Virgin instructs Blackstone and 11KBW silks for West Coast contract battle
Blackstone Chambers’ Michael Beloff QC and 11KBW’s Nigel Giffin QC have been instructed to lead Virgin Rail Group’s High Court action against the Department for Transport (DfT) after the contractor missed out on the bid to renew its control of the West Coast Main Line franchise.
Michael Beloff QC
Herbert Smith partner Nusrat Zar is leading the team acting for Virgin and will face Eversheds partners Mark Rhys-Jones and Nicola Williams, who have instructed Monckton Chambers’ Michael Bowsher QC for the DfT.
The nature of the claim is as yet unknown, but it is understood that the aim will be to force the Government to review its decision to hand control of the network to FirstGroup. The legal challenge came just hours before the DfT was due to hand control of the network to FirstGroup.
Virgin boss Richard Branson has engaged in a war of words with the Government over the decision to hand the contract to FirstGroup, branding it “insane”.
Transport Secretary Justine Greening said that the Government would push on with the deal, despite the complaints about the tender process.
Virgin was advised by Herbert Smith on the tender while Burges Salmon advised longstanding client FirstGroup on the deal (15 August 2012). Eversheds advised the Department for Transport (DfT) on the tender process, fielding rail partner Anne Harris.
Readers' comments (8)
Anonymous | 28-Aug-2012 4:26 pm
The franchise should stay Virgin! I've worked for Virgin Trains for 12 years and what they have done for the west coast is amazing, it's insane to give it to anyone else!!
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Anonymous | 28-Aug-2012 4:47 pm
Definately should stay Virgin! The press keep mentioning the extra coaches First Group will introduce but Virgin had already ordered them and have already started introducing 11 coach Pendolinos!!
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Anonymous | 28-Aug-2012 5:21 pm
Yeah Virgin, I get the First Great Western trains to the Westcountry and they are always late.
That said, Virgin train toilets always smell rotten don't you think?
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Anonymous | 29-Aug-2012 10:08 am
Ideally, the best system would be if they could all have trains on the same line so there would be some actual competition rather than pointless competition. Train companies win a contract by promising the government that they will deliver a lot. This is great except that people end up paying for what they have to deliver. Who otherwise would pay £200 to get to Liverpool when its a 2 hour journey.
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Anonymous | 29-Aug-2012 10:57 am
Actually it is £422 return to Liverpool on Virgin on an open day return, first class, of course.. is that value?? At these prices no wonder Virgin wants to hang onto it!!
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fronteratech | 29-Aug-2012 9:55 pm
great news for all the members of the public who support virgin trains first group has not got a good track record with failures to deliver customer complaints lack of investment. First North Western, capital connect and great western being examples
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Anonymous | 29-Aug-2012 10:20 pm
Im not great at maths but even I can work out that the bid is insane... How are they going to pay all this money back... They won't be introducing more trains (6 car pendos) they'll just be splitting up the 11 car pendos... Sir Richard Branson has brought so much to the railway and will continue to do so.. The staff have worked so hard for 14 years to bring wcml to where it is today, so why change it... Something not right about this, why does Justine greening want to push it through ASAP
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Anonymous | 7-Sep-2012 3:36 am
I wonder if Ms Greening was removed as Transport Secretary for this reason ?????
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