Newcastle to stay with VTEC

While the current East Coast franchise agreement provides for the potential transfer of Newcastle station to Network Rail, the decision to continue with the station’s existing management arrangements was taken in late August 2015 following negotiations between Virgin Trains East Coast and Network Rail.

The Department for Transport concluded that the best value to the public purse and passengers was to retain the station under the train operator’s management (VTEC), Transport Minister Claire Perry said in a Commons Written Reply to Chi Onwurah (Labour, Newcastle upon Tyne Central) on November 30.