Virgin Trains East Coast launch day

[James Starkie]

What's the chances of a trio with a Voyager?

 

[E-Rail]

Oh dear, looks like the second VTEC Facebook account (the original EC one) has been de-activated. This is looking like serious brand damage limitation now.

It just isn't washing with EC passengers.

Meanwhile

London City airport recorded it busiest ever February last month, with a 33 per cent increase in passenger numbers compared to the same period in 2014. According to the airport’s monthly passenger traffic figures, the European cities of Edinburgh, Dublin and Amsterdam were its busiest routes with a combined total of 112,380 passengers over the month.

http://buyingbusinesstravel.com/news/0423861-london-city-posts-record-february-passenger-traffic

 

[Saint66]

Ah yes, I'm glad we're using Facebook as a barometer for East Coast users views!

 

[alastair]

Oh dear, looks like the second VTEC Facebook account (the original EC one) has been de-activated. This is looking like serious brand damage limitation now.

It just isn't washing with EC passengers.

Meanwhile



http://buyingbusinesstravel.com/news/0423861-london-city-posts-record-february-passenger-traffic

What "isn't washing" with EC passengers? Don't quite get your point.

 

[E-Rail]

What "isn't washing" with EC passengers? Don't quite get your point.

Virgin spin.

Facebook account is back but without the announcements proclaiming they were introducing cooked breakfasts for First Class passengers for the first time in several years.

 

[Agent_c]

Virgin spin.

And your evidence of this is air traffic increases that predates them taking over?

 

[Minilad]

Ah yes, I'm glad we're using Facebook as a barometer for East Coast users views!

Which I'm sure VTEC would be quite happy to do if it showed people being positive

 

[ainsworth74]

Facebook account is back but without the announcements proclaiming they were introducing cooked breakfasts for First Class passengers for the first time in several years.

Where does it say that? I've skimmed the page but couldn't see anything about introducing cooked breakfasts for first class passengers (of course if they said standard class that would be noteworthy and accurate to boot).

 

[AlterEgo]

Oh dear, looks like the second VTEC Facebook account (the original EC one) has been de-activated. This is looking like serious brand damage limitation now.

No, it's just the deletion of a defunct Facebook account...their current one is alive and kicking.

People will get over the EC Rewards scheme vanishing, in time.

 

[Chrism20]

Where does it say that? I've skimmed the page but couldn't see anything about introducing cooked breakfasts for first class passengers (of course if they said standard class that would be noteworthy and accurate to boot).

If you have a look in the posts to page section on the left hand side from about 5pm tonight someone named Mark posted something saying that the MD had said they were going to bring back cooked breakfasts for first class cooked by a chef.

There is a save EC rewards Twitter handle on the post but I haven't checked to see where it came from.

 

[ainsworth74]

Oh that is clever. It's not quite wrong to say that having fresh cooked breakfasts on all services would be new but it's not quite correct either. Some breakfasts on East Coast were not cooked fresh and were prepared in the oven and the rest were freshly cooked. Very clever.

 

[Chrism20]

Oh that is clever. It's not quite wrong to say that having fresh cooked breakfasts on all services would be new but it's not quite correct either. Some breakfasts on East Coast were not cooked fresh and were prepared in the oven and the rest were freshly cooked. Very clever.

I was just about to ask "Aren't some of the services still without a chef?"

He did say it though

Mr Horne promised improved catering. “We’re going to be bringing back freshly-cooked breakfasts in first class, cooked by a chef on board.

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.c...coast-rail-chief-vows-cheaper-fares-1-3707074

 

[Butts]

Oh that is clever. It's not quite wrong to say that having fresh cooked breakfasts on all services would be new but it's not quite correct either. Some breakfasts on East Coast were not cooked fresh and were prepared in the oven and the rest were freshly cooked. Very clever.

If breakfast's were freshly cooked on East Coast, why did they never serve Fried Eggs ?

 

[ainsworth74]

If breakfast's were freshly cooked on East Coast, why did they never serve Fried Eggs ?

Consistency of offer. They couldn't do it on non-chef services so they didn't want to do it on some and not on others.

 

[Butts]

Consistency of offer. They couldn't do it on non-chef services so they didn't want to do it on some and not on others.

Well if the "Non-Chef" offering was the same as that with a Chef, what was the point of having the said individual ?

Any chance that Black Pudding will appear if Chef's are provided on all services?

 

[cjmillsnun]

As I mentioned earlier, at one point he did have Virgin Condoms, before they were fairly quickly renamed Mates.

They were never branded anything other than Mates.

 

[Deerfold]

They were never branded anything other than Mates.

They were very nearly launched as Virgin Condoms - the rebranding was before the launch.

 

[Chrism20]

Any chance that Black Pudding will appear if Chef's are provided on all services?

You'll be wanting two slices of toast next and a pre 11am booze run.

 

[SaveECRewards]

Virgin spin.

Facebook account is back but without the announcements proclaiming they were introducing cooked breakfasts for First Class passengers for the first time in several years.

All that Virgin spin on the Twitter feed on the day RB was around was a bit sickening. The East Coast Twitter feed had the right balance between fun and informative.

As for David Horne claiming to be reintroducing freshly cooked breakfasts (it's in a recent Stagecoach press release as well as a few newspapers), that was deliberately intended to be interpreted by the press as Virgin are reintroducing hot breakfasts that are not there now on any service. So if someone who's never travelled first class before goes on an EC train they'll think this is a recent improvement.

If he had wanted to be honest he could have said "we already have a popular hot breakfast service on all our morning trains, however, we're going to improve this by adding chefs to all trains and improving the selection offered". Not so press worthy though?

Worst bit of press I've seen though is this: East Coast franchise "will sing" under Virgin. First of all he's under the impression that West Coast is better than East Coast currently (something that I disagree with) but he's also giving the impression that East Coast staff were demotivated which is an insult to Karen Boswell and all the excellent services I've had from East Coast over the years. I've not noticed any lack of motivation after East Coast took over (under NXEC morale was at an all time low).

It's not a good start of lies and broken promises. Virgin try to create the image of being customer focussed. We're trying to hold them to the standard they've set themselves!

For those that hope we'll get fed up and go away, we won't! At least for as long as the franchise is still pretending to care about customer feedback.

 

[Aldaniti]

All that Virgin spin on the Twitter feed on the day RB was around was a bit sickening. The East Coast Twitter feed had the right balance between fun and informative.

As for David Horne claiming to be reintroducing freshly cooked breakfasts (it's in a recent Stagecoach press release as well as a few newspapers), that was deliberately intended to be interpreted by the press as Virgin are reintroducing hot breakfasts that are not there now on any service. So if someone who's never travelled first class before goes on an EC train they'll think this is a recent improvement.

If he had wanted to be honest he could have said "we already have a popular hot breakfast service on all our morning trains, however, we're going to improve this by adding chefs to all trains and improving the selection offered". Not so press worthy though?

Worst bit of press I've seen though is this: East Coast franchise "will sing" under Virgin. First of all he's under the impression that West Coast is better than East Coast currently (something that I disagree with) but he's also giving the impression that East Coast staff were demotivated which is an insult to Karen Boswell and all the excellent services I've had from East Coast over the years. I've not noticed any lack of motivation after East Coast took over (under NXEC morale was at an all time low).

It's not a good start of lies and broken promises. Virgin try to create the image of being customer focussed. We're trying to hold them to the standard they've set themselves!

For those that hope we'll get fed up and go away, we won't! At least for as long as the franchise is still pretending to care about customer feedback.

Welcome to the world of Virgin. Those of us unfortunate enough to use Virgin West Coast have been used to Virgin's bull**** since 1996. Add several million gullible, easily duped Facebook and Twitter users and you can understand why the Virgin brand is so 'strong'.

 

[khib70]

No, it's just the deletion of a defunct Facebook account...their current one is alive and kicking.

People will get over the EC Rewards scheme vanishing, in time.

I wouldn't bank on it. The childish, bitter and twisted anti_Virgin brigade are in full cry on here now, just five days into the franchise. The usual "beardie" "Vermin" primary school insults are flying, just as they did during the WCML fiasco.

This is usually an excellent forum for intelligent debate on transport matters, as well as an invaluable source of informed comment and helpful information. Some of the comments on here are unworthy of the forum.

The ECML is being run by VTEC. People should grow up and suck it up, instead of making pettyfogging points about cooked breakfasts, and indulging dated nationalisation fantasies. If you don't like it , try a National Express coach or fly.

 

[alastair]

Welcome to the world of Virgin. Those of us unfortunate enough to use Virgin West Coast have been used to Virgin's bull**** since 1996. Add several million gullible, easily duped Facebook and Twitter users and you can understand why the Virgin brand is so 'strong'.

