First Trenitalia awarded deal to run West Coast trains

First Trenitalia will operate train services on the West Coast Main Line from December 8, the Department for Transport has said.

The joint partnership was awarded the West Coast Partnership (WCP) contract, which also includes responsibility for running the first HS2 trains from 2026.

But the DfT said the Government will “shortly launch a review” into the new high-speed railway, which was widely expected after Boris Johnson became Prime Minister.

It added that the WCP has been designed to ensure it can “implement the review’s outcomes”.