Sim Harris, the managing editor of Rail News, says passengers will not be affected by the fight between Virgin and FirstGroup over who gets to run the West Coast Mainline.

Harris said that service for passengers would remain the same and all trains would continue to run as normal - with the only noticeable difference being the absence of Virgin-branded trains on the tracks.

Later today, the Transport Committee will hear evidence from Sir Richard Branson, boss of Virgin Group and Tim O'Toole, chief executive of FirstGroup in the next round of the protracted battle between the companies.

In August, Virgin lost the renewal to FirstGroup. Last week it emerged that the new contract had not yet ben signed because of a legal challenge from Virgin.

The government is reported to be preparing to nationalise Virgin Trains' West Coast railway train operations if they continue to block FirstGroup's preparations to take over the franchise on 9 December.

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