Published at 11:07, Thursday, 16 August 2012

VIRGIN Rail has lost the franchise to run the West Coast Main Line running from Carlisle to London and Glasgow.

Rival transport company FirstGroup, which already runs trains into Cumbria, has instead been handed the job to run the service for 13 years.

Rail union RMT said it would mount a “massive industrial, political and public campaign” to stop any attack on jobs.

Virgin employs 65 people based at Carlisle, plus eight at Penrith and 11 at Oxenholme, near Kendal.

FirstGroup chief executive Tim O’Toole said the company was delighted to win the franchise, saying: “We will be making significant improvements including reduced journey times and introducing new direct services.”

The company already has two franchises running trains through this area.

First TransPennine runs services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Manchester Airport, via Carlisle.

ScotRail runs the line from Carlisle to Glasgow, via Dumfries. It also provides an overnight sleeper car service between Scotland and Carlisle.

See Comment, page 12.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk