:00:10. > :00:13.Good afternoon. A Midlands Lord and former Labour Transport spokesman
:00:13. > :00:18.is warning Virgin Trains a review of the West Coast Mainline contract
:00:18. > :00:21.wouldn't make any difference. FirstGroup is to take over the
:00:21. > :00:25.running of the line, which joins the Midlands with London and
:00:25. > :00:30.Scotland. As our Political Editor explains, MPs will decide if they
:00:30. > :00:32.should intervene when Parliament returns next week.
:00:32. > :00:38.The Virgin logo is due start disappearing in just over three
:00:38. > :00:40.months' time. The Transport Department decided Britain's
:00:40. > :00:43.biggest train operator, FirstGroup, should take over the line linking
:00:43. > :00:48.the Midlands with London, the North West and Scotland after they outbid
:00:48. > :00:51.Sir Richard Branson's Virgin group. One former railwayman turned
:00:51. > :01:01.politician believes whatever MPs may say in any Commons debate, the
:01:01. > :01:01.
:01:01. > :01:04.new franchise agreement is as good as being a done deal. It would
:01:04. > :01:07.enable the whole business to be discussed properly Richard has not
:01:07. > :01:13.been so far. We doubt whether the Government would at this stage
:01:13. > :01:17.could or would change their minds. There is talk about a judicial
:01:17. > :01:22.review of but there would presumably be another one if the
:01:22. > :01:25.government decision was reversed. Rugby in Warwickshire has seen its
:01:25. > :01:28.services to London much-improved during the 15 years Virgin have
:01:28. > :01:31.been operating them. Before the franchise deal, the town's MP urged
:01:31. > :01:38.the Transport Secretary to think long and hard before awarding it to
:01:38. > :01:43.anyone else. The service from the station is very important to my
:01:43. > :01:47.constituents. They commute to London on a regular basis and many
:01:47. > :01:57.businesses have located here. Making certain we maintain a
:01:57. > :01:58.
:01:58. > :02:01.regular, reliable service is very important here. FirstGroup plan to
:02:01. > :02:04.grow the passenger numbers on the West Coast line by 10% a year for
:02:04. > :02:07.each of the next ten years. Virgin considered that unrealistic. Their
:02:07. > :02:11.success or failure will go a long way towards proving, or disproving,
:02:11. > :02:19.the business case for a new system of high speed rail services linking
:02:19. > :02:22.the same major cities. And you can read more about what
:02:22. > :02:26.FirstGroup is promising for the West Coast Mail Line on Patrick's
:02:26. > :02:32.blog. Coventry City are searching for
:02:32. > :02:35.their 11th manager in 12 years following the sacking of Andy Thorn.
:02:35. > :02:39.The Sky Blues' chief executive says the team, now playing in League One
:02:39. > :02:49.are underachieving. Thorn's dismissal came just 48 hours before
:02:49. > :02:53.their League Cup match against Birmingham City.
:02:53. > :02:56.Just 10,000 supporters were at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday, to see the
:02:56. > :02:59.Sky Blues throw away a two goal lead, to draw at home to Bury. But
:02:59. > :03:09.a united front from the players wasn't enough to save Andy Thorn's
:03:09. > :03:13.job. The fact that we get three draws in three games... And in the
:03:13. > :03:18.second half, the way they gave away the position at the half time when
:03:18. > :03:21.we could have been 6-0 up was not acceptable. Thorn's tenure saw just
:03:21. > :03:24.13 wins from 60 games with relegation to the third tier of
:03:24. > :03:30.english football. To seasoned observers, it was the beginning of
:03:30. > :03:34.the end. A lot of fans we have spoken to said that if they were
:03:34. > :03:38.going to sack the manager, it should have been done last season,
:03:38. > :03:44.at the end of last season. He's had time to strengthen the squad but it
:03:44. > :03:48.has not -- he has not had a length of time to prove how good the squad
:03:49. > :03:53.might be, only three games. Thorn's sacking has been broadly welcomed.
:03:53. > :03:58.It was the right decision. A they are not playing very well at all.
:03:58. > :04:03.They have the odd game but it is not worth watching. I am a fanatic
:04:04. > :04:06.and all the way through, I thought he was the best manager. The club's
:04:06. > :04:09.widely-documented financial woes include the owners taken to court
:04:09. > :04:12.over unpaid rent, large player wage bills and concerns over falling
:04:12. > :04:21.revenues. Today, the club insisted it's financial fortunes are being
:04:21. > :04:25.turned around. Two of the coaches will take charge of the team for
:04:25. > :04:29.tomorrow's League Cup catch -- match against Birmingham here. The
:04:29. > :04:38.hunt for the new manager starts now. Along with it, the search for
:04:38. > :04:41.stability. A soldier from Shropshire who lost
:04:41. > :04:43.both his legs in action in Afghanistan will be among eight
:04:43. > :04:47.servicemen representing Team GB in the Paralympics. The games get
:04:47. > :04:52.underway on Wednesday. For 30-year-old Nick Beighton from
:04:52. > :04:57.Shrewsbury this will be his first Paralympics. He only got into a
:04:57. > :05:00.boat two years ago. He took up rowing after losing both his legs
:05:00. > :05:09.when he was injured in an explosion whilst serving with the army in
:05:09. > :05:12.Afghanistan. It has been such an emotional three years, from first
:05:12. > :05:18.to be serving in Afghanistan, to being in hospital, to crawling back
:05:18. > :05:21.to full health and recovery. This is their reward for that. Before
:05:21. > :05:24.his injuries the serving captain with the Royal Engineers had skied,
:05:24. > :05:32.rock-climbed and run all over the world and was adamant his injuries
:05:32. > :05:36.wouldn't stop his passion for sport. I set out early on with a
:05:36. > :05:40.determination and attitude that this was not going to change our
:05:40. > :05:46.approach life. And he's not the only member of the forces to have
:05:46. > :05:48.qualified for the games. First sportsman will be among eight
:05:48. > :05:58.British servicemen taking part and it is all francs to charities like
:05:58. > :06:00.this one. -- all thanks. Troop Aid in Solihull raises money to help
:06:00. > :06:05.soldiers like Nick injured in Afghanistan. It hopes the
:06:05. > :06:08.Paralympics will inspire others like him. It is hugely inspiring to
:06:08. > :06:12.all of those sports people who are dealing with their injuries at the
:06:12. > :06:15.moment. They will be looking at the Paralympics and thinking that is
:06:15. > :06:21.maybe something I can do. It is hoped that will be the lasting
:06:21. > :06:29.legacy of the gains. Not the most memorable of bank
:06:29. > :06:33.Brighter tomorrow but I cannot do much better than that. We end the
:06:33. > :06:37.weekend with yet more rain this evening but gradually, as the head
:06:37. > :06:41.through the night, that rain will ease to leave us with a brighter
:06:41. > :06:46.day tomorrow. This evening, the rain will peter out and push away
:06:46. > :06:51.to the east. The skies begin to clear. One or two showers in
:06:51. > :06:55.western parts by the end of the night. Temperatures at 12-15
:06:55. > :06:59.Celsius. Tomorrow looks like a brighter day. It should be mostly
:06:59. > :07:03.dry with good spells of sunshine. A small chance of catching a shower
:07:03. > :07:07.but the majority will remain drive. Warmer as well with those
:07:07. > :07:13.temperatures rising to 20 or 21 Celsius. The better weather doesn't