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It was expected that the Pendolinos would run at service speeds of up to 140 mph (225 km/h) and that the whole fleet would be delivered by May 2002. Amid the privatisation of British Rail during the mid 1990s, the newly-formed Virgin Rail Group submitted multiple bids to operate several different train franchises, including Gatwick Express, InterCity CrossCountry and InterCity West Coast. Virgin Trains (VT) (legal name West Coast Trains Limited) was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Virgin Rail Group, a joint venture between Virgin Group and Stagecoach, which operated the InterCity West Coast franchise from 9 March 1997 to 7 December 2019. The plans would mean Virgin Trains returning to the rails for the first time since 2019, when the company lost its contract to Avanti West Coast. «Our priority is to deliver for passengers the benefits of the investments in a new fleet, jobs, and depot facilities that we recently announced,» a Eurostar spokesperson said. An artist’s impression of a Virgin train at St Pancras International

The service was available free in first class, and for a charge (which varied depending on how long the passenger wished to use it for) in standard class. In August 2008 Bombardier started a programme to rearrange the Class 221 Super Voyagers with the carriage containing the shop moved to adjoin the first class carriage and refurbished with 2+2 seats arranged more spaciously around tables. With the Class 390 Pendolinos needing modification in 2006, a First GBRf Class 87 was hired to haul a Mark 3 set on Birmingham New Street services.

• To operate the Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh and Glasgow services transferred from CrossCountry in December 2007, three four-carriage and thirteen five-carriage Class 221 Super Voyagers were transferred.
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• In July 2016 the integrated infotainment system BEAM was provided on all trains by GoMedia, delivered directly to the passenger’s own devices including mobile phones and tablets.
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Previously, the ORR had said the Temple Mills depot had enough space to either house an expanded Eurostar fleet or accommodate a rival company’s trains – but not both. Temple Mills railway storehouse in east London is the only depot in the UK able to accommodate the larger trains used in continental Europe and which is already linked to the cross-Channel line. Virgin Trains has moved closer to being able to run rail services through the Channel Tunnel after the regulator approved its application to share a depot with Eurostar.

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In March 2013, the Secretary of State announced that the franchise would again be extended until 31 March 2017. In December 2012, Virgin was awarded a 23-month management contract to run the franchise until 9 November 2014. The government announced that it would negotiate with Virgin Trains to run the InterCity West Coast franchise for a further 9 to 13 months. Virgin spoke out against this decision, claiming that the methodology used to award the franchise was flawed, while Richard Branson stated that it was unlikely Virgin would bid for any future franchises. An Invitation to tender was issued to the shortlisted bidders in January 2012, and the Department for Transport awarded FirstGroup the new franchise in August 2012. In October 2011, the Department announced that Virgin had been granted a franchise extension until December 2012.

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Branson also praised the driver for attempting to chicken road game demo stop the train and not leaving the cab before it derailed.citation needed Chris Green as chief executive led a drive to improve reliability and punctuality after much press criticism in 2001, and by 2006, due to improved reliability of trains and completion of major infrastructure projects, performance was better. In May 1998, Virgin introduced two new services from London Euston, to Shrewsbury and to Blackpool North. In November 2013, a revised application for services to Shrewsbury and Blackpool North was approved, and the services started in December 2014. In order for tilting trains to be operated, Railtrack had committed itself to upgrading the West Coast Main Line as to permit 140 mph operation by 2005.

From 9 December 2013 it was utilised to operate a London Euston-Birmingham New Street train on Thursdays and Fridays only, until its withdrawal in October 2014. Virgin used this set with a Class 90 locomotive hired from Freightliner on a Euston to Crewe (via Birmingham) service on Fridays only until December 2012. Following the loss of a Class 390 Pendolino in the Grayrigg derailment, a Mark 3 set with a Driving Van Trailer was leased with a Class 90 hired from English Welsh & Scottish as required. A further five five-carriage Class 221 Super Voyagers followed in December 2008.full citation needed By the time they were delivered it was decided these would be too short so they entered service with Virgin CrossCountry.