In a letter to Patrick McLaughlin, in late 2012 Bigjigs made its pitch to run services on the West Coast route. It drew particular attention to its record on punctuality, claiming  ‘No delays – our track is not affected by sun, snow, wind or leaves. Our trains run whatever the weather!’.

Unfortunately the Department had some concerns about the train design, noting the ‘the carriage bodies are attached rigidly to the bogeys. To take advantage of the higher speeds on the WCML it will be necessary to retrofit a tilting mechanism.’

In a spirit of co-operation, Virgin Trains has granted permission for Bigjigs to procure a fleet of wooden Pendolinos for use across the country.

Visit the Bigjigs website