Virgin Trains East Coast launch day

[Failed Unit]

They have refused to deny it. Stagecoach wouldn't spend £21 million on a refresh that would only last 3 years. The refurbishment is a cover story I would reckon. Of course its something they wouldn't shout about but with a £210 million premium due for the first year, they cant really wait for IEP to deliver the extra capacity.

They haven't the extra adamant set will deliver some, they will advertise the extra seats between edinburgh / leeds and london when the May 2016 kicks in.

 

[IanXC]

On launch day journalists were told that the EMT set is on hire to VTEC until December 2018.

Is it getting refreshed / refurbished like the rest of the fleet, and will 'Mallard' seats be installed? Sorry if this has already been mentioned.

I was of the understanding that the EMT hire in is a daily spot hire? Isn't that why a diagram starting and ending at Neville Hill has been assigned?

 

[Failed Unit]

I was of the understanding that the EMT hire in is a daily spot hire? Isn't that why a diagram starting and ending at Neville Hill has been assigned?

I am not sure how it works, but they have hired a set until 2018. EMT can change the set everyday if the want to, from what I understand.

 

[TUC]

using the Selby-London KX service with the EMT train set this morning. V. disappointed to find its not even a train set with power sockets. Given that the timing of the service is aimed at business travellers and that it is planned to use the trainset for an extended period, this choice of trainset on the same route every day seems a poor show on Virgin's part

There are notices on each table giving a specific email address for any comments about the use of the EMT train on the route. Unfortunately, Virgin do not appear to be monitoring this email box as I emailed the same day commenting upon the lack of sockets and haven't even had an automated acknowledgement, let alone an actual response. Doesn't bode well for the quality of customer service.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

i do think they should rotate it around the diesel services they operate. Otherwise it does give the impression of Hull/Selby being of little interest to Virgin and for which they're happy just using a cast-off.

It's not a cast off. It's a train that David Horne had plenty of control over in the previous years so he must be proud to show it off on the ECML

Or alternatively they're making the most of their assets by using the highest capacity trains on the routes with the most demand

But having a train on loan from EMT for the best part of four years and not bothering to at least give the carriages Virgin rather than EMT logos does not suggest a great deal of interest.

 

[Darandio]

But having a train on loan from EMT for the best part of four years and not bothering to at least give the carriages Virgin rather than EMT logos does not suggest a great deal of interest.

How would that work if the agreement is for EMT to potentially send out a different set for VTEC every day?

 

[TUC]

But having a train on loan from EMT for the best part of four years and not bothering to at least give the carriages Virgin rather than EMT logos does not suggest a great deal of interest.

How would that work if the agreement is for EMT to potentially send out a different set for VTEC every day?

iIt seems to be the same set whenever I've travelled on it, although I stand to be corrected.

 

[westv]

Didn't get a chance to see whether evening meal was just a one off or not but I'll soon find out this Friday.
Presumably the Hull service won't be stuck with the hand me down set for 4 years though!

 

[sprinterguy]

How would that work if the agreement is for EMT to potentially send out a different set for VTEC every day?

Based on what I recall being said on a similar thread prior to the franchise launch, Virgin East Coast are hiring a dedicated rake of mark 3s from EMT, with the power cars being changed around as required.

This is what was posted on 5th February:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2067485&postcount=710

I can confirm EC65 (an Ex EMT Mk.3 Trailers) will be joining the VTEC fleet on 1st March 2015. This will be a 2+8 set
This set will be dedicated trailers with EMT power cars which will change depending on maintenance requirements.

M-F the set will work a captive Neville Hill (NL) start and NL finish, Saturday the set will be spare and sunday the set will work a NL -NL captive diagram.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

It ran to Leeds at lunchtime today on 1D11. I hope it never gets a morning Leeds to KX working then we might get it alongside an actual EMT service!

Of note, both VEC Mk4 sets running with old liveried 91s today.

 

[JaJaWa]

Of note, both VEC Mk4 sets running with old liveried 91s today.

