Three new Pendolino trains are to enter service on the crowded West Coast Main Line under a deal on the rail franchise between the Department for Transport and operator Virgin Trains.

Virgin will continue to run services from when its franchise would have expired on 31 March 2012 until the new franchise begins on 9 December next year.

Over that nine-month period, the three new 600-seat Pendolinos will enter service; one such new train joined the fleet in July this year.

There will also be two extra carriages added to the standard nine on 31 of the existing trains, increasing the number of standard class seats on each train from 320 to 470.

Rail minister Theresa Villiers said: “The West Coast Main Line is one of our busiest and most important rail arteries.
“Keeping the existing operator in place while these new trains and carriages are introduced should help ensure they are introduced smoothly onto the network so passengers reap the benefits as soon as possible.”

Virgin Trains said the additional trains and carriages had been added “based on a forecast of 11% year-on-year growth”.
It described this as ‘more than three times the long distance operator average, and very challenging given the current economic climate’.

Virgin Rail Group chief executive officer Tony Collins said: “The extension will bring continuity and allow us to run services for passengers at an exciting and challenging time for the country with the 2012 Games which start in July next year.”

The post-2012 franchise will last until March 2026, in the hope that operators will be more willing to invest in service improvements if they have a longer period in which to recover costs.

Shortlisted bidders for the new franchise are: Abellio, First Group, Keolis/SNCF and VRG, a joint venture between Stagecoach and Virgin Group.

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