Well,it would seem that the number of people "unfortunate enough to use VWC" has doubled since they took over so presumably they must have done something right?

Can you expand on your bizarre assertion that Facebook and Twitter users are "gullible and easily duped"?

 

[Aldaniti]

Well,it would seem that the number of people "unfortunate enough to use VWC" has doubled since they took over so presumably they must have done something right?

Can you expand on your bizarre assertion that Facebook and Twitter users are "gullible and easily duped"?

Virgin took over the WCML at a time when road congestion was getting worse, petrol prices were reaching record highs, the costs of motor insurance, particularly for younger people was becoming prohibitive, and the population increased by several million. It's hardly surprising that the WCML is carrying a lot more passengers. Yes, some cheap off-peak fares have helped (as long as you can book well in advance) but you don't really think it's the superlative comfort and travelling experience provided by the rolling stock do you?

Virgin are particularly adept at spin, they spent many years telling the world that they had invested millions in new rolling stock for the WCML when they had done no such thing. Many people lap it up simply because it's Virgin, a company you can trust because it's run by the loveable Sir Richard. Even one or two railway magazines re-printed it, and Facebook and Twitter provides a ready audience.

 

[Deerfold]

Virgin are particularly adept at spin, they spent many years telling the world that they had invested millions in new rolling stock for the WCML when they had done no such thing.

Yes - they've claimed that again in the publicity for VTEC, adding that they're going to be doing the same thing for the ECML.

 

[SPADTrap]

Can you expand on your bizarre assertion that Facebook and Twitter users are "gullible and easily duped"?

Just look at half the things that get 'shared' or 'liked' on mass. I see countless images of people/places misidentified with a totally made up story along with it in order to get support for something or get an opinion across, or just make money from adverts! It's worrying what people believe on Facebook! :-x

An example I saw recently.... "This Tesco *photo of random Tesco* at location X (not even a photo of the correct Tesco) just refused to serve Y cos they said it would offend Z, SHARE if you think this is an outrage and Tesco should be stripped of their franchise!"

Ok so the last bit was a joke but I saw exactly that the other day with LOADS of shares/likes and people thinking it was real!

Right...

 

[Robertj21a]

I wouldn't bank on it. The childish, bitter and twisted anti_Virgin brigade are in full cry on here now, just five days into the franchise. The usual "beardie" "Vermin" primary school insults are flying, just as they did during the WCML fiasco.

This is usually an excellent forum for intelligent debate on transport matters, as well as an invaluable source of informed comment and helpful information. Some of the comments on here are unworthy of the forum.

The ECML is being run by VTEC. People should grow up and suck it up, instead of making pettyfogging points about cooked breakfasts, and indulging dated nationalisation fantasies. If you don't like it , try a National Express coach or fly.

Excellent post, best one on here for ages.

 

[Retorus]

I wouldn't bank on it. The childish, bitter and twisted anti_Virgin brigade are in full cry on here now, just five days into the franchise. The usual "beardie" "Vermin" primary school insults are flying, just as they did during the WCML fiasco.

This is usually an excellent forum for intelligent debate on transport matters, as well as an invaluable source of informed comment and helpful information. Some of the comments on here are unworthy of the forum.

The ECML is being run by VTEC. People should grow up and suck it up, instead of making pettyfogging points about cooked breakfasts, and indulging dated nationalisation fantasies. If you don't like it , try a National Express coach or fly.

Very well said, agreed completely.

 

[Deerfold]

It doesn't seem unreasonable to point out when we're being given spin by any TOC.

So far I've had four journeys with them and not seen any differences.

 

[CallySleeper]

As for David Horne claiming to be reintroducing freshly cooked breakfasts (it's in a recent Stagecoach press release as well as a few newspapers), that was deliberately intended to be interpreted by the press as Virgin are reintroducing hot breakfasts that are not there now on any service. So if someone who's never travelled first class before goes on an EC train they'll think this is a recent improvement.

Good. The last EC 'cooked' breakfast I had was horrifically cold.

 

[sng7]

Hopefully at some point, somone somewhere in Scotland will manage to get a photo of a fully branded VTEC set next to a VTWC set

Not the best Picture as i only had my phone on me and the light was fading but i did get a quick snap of a fully branded VTEC Class 91 set next to a VTWC double voyager set at Edinburgh Platform 8 and 9 about 18:35 this evening.