will go steadily backwards.
3. The service experienced by the public will be just as crap as the previous operator whilst blaming everyone else connected to the railways.

In the meantime the game is to trouser as much profit as possible and extract money that might otherwise have been invested in services. In a worst case scenario you walk away and leave the taxpayer to foot the bill, just like National Express and a certain other East Coast operator called….er…..Virgin. It seems karma has played its part and reduced Virgin to some bit part ticket seller role.

[alistairNicoll]

You are right to be cynical but in theory this company will launch HS2. Given the expected delays with that project no doubt the taxpayer will be paying massive compensation so no need to walk away.

[Author]

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