Virgin, Stagecoach and France's SNCF link up for HS2 bid

Group to challenge First Group and others to run trains from London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow The French state railway SNCF is to partner with Virgin Trains for a bid to run the first HS2 high-speed trains.The competition for the West Coast Partnership franchise will pit the Virgin, Stagecoach and SNCF consortium against First Group and the Italian state-owned Trenitalia, with other potential bidders still to come forward.Related: British rail is nationalised all over agai