A history of Virgin Trains West Coast | Part 2: How Virgin Trains collapsed?

Hello & welcome to the part one of my Virgin Trains West Coast miniseries, the second episode of my Virgin Trains rail operators series and the sixth episode of my WCML operators mini-series where I look at the operators of the West Coast Mainline. Today we will look at the second half of Virgin Trains' operations of the Intercity West Coast franchise and whether or not Virgin Trains should be viewed as the great operator they always were!
WATCH PART ONE NOW: • A history of Virgin Tr...
Thanks for watching - do consider liking and subscribing for more content :D
Full WCML playlist: • West Coast Mainline fr...
Full Virgin playlist: • Virgin Trains franchises
Thanks to my First Class, Business Zone & Standard class members!
Join my channel: / @vanmanyo (Get several different brilliant perks such as access to videos early and a mention in each video, from £2.99/month!)
Or donate via my KZbin 'Thanks' feature by the comment section!
All your support is brilliant and hugely appreciated!
A huge thanks to those who have allowed me to use their footage for todays video - whom without this video would not be possible to make;
/ @chrislawtonorganist
/ @markappleby3282
/ @thameslink319
Any content featured in this video has been accredited to the correct author, where possible, with permission. However, I may sometimes mistakenly miscredit content (or label it as 'unknown' if I can't find the author), so please let me know if I have got credits wrong for authors of content featured in this video.
Any views mentioned in this video are of my opinion and my opinion only. I am impartial and will never be swayed by a company to not tell the truth, however will sometimes speak from my own viewpoint. I always attempt to use sources that are from sites that I personally trust; BBC, Sky News etc. and I will always attempt to portray the whole picture of the subject in my videos. If you feel I haven't, or if I've mistakenly missed something - do let me know in the comments, on my Discord or my Twitter/Instagram & I'll be sure to look into it! Thanks for watching!
References (including accredited sources):
Wikipedia
BBC
ITV News
The Guardian
The Telegraph
The Independent
Rail Magazine
TransportXtra
International Rail Journal
Railway Gazette
Business Times
Business Travel News Europe by Northstar
Modern Railways
Department For Transport
Project Mapping
Virgin Trains website
Thumbnai Image credit: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 creativecommon..., via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikime...
Part one Thumbnail Image Credit: mattbuck (category), CC BY-SA 2.0 creativecommon..., via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikime...
Thanks to / @aautismo for the membership icons!
SUBSCRIBE - / @vanmanyo
SECOND CHANNEL:
/ @vanmanyo2
X- / vanmanyo1
Discord server link (join for free!) - / discord
Music: www.davidcutte...

[@Vanmanyo]

We're closing in on 6k subscribers so if you did enjoy and aren't subscribed, do consider subscribing! Thanks so much! Apologies for failing to mention the class 390s and 221s receiving the new 'Flowing Silk' livery from 2017! Also, a huge thanks to those who have allowed me to use their footage for todays video - whom without this video would not be possible to make; www.youtube.com/@ChrisLawtonorganist www.youtube.com/@markappleby3282 www.youtube.com/@THAMESLINK319

[@katashworth41]

I remember getting excited that they were reinstating trains to Blackpool, cos one a day stopped at my local station which would be less of a pain than changing in Preston. Then it was at a really inconvenient time (can’t remember when it was) and I moved from Kirkham, so I still have to get to Preston to catch trains. C’est la vie. I did accidentally book a trip to London on the day Avanti took over, they gave out free pannetone.

[@0B2K]

nice video, you should make one on the first thameslink franchise by govia

[@Silverfoxwolfen]

I always enjoyed travelling on Virgin Trains, the services were usually well run and the staff always super helpful. The cheap weekend upgrade price was also very handy for trips to the Midlands from London. Whilst it would be nice to see that same service level back, starting from scratch with an open access set up, I do doubt they could attain the same level of deddicated staff. Just so long as they don't bring back the annoying speaking toilets. Although those in the know will also still know that Avanti services still seem to use VT head codes on the train information displays.

