Rail companies Stagecoach and Virgin will use the high speed rail expertise of French firm SNCF in their bid to retain control of the West Coast franchise, which is set to include High Speed 2.

The British pair run trains on the West Coast route now via a joint partnership but the Government is inviting new bids for control of the franchise from 2019 when it will also include HS2.

SNCF runs the TGV high-speed network in France and will have a 30pc stake in the joint venture that is bidding for the new contract to run trains from London to the north of England. Stagecoach will hold a 50pc stake in the venture with Virgin holding the remaining 20pc and being the brand used for services.

Stagecoach will be keen to hold onto the West Coast franchise after recently losing the South West trains contract after more than two decades of control to a rival bid from FirstGroup and Hong Kong-based firm MTR.