It has been announced overnight that the decision to award the WCML franchise to First Group, has been overturned and the whole bidding process must begin again.
Ministers have agreed with Richard Branson's assertions, saying that there were were "significant technical flaws" in the way the risks for each bid were calculated.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin described the mistakes made by his department as "deeply regrettable and completely unacceptable".
It's unclear whether Virgin will continue to operate on the WCML until the re-run process has been complete, or whether the line will return to public operation as has happened on the ECML.
Two reviews will now take place looking into the WCML deal and the wider franchise bidding system.
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