VIRGIN Trains could be running both mainline rail routes between Scotland and London within two years after firms were invited to tender for the Government-run East Coast franchise.
Sir Richard Branson's firm, which has operated the West Coast route since 1997, is among those tipped to enter a bidding war.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced plans to place the East Coast line back in private control by February 2015.
A Virgin spokesman said it would consider bidding for the route between Glasgow Central, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Kings Cross. He added: "We need to see the paperwork first, but it's something we would look at.
"There's a feeling we can bring a lot of improvements in customer service there we've already brought to the West Coast.
"When we took over the West Coast main line 16 years ago it was a basket case, but we've doubled its passenger numbers."
The Office of Fair Trading has already looked into whether there would be potential difficulties in a single operator running both of the main routes.
It concluded it would not be a problem, partly as operators of the routes would be more likely to be competing against airlines rather than each other.
It came as the Department for Transport (DfT) said the franchise date for the West Coast line will be pushed back from November next year to April 2017.
The route was at the centre of controversy after a 13-year franchise was awarded to FirstGroup, which beat incumbent company Virgin Trains, only for the contract to be abandoned as it emerged the bidding process was blighted by a string of errors by DfT staff. Control over the line was handed back to Virgin.
Mr McLoughlin announced the start of a contest for the East Coast as he outlined a timetable for all rail franchise arrangements over the next eight years.
It has been run by the state-owned East Coast Main Line since November 2009 after National Express pulled out.
Mr McLoughlin said: "This programme is a major step in delivering tangible improvements to services, providing long-term certainty to the market and supporting our huge programme of rail investment."
Passenger Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said it was "an important first step towards delivering stability for passengers, and much-needed and delayed investment".
Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said it would "ensure train companies, Network Rail and our suppliers can continue to provide the best possible deal for passengers and taxpayers".
However, rail unions attacked the East Coast plans. Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said: "Despite wasting hundreds of millions of pounds of tax-payers' money on the franchising circus - the Government has given the green light to a whole new wave of profiteering that will have the train companies laughing all the way to the bank."
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