Railway operators around the globe are squaring off in the final stages of a bidding war for two of the UK’s most lucrative rail contracts.

The Department for Transport has announced the shortlist of travel giants in the running to operate the West Coast and Southeastern rail franchises.

The stakes are particularly high in the contest for the West Coast Partnership (WCP) contract as the winner will also be expected to work with HS2 to launch the first services on the multi-billion pound high-speed rail project, which will run from London to Birmingham from 2026.

The franchise is currently operated by Stagecoach and Virgin, who have enlisted the support of French company SNCF in a bid to retain the contract.