InterCity West Coast
Videos
InterCity West Coast (ICWC) was a 1997–2019 railway franchise in the United Kingdom for passenger trains on the West Coast Main Line, between London Euston, the West Midlands, North Wales, Liverpool, Manchester, Carlisle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other major destinations between.
Virgin Trains Class 390 Pendolino passing through Lichfield Trent Valley in August 2011
Virgin Trains Class 90 at Carlisle station in August 2004
Virgin Trains Class 221 Voyager at Watford Junction station in June 2008
Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain is the system of contracting the operation of the passenger services on the railways of Great Britain to private companies, which has been in effect since 1996 and was greatly altered in 2020, with rail franchising being effectively abolished in May 2021.
Gatwick Express, the third railway service to be franchised in 1996
Before privatisation: an InterCity train owned and operated by British Rail
After franchising: a GNER operated train on the InterCity East Coast franchise
Temporary public ownership: East Coast was brought in to run the failed InterCity East Coast franchise in 2009