Virgin plots rail return with proposal to run West Coast routes

Virgin Trains operated on the UK rail network for more than two decades until its contract expired in 2019. Photograph: Matthew Clarke/Alamy

Richard Branson’s Virgin Group hopes to make a comeback on Britain’s railways – with plans for up to four new services on the West Coast main line it used to run.

Virgin has submitted proposals to operate separate train services between London Euston and Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow Central respectively, on an open access basis.