Possibly because the 91s were being used for publicity today.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

I saw 91125 (?) in the new colours, I'm guessing the one above is the other loco? What number is that?

 

[sprinterguy]

Possibly because the 91s were being used for publicity today.

I saw 91125 (?) in the new colours, I'm guessing the one above is the other loco? What number is that?

That's not a loco, that's a mark 4 DVT. At the south end of the train (in this case at York) where you would expect to find it.

 

[TUC]

It ran to Leeds at lunchtime today on 1D11. I hope it never gets a morning Leeds to KX working then we might get it alongside an actual EMT service!

Of note, both VEC Mk4 sets running with old liveried 91s today.

are there any EMT-only (but not tied to timed services) Leeds-London )fares? If so, it could raise an interesting issue if a passenger got on the EMT liveried Virgin service by mistake.

 

[Marton]

There are.

http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=LDS&dest=STP

 

[westv]

There are notices on each table giving a specific email address for any comments about the use of the EMT train on the route. Unfortunately, Virgin do not appear to be monitoring this email box as I emailed the same day commenting upon the lack of sockets and haven't even had an automated acknowledgement, let alone an actual response. Doesn't bode well for the quality of customer service.

I didn't even see any written notices until last Friday in 1st class. Come on Virgin, let's not have the have and have nots on the east coast.

 

[387star]

April tomorrow so will things start picking up repainting the fleet

I did hear the next rake would be unveiled early April with the HST livery being finalised

Adds much needed colour to the route

 

[table38]

April tomorrow so will things start picking up repainting the fleet

Not just that, look what else Virgin are doing in April.

Virgin Trains is replacing traditional seats with exercise bikes, cross trainers and running machines to create the world's first ever on-board travelling gym on its fleet of Pendolinos and Super Voyager trains...

...Named 'Fitness Coach' one carriage on each train will be packed full of state-of-the-art gym equipment that's been hand-picked with the help of fitness experts at Virgin Active. In a ground-breaking move, the kinetic energy generated from each Fitness Coach will be harnessed and returned to the Grid increasing Virgin Trains' energy return to 30 per cent.

 

[ModernRailways]

Not just that, look what else Virgin are doing in April.

*SNIP*

...Named 'Fitness Coach' one carriage on each train will be packed full of state-of-the-art gym equipment that's been hand-picked with the help of fitness experts at Virgin Active. In a ground-breaking move, the kinetic energy generated from each Fitness Coach will be harnessed and returned to the Grid increasing Virgin Trains' energy return to 30 per cent.

That's Virgin West Coast only isn't it? I don't remember VTEC tweeting it!

 

[table38]

That's Virgin West Coast only isn't it? I don't remember VTEC tweeting it!

It just didn't seem worth starting a new thread

 

[gavin]

Any news on when the next sets in the VTEC will arrive onto the mainline?

 

[387star]

I must admit repainting has been a lot slower than expected and not all locos even have logos keep expecting things to step up a gear

Anything but the dire east coast livery

 

[TUC]

It's not a cast off. It's a train that David Horne had plenty of control over in the previous years so he must be proud to show it off on the ECML

To add insult to injury, I see that the seat reservation confirmation that I have for tomorrow morning's Hull-London service includes 'power' in the description of what will available for my seat. Come on Virgin, if you're going to shortchange Hull/Selby customers for month after month with a train set without power sockets, at least be honest about it!

 

[ModernRailways]

I must admit repainting has been a lot slower than expected and not all locos even have logos keep expecting things to step up a gear

Anything but the dire east coast livery

I believe they're waiting for the HST livery to be ready before going all out.

And I don't think they are putting the temp livery on each loco/DVT, most likely down to cost.

I expect over the summer the whole repainting will be stepped up a notch along with the small refurbishment program VTEC have planned.

 

[lincolnshire]

You will also find the sticker brigade needs to getting out and about the area sticking there Virgin Rail East Coast stickers on all the station/ car park signs etc to get rid of the East Coast name, not good for the image having a former companies name still banded about on your station etc.

