Contract for West Coast Partnership Rail Services. Currently operated by First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Ltd

Contract for provision of long distance rail services on the UK conventional mainline rail system. They serve the key cities of London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is envisaged the services would run between:

(a) London Euston to Lichfield Trent Valley, Crewe, Preston and Glasgow Central;

(b) Lichfield Trent Valley to Macclesfield and Manchester Piccadilly;

(c) Crewe to Wilmslow and Manchester Piccadilly;

(d) Crewe to Chester, Wrexham General and Holyhead;

(e) Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street;

(f) Preston to Blackpool North;

(g) Carlisle to Edinburgh;

(h) London Euston to Coventry, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury;

(i) Wolverhampton to Stafford; and

(j) Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe and Glasgow or Edinburgh.

There is a mixture of leisure, business and commuter travel. These services would be similar to those currently operated on the West Coast Partnership franchise. It is envisaged that the contract would also encompass the provision of rail services on HS2 (initially between Old Oak Common in London and Curzon Street in Birmingham and potentially between London Euston and Crewe), and will also include the performance of services in relation to the planning and preparation of HS2 rail services.