Who owns Avanti West Coast?
Who owns Avanti West Coast? FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, which is based in Aberdeen in the north-east of Scotland. The company operates transport services in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Did Avanti buy Virgin?
Who owns Avanti West Coast? In 2019, Avanti West Coast took over operations from Virgin Trains, which had run the franchise since 1997. It is owned by First Trenitalia - a joint venture between FirstGroup (70% stake) and Trenitalia - Italy's primary train operator (30%).
Why is it called Avanti West Coast?
Named after the Italian word for “Forward,” Avanti West Coast trains run on the same long-distance West Coast Main Line routes in Britain that their Virgin Trains predecessors travelled on, connecting London with cities such as Birmingham , Manchester , Edinburgh , Liverpool and Glasgow.
Do Virgin trains still exist UK?
Virgin Trains: Final service departs as UK's longest-running rail franchise ends. Britain's longest-running rail franchise came to an end on Saturday after more than 22 years. Virgin Trains, which began serving the West Coast Main Line in 1997, is being replaced by Avanti West Coast.