Ministers will prioritise the East Coast line deal, BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott says.
So they go and privatise the only successful publicly owned franchise, the East Coast line.
But wouldn't it be better to judge any investment on the East Coast line by its own merits?
The upgrade of the east coast line is scheduled for completion by 2010.
It follows a government decision to allow Virgin to continue operating the West Coast line, while new franchise bids are gathered.
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Power lines and trees fell on rail lines across the state, and sections of the New Jersey Coast Line were washed away.
He said passengers and freight users would see the benefits of the improvements brought about by the long-running work on the West Coast line.
Many of West's paintings depict historical scenes with the now defunct Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, because that's where his grandfather worked for many years.
If there is a cost-overrun on the West Coast line, investment in the East Coast line will be cut, as the profits won't be there to pay for it.
She died when her Fiat Punto car was struck and shunted down the track by a 105-tonne single locomotive, which was being used to familiarise train drivers on the Cambrian Coast Line.
Virgin Trains, which was given the right to run the West Coast line for a further two years while the system is sorted out, is understood to be keen to bid for the new East Coast contract.
The branch lines in Devon and Cornwall are the Tarka Line, Tamar Valley Line, Looe Valley Line, Atlantic Coast Line to Newquay, Maritime Line to Falmouth Docks, St Ives Bay Line and the Avocet Line to Exmouth.
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And while Virgin is often cited as the most expensive operator in the country Smith says that the average price paid for a ticket on the West Coast line has actually fallen in the last decade due to the range of discounts available.
"In total there will be over 11, 000 more peak time seats each day on the Great Western Main Line and East Coast Main Line, " he said.
They said alternatives were available and urged HS2 bosses to consider constructing the high speed line along the existing West Coast Main Line route via the Warrington station.
The new route, which will be finalised in 2014 and is due to be built by 2033, will also see the HS2 line link with the West Coast Main Line near Wigan.
Plans for the high speed project currently involve constructing a new line closer to Manchester than the existing West Coast Main Line.
East Coast Main Line is operating a revised timetable due to the adverse weather.
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Its one big risk-taking project renewing the west coast main line is running into delays and cost overruns.
About 31 million passengers travel on the West Coast Main Line between London and Scotland every year.
Elsewhere in the country 10 train services between London and Leeds on the East Coast Main Line were cancelled.
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Rail passengers are still experiencing disruption and travel delays on the West Coast Main Line caused by a power failure.
The Transport Committee (at 10am) still has its teeth firmly sunk into the debacle over the West Coast Main Line.
Spokesman Jim Rowe said getting permission depends on there being sufficient room on "a very crowded West Coast Main Line".
Three other franchise competitions had also been "paused" in light of the West Coast Main Line situation, Mr McLoughlin confirmed.
Passengers who intend to travel on the West Coast Main Line can check the latest information with National Rail Enquiries.
Civil servants construct their own financial model when preparing to award long-term contracts such as the West Coast Main Line franchise.
The high-speed rail link - HS2 - promises to cut journey times and relieve congestion on the West Coast Main Line.
Three months ago thousands of East Coast main line passengers had their journeys disrupted by a power failure at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.
One of three civil servants suspended over flaws in the West Coast Main Line franchise competition has criticised the Department for Transport.
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