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Virgin boss: Let us keep West Coast
Tony Collins, chief executive of Virgin Trains
The boss of Virgin Trains has warned the Government cannot take on running the West Coast Main Line through Lancashire.
Tony Collins, chief executive of the rail group, said he believed the Government’s Directly Operated Railways (DOR) division would not be ready to take on the route on December 9, when Virgin’s franchise expires.
It follows the decision by the Government to halt plans to give the West Coast franchise to run the service for the next 13 years to rival FirstGroup.
The DOR took over running services on the east coast after FirstGroup handed back the keys to the service halfway through its franchise.
Mr Collins told the Express and Star newspaper: “DOR is a group of four people. On the East Coast they stepped into an established operating franchise.
“They cannot get themselves ready in just a couple of months on the West Coast.
“We are prepared to work with the government to make sure the service continues properly.
“There must be no risk of the same mistakes being made again.”
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Sunday 19 May 2013
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