FURIOUS councillors are to write to Richard Branson after hearing that plans to run direct train services from Winsford to London have been derailed by the Virgin boss.

Rail passengers in the town were given a massive boost last year when North Western Trains announced plans for major new services to stop at Winsford.

These included a Monday to Friday service between Manchester Victoria and London, stopping at Newton-le-Willows, Winsford, Tamworth, Milton Keynes and Watford Junction.

But it has now emerged that the service will not be allowed to stop at Winsford.

Virgin Trains, which operates mainline services on the West Coast track, has been awarded priority stopping rights at Winsford by the rail regulator.

And the company, owned by multi-millionaire Mr Branson, has told North Western that its trains cannot stop at Winsford.

The move has been slammed by town, borough and county councillors, and members of Winsford Town Council have agreed to write directly to Mr Branson in protest.

Clr Tony Hooton, chairman of the town council's general purposes committee, said: "North Western Trains are pig sick about this.

"With Virgin putting a block on the Winsford stop, it means that there will now be no pick-up in Cheshire on this service.

"North Western are doing all they can to try to get this decision changed but Virgin have the law on their side.

"However it's up to us to put as much pressure on Virgin and Mr Branson as possible and try to get them to change their minds on this."

At the time the Guardian went to press, Virgin Trains had failed to respond to our request for a comment on the matter.

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