Join Fishplate — it’s free
Free
Create an account to help complete vehicle info and get more out of pages like
this.
- Add missing details (numbers, operators, headcodes) when they aren’t in the video
- Get recognised for contributions with points & badges
- Save favourites and come back to vehicles you’re tracking
Virgin Trains
Last edited by
railwayadam
• 7 months ago
Virgin Trains was the Virgin and Stagecoach operator of the West Coast Main Line from 1997 to 2019, running Pendolinos and Voyagers between London, the West Midlands, North West, North Wales and Scotland.
Founded
1997
Status
Historic (ended 2019)
Country
—
Regions
—
Website
—
Reference
—
Operator Code
—
Virgin Trains was the operator of the InterCity West Coast franchise from 9 March 1997 until 7 December 2019. It was run by Virgin Rail Group, a joint venture between Virgin Group and Stagecoach, and took over the former British Rail InterCity West Coast business at privatisation. Its core network linked London Euston with the West Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool, North Wales, Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The company is chiefly associated with the modernisation of the West Coast Main Line and with the introduction of the Class 390 Pendolino fleet. Pendolinos became the standard train on the principal electric routes, while Class 221 Super Voyagers worked diesel services including routes to North Wales and Shrewsbury. In practice, Virgin Trains was the long-distance West Coast operator of the franchise era, taking over the role that InterCity had held under British Rail.
Its significance lies in the length of its tenure and in the scale of the route it operated. By the time the franchise ended, the BBC described it as Britain’s longest-running rail franchise, with almost 500 million journeys made during its period in charge. The company also became closely identified with the post-privatisation railway: branded, commercially managed and heavily dependent on a major infrastructure upgrade programme.
Virgin also lent its name to Virgin Trains East Coast, a separate operation that ran the InterCity East Coast franchise from 1 March 2015 to 23 June 2018 before being replaced by LNER. That East Coast business was shorter-lived and distinct from the original West Coast operation.
For railway enthusiasts, Virgin Trains is usually understood in straightforward terms: the West Coast operator of the Pendolino era, and the company that replaced BR InterCity on that route before the franchise passed to Avanti West Coast in December 2019.
The company is chiefly associated with the modernisation of the West Coast Main Line and with the introduction of the Class 390 Pendolino fleet. Pendolinos became the standard train on the principal electric routes, while Class 221 Super Voyagers worked diesel services including routes to North Wales and Shrewsbury. In practice, Virgin Trains was the long-distance West Coast operator of the franchise era, taking over the role that InterCity had held under British Rail.
Its significance lies in the length of its tenure and in the scale of the route it operated. By the time the franchise ended, the BBC described it as Britain’s longest-running rail franchise, with almost 500 million journeys made during its period in charge. The company also became closely identified with the post-privatisation railway: branded, commercially managed and heavily dependent on a major infrastructure upgrade programme.
Virgin also lent its name to Virgin Trains East Coast, a separate operation that ran the InterCity East Coast franchise from 1 March 2015 to 23 June 2018 before being replaced by LNER. That East Coast business was shorter-lived and distinct from the original West Coast operation.
For railway enthusiasts, Virgin Trains is usually understood in straightforward terms: the West Coast operator of the Pendolino era, and the company that replaced BR InterCity on that route before the franchise passed to Avanti West Coast in December 2019.
Recent news
From railway publishersRail
RailNews
28 Oct 2026
Page 2
Alstom Press & News
27 Oct 2026
Alstom in the UK and Ireland
Alstom Press & News
27 Oct 2026
Newsroom
Alstom Press & News
27 Oct 2026
Cybersecurity for safe & secure mobility
Alstom Press & News
27 Oct 2026
Resilient, future-ready transport solutions
Alstom Press & News
27 Oct 2026
David Horne moves to Great British Railways
RailNews
27 Oct 2026
NEWS
RailNews
27 Oct 2026
Virgin Trains train videos - page 2
Showing 500 of 2,178 videos.
Lineside South East (Guaranteed no AI)
A History of Royal Mail and Parcels Trains Plus The Travelling Post Office
Lineside South East (Guaranteed no AI)
From Class 86s, 87s and 90s to the Class 390 Pendolinos, All Change on the WCML
Mike Wilcock. Rails in Wales.
Trains at Magor, Hereford, Bristol, Paignton, Newton Abbot and Exeter in 2002
Mike Wilcock. Rails in Wales.
Railtour 2002. 4 x 37s on Festive Freighter. Yate-Avonmouth and Portbury
Lineside South East (Guaranteed no AI)
The Class 43 Intercity 125 High Speed Train/HST at Work on the UK Mainline
Mike Wilcock. Rails in Wales.
Rails in Wales. Margam Depot/Yard and Rugby International Specials 2004
Lineside South East (Guaranteed no AI)
Class 91 Electric Locomotive East Coast Mainline 30th Anniversary
![BrickishRail Archive 2011 - 2018 [1000 Subscriber Special]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ybrBpI9re_g/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCKgBEF5IWvKriqkDGQgBFQAAiEIYAdgBAeIBCggYEAIYBjgBQAE=&rs=AOn4CLC1-DF8MxrAqgbR3u7jDd71OXsu6Q)