[@justwobert9850]

you can't help but think that the government have favourites in TOCs, first perform much worse but Virgin west coast get thrown out

[@156andrew8]

I love Virgin making a comeback

[@ballzfansixtynin215]

thanks for covering virgin

[@chbmckie]

Brilliant new video! Glad to finally watch Part 2.

[@Vanmanyo]

Glad you enjoyed it :D

[@kenstevens5065]

If only British Rail had not been privatised and the money spent on investment not dividends, duplicated senior management and political ideology we might just have a world class railway. As a bonus we might still have a world class railway manufacturing sector. I can only see (not agree with) a carbon free future with little private car ownership requiring good affordable public transport. Another good post, liked and subscribed.

[@dr.stephenstrange8471]

I would like to see virgin back as an open access operator because Avanti are awful operators and need to direct competition like the east coast mainline.

[@dylanismail6455]

Yay this will be a good watch

[@captaindebug]

Yes, Virgin were the best - only to be stripped of their franchise by the idiots at the Dept. of Transport who have never heard of the maxim: "if it ain't broke then don't fix it"... I'd love to see the return of Virgin Trains on the West Coast Mainline.

[@ethmister]

They lost due to Stagecoach being dodgy with pensions. So thier fault working with a company finding out the hard way you don't touch pensions

[@captaindebug]

@@ethmister Yes, true... but if the franchise is working why go to the time and expense of putting it out to tender with the high risk of ending up with a worse service? Hence, if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

[@ethmister]

@captaindebug because 1/3 of your consortium being dodgy with pensions is a quick way to being banned from everything including SWT and EMT. And the potential fallout from not voiding Stagecoach couldve been catastrophic.

[@Clivestravelandtrains]

I live in Glasgow and really miss Virgin. Avanti have to be the worst company of any sort in Britain. Thanks for your work in doing this film, Dan.

[@ethmister]

TPE where always worse

[@paulwheeler4283]

Am I the only person who remembers the Virgin trains kidz green shoulder bags that they used give to kids at the beginning of the around 2005 - 2006 I remember them so well they used you still contain so many goodies fun things

[@Andrewjg_89]

Apparently I have heard rumours that Virgin Trains is coming back but I don’t know if it would happen. Since Avanti West Coast took over the West Coast Main Line from Virgin Trains. And Avanti West Coast have ordered new Hitachi Class 805 and Class 807 Evero to operate on the WCML.

[@jimbo6059]

They may have cancelled The Sussex Scot when they had crosscountry, but the few times I went around on Virgin West Coast it was not too bad.

[@neiltaylor6645]

I thought all franchises will revert back to the government when the franchise ends

[@FraserWest-um4ue]

You know that virgin trains are on still on the go just without the stagecoach group now because they put a very low price on the virgin trains shares. But the train company is still on the go but I will check and see where they are going

[@Anonymoususer_8823]

Virgin Trains was always going to be a mess and that’s why they were the worst train operator especially when they ran Virgin Trains East Coast on the ECML. But I have heard that Virgin Trains is coming back which could happen next year.

[@chandlerbstransport422]

Are there tracks that go from HS1 to the WCML?

[@Vanmanyo]

I believe it's possible via Kensington Olympia but would never be able to run high speed trains on a sophisticated timetable due to capacity constraints

[@chandlerbstransport422]

@@Vanmanyo yeah probably not. And they would need to be able to use third rail as well.

[@jimbo6059]

No as the HS1 goes into St Pancras so it is a totally different line. I suppose there may be the odd spur line further north though.

[@Jmcd1986]

Not currently. You could go from HS1 in St Pancras, change ends and onto the MML and then from Bedford reverse to the Marsden Vale to Bletchely and onto the WCML.

[@Vanmanyo]

@@Jmcd1986 There must be a link as Eurostar used to operate through Kensington Olympia to get to Waterloo - unless that was demolished after St Pancras opened

[@somax1259]

From the sounds of this it means in a different timeline, we would have seen First group branded 390s and 220/221s, yikes

[@olivergeorge4394]

Yayyyyyyyy

[@simonboulton4490]

I don’t think we need Virgin anymore as there standard of cleanliness was poor and there prices were well over priced for there services. I do not want virgin to be allowed to operate any form of rail franchise ever again as they are a total and complete failure.