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RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2020 :: RMTnews
14
Virgin Trains, which began
running the West Coast Main
Line in 1997, was replaced by
Avanti West Coast at the end of
last year. Avanti West Coast is
owned by First Trenitalia, a
partnership between FirstGroup
and Italian state railways
Trenitalia.
The end of the Virgin
franchise came after partners
Virgin Group and Stagecoach
had their bid to continue
running trains on the line
disqualified by the Department
for Transport (DfT) last April
because they did not meet
pension rules.
In a legal action launched
last month by Stagecoach,
Virgin Trains and French state
rail operator SNCF, the
government is accused of
illegally kicking franchises out
of tender processes for refusing
to accept risks associated with
funding the Railways Pension
Scheme. German operator Arriva
has filed a similar complaint.
The row hinges on who picks
up the bill for contributions to
the RPS that go above and
beyond the “cost-sharing”
agreement in place since
privatisation in 1994, which sees
employers contribute 60 per cent
and members 40 per cent.
‘EMOTIONAL’ FAREWELL
Virgin Trains bid an ‘emotional’
farewell to the rail network by
taking out a 24-page
supplement in Modern Railways
magazine in order to list their
many achievements.
One achievement which they
Virgin Trains which began
illegally kickin
y
g franchises out
THE VIRGIN STORY:
22 MARVELLOUS YEARS…
FOR SHAREHOLDERS
Virgin carpetbagged
nearly £720 million
out of the rail
network during its
involvement with
the industry
SAME OLD SYSTEM: Avanti West
Coast trains took over the West Coast
Main Line (WCML) franchise from
Virgin Group and Stagecoach last
December.