Virgin 始める，決めるs sights on new line

By This Is Money
Updated: 00:00 BST, 7 December 1999

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Richard Branson's rail company Virgin Trains wants to run East Coast main line services from 2003, it was 明らかにする／漏らすd today.

Virgin already operates the West Coast main line, running between London Euston and Glasgow Central, on which punctuality and reliability have attracted constant c riticism.

The company 確認するd today that it had '表明するd 利益／興味' in the East Coast franchise, between London King's Cross and Edinburgh, 現在／一般に run by the 広大な／多数の／重要な North Eastern 鉄道 company.

'利益／興味d parties had to 表明する their 利益／興味 to the 影をつくる／尾行する 戦略の rail 当局 by December 6 and we have 表明するd ours,' a Virgin Trains 広報担当者 said today.

'That's as far as it goes at the moment and 計画（する）s will be worked on in the next few months.'

Keith 法案, 国家の 長官 of 圧力団体 Save Our 鉄道s, said: 'GNER has 劇的な 改善するd services on the east coast line over the last year, while Virgin are still lagging behind on the west coast 大勝する.

'I can't imagine many east coast 顧客s 存在 thrilled to hear that Virgin could take over their services.'

GNER, which is part of the empire of 巨大（な） 輸送（する） company Sea コンテナs, has been operating the east coast on a seven-year franchise since April 1996.

While GNER 相続するd what was regarded as British Rail's 旗艦 line, Mr Branson took over the cash-餓死するd west coast line which is now getting a £2 billion 改良 programme which 含むs new signalling and high-速度(を上げる） 攻撃するing trains.