Virgin trains get two year contract extension

On the BBC this morning. V trains have signed a contract with the Dept of Transport for a 23 month contract extension whilst the whole franchise goes out to tender (again).

Lets hope they set up the spread sheets properly this time!

Ha ha, yeh will see how this turns out.. Notice the little caveat that the gov't can terminate 6 months early should a buyer be found... v(

Is that a sign that they don't really want Virgin running the route?

Its clear that they don't want Virgin running the route. They've had evidence there was a culture of "Anyone But Branson" in the bidding process.

Whether they can do this form of a very british "bribery and corruption" with what is supposed to be an open tendering process next time, is a question. They've been caught once now, they'll have to be more careful trying to cut Virgin out next time...

(I really do wonder what First has done to win the majority of train services in this country, it certainly isn't running a good train service...)

Claims are now that they couldn't find this bias in there... Well, I suppose the government would say that. Perhaps they did employ some people who had to take their shoes and socks off to add up the numbers...