Virgin Trains currently have the West Coast Main Line franchise. This will be up for renewal and as indicated on the rail franchise schedule, should be awarded in 2017.

A consultation took place run by the Department for Transport, and this ended on August 2nd, 2016

According the the schedule which is available to download the invitiation to tender should be done in November of this year, 2016, with the contract award being made in November 2017 to start in April 2018.