RAIL TRANSPORT

摘要

The government's award of the West Coast Mainline franchise to First Group in August 2012 led to a legal challenge from Virgin Rail boss Richard Branson and two official inquiries. Branson said that the decision to take the franchise away from the group, which had run it for 15 years, was 'insanity'. First Group's winning bid was ￡5.5bn while Branson said Virgin's bid was ￡750m less. He warned that First Group would not be able to make the line profitable, which would lead to the government taking the line back into state ownership, as it had to do with the East Coast Main Line.