Virgin have lost the cross-country franchise. What will happen to the trains?

Question

Do virgin own those trains? They certainly paid for them. What will happen to journey times if they are put into redundancy? All that money spent on upgrading the track for tilting pendalino's and now what?

Answer 1

Train Operating Companies do not own trains, they lease them for the duration of their franchise.

At the end of the franchise they return to the leasing company, who hope that the new franchise holder will want them back!

Answer 2

They will merely be repainted into a different livery*.  The shops in the Voyagers are going to be removed to provide more luggage space. Arriva (the winner of the franchise) has also said it will remove one toilet from each set, leaving two in a four car and three in a five car. (Cross your legs before boarding!) Virgin will retain some 'Super Voyagers' for use on the Holyhead service which forms part of the West Coast Franchise on which the Pendolinos are used - they are totally unaffected by the new arrangements in respect of Cross Country.

*To confirm my theory that Rail Privatisation was dreamt up by makers of carriage paint/vinyls.

Answer 3

Virgin don't own any of their trains. They are leased from two companies called Porterbrook and angel trains. The fact that they have lost the cross country franchise make no difference to the pendolinos which are part of the west coast franchise which they will have for about another 8 years. This wont change journey change times.