Following the loss of a Class 390 "Pendolino" in the Grayrigg derailment, a Mark 3 set with a Driving Van Trailer was leased with a hired from English Welsh & Scottish as required. In 2008 Virgin looked at leasing two but decided to retain the Mark 3 set. Nicknamed the "Pretendolino", this received re-upholstered seating, power points, wi-fi and a full external re-paint at Wabtec, Doncaster in 2009. Virgin used this set with a Class 90 locomotive hired from Freightliner on a Euston to Crewe (via Birmingham) service on Fridays only until December 2012. From 9 December 2013 it was utilised to operate a London Euston -Birmingham New Street train on Thursdays and Fridays only, until its withdrawal in October 2014.