Virgin takes the flag over the West Coast Main Line

As a wise use of taxpayer's money, the UK rail franchise process is now beyond sense: the midnight announcement that the Virgin franchise for WCML kafuffle would not go to judicial review and they would start all over again. Direct implications here in the Tyne Valley. We had little clear idea of what is to happen to our local line in 2014. We now have even less idea beyond the likelihood that where we are will drift on. Those who believe the franchise system should be abandoned and the railways "quietly" brought back inside the public house will be greatly heartened if as they have been saying for a long time "you cannot achieve value for money this way".