So the trains that Virgin run aren't actually owned by Virgin. As it happens, they have to lease the actual engines and carriages from ROSCOs (Rolling stock operating companies). This is the way Thatcher set it up and is one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated by her government.
It turns out it's more expensive to lease a train from any of the ROSCO's than it would be to buy one. But the train operators aren't allowed to buy them. They're basically an oligopoly. Every time the government looks at them, they conclude that they're uncompetitive and in need to regulating. However, as with most things related to government and huge sums of private cash, the regulation never happens.
The ROSCO's are unregulated and free to charge what they want. The train operators are forced to use them. This is one of the main reasons that train fares are so expensive.
They are also the reason that our rail networks capacity can't be increased. They basically hold the rail network to ransom. They should be dissolved and their rolling stock should be seized since they basically stole it from the tax payer in the first place.
It turns out it's more expensive to lease a train from any of the ROSCO's than it would be to buy one. But the train operators aren't allowed to buy them. They're basically an oligopoly. Every time the government looks at them, they conclude that they're uncompetitive and in need to regulating. However, as with most things related to government and huge sums of private cash, the regulation never happens.
The ROSCO's are unregulated and free to charge what they want. The train operators are forced to use them. This is one of the main reasons that train fares are so expensive.
They are also the reason that our rail networks capacity can't be increased. They basically hold the rail network to ransom. They should be dissolved and their rolling stock should be seized since they basically stole it from the tax payer in the first place.