Branson and Prescott clash over alleged ‘horrors’ of rail franchise ownership

As the East Coast Main line rail franchise passed back from public ownership into private hands, two heavyweight commentators took decidedly different views on whether or not this was a good thing for either the taxpayer of the rail passenger.

On the day that a consortium of Virgin Trains and Stagecoach took over the running of the East Coast Main Line from the Government, The Telegraph’s assistant business editor, Ben Marlow, interviewed Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson and outlined what the new operator has planned for the franchise. “As part of the eight-year deal, Virgin and Stagecoach have unveiled a set of measures they say will transform the line and drag it into the 21st century, with £140m of investment...

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