 

[Hadders]

Remember this franchise change isn't the same as a normal change. Stagecoach/Virgin bought the East Coast business from Directly Operated Railways so there was no need for East Coast to de-brand as required by a normal franchise change.

In fact the formal company name East Coast Mainline Limited is still the same, it just has different owners.

That's why there is still old EC branding about. At a normal change a new company takes over and the outgoing one has to remove their branding.

 

[SaveECRewards]

Remember this franchise change isn't the same as a normal change. Stagecoach/Virgin bought the East Coast business from Directly Operated Railways so there was no need for East Coast to de-brand as required by a normal franchise change.

In fact the formal company name East Coast Mainline Limited is still the same, it just has different owners.

That's why there is still old EC branding about. At a normal change a new company takes over and the outgoing one has to remove their branding.

Personally (and I can't speak for anyone else involved with Save East Coast Rewards) I quite like the fact that they didn't have to go round covering over the East Coast brand without anything to replace it, the trains look better this way than they would if they had to remove all the East Coast branding. It symbolises more of Virgin building upon the success of East Coast rather than them ripping it up and staring again.

I've seen some nice posters from VTEC acknowledging the achievements of East Coast. Reading things like that give me a good feeling about the franchise. But then you have Branson saying he wants to make EC sing like WC (no thanks!), I'd rather he stays away from the East Coast and let David Horne and his team take full credit if the franchise is a success.

Still same great crews and still same great service but we're still bitter about this Nectar thing. After a couple of freedom of information requests on East Coast we got the figures of how it increased sales (particularly those of third party bookings that get 5% commission and the cost of providing the rewards was significantly less than what they earned). So as passengers why should we have to suffer an inferior scheme when it was helping East Coast gain sales. I think someone didn't do their research very well. We'd be more accepting of it if we knew it was causing losses (even then they could have made adjustments to the scheme to turn a profit).

We have a petition now too if anyone is interested. We know they don't have to listen to us, but as a company that claims they do listen then having a public petition is a good way to call them up on it.

If you have any doubts as to how diabolically poor Nectar is we compared it not only to East Coast Rewards but also to Tesco Clubcard as it's a similar scheme.

 

[TUC]

Remember this franchise change isn't the same as a normal change. Stagecoach/Virgin bought the East Coast business from Directly Operated Railways so there was no need for East Coast to de-brand as required by a normal franchise change.

In fact the formal company name East Coast Mainline Limited is still the same, it just has different owners.

That's why there is still old EC branding about. At a normal change a new company takes over and the outgoing one has to remove their branding.

But, bearing in mind that Stagecoach owns 90% of the company and so could just as easily applied for the franchise solo, they clearly saw business value in having the Virgin brand. One would expect them to want to quickly exploit it.

 

[westv]

To add insult to injury, I see that the seat reservation confirmation that I have for tomorrow morning's Hull-London service includes 'power' in the description of what will available for my seat. Come on Virgin, if you're going to shortchange Hull/Selby customers for month after month with a train set without power sockets, at least be honest about it!

It's also a pain that the seat arms don't move and seat reservations made before the switch can end up being totally different e.g. table seat when airline style was requested. There also don't seem to be any single individual seats in 1st class - as apposed to double individual layout.

 

[yorksrob]

It's also a pain that the seat arms don't move and seat reservations made before the switch can end up being totally different e.g. table seat when airline style was requested. There also don't seem to be any single individual seats in 1st class - as apposed to double individual layout.

That's not like any of the EMT sets I've been on. There's generally a single seat and table in front of the centre luggage rack.

The seats are more more comfortable as well.

 

[westv]

That's not like any of the EMT sets I've been on. There's generally a single seat and table in front of the centre luggage rack.

The seats are more more comfortable as well.

Well in the set I've been on seats coach M seats 3 and 5 face each other whilst they are separate on the normal HST. Yes, seats are more comfortable though and having the "evening meal" rather than the "all day" is a plus.