-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Another fantastic day with Avanti
- Thread starter All Line Rover
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
I do as well, especially if it's a busy service. The standard feels really claustrophobic and crammed when it's packed.
ChrisHogan
Member
- Joined
- 15 Jan 2016
- Messages
- 354
Not exactly true if this covers the 1983-1990 period. The 'two-tier' control was largely staffed by controllers from Paddington and Reading, and they generally travelled as a group to Swindon. Their train was probably never cancelled but the number of Class 1 trains cancelled out of Paddn. was minimal anyway. It wasn't an individual at all.
voyagerdude220
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Oct 2005
- Messages
- 4,288
Agreed- I remember up until maybe 2-3 years ago the Weekend First Class upgrade between Preston and Birmingham was only £10 (I can't remember if Preston to London was £15 or £20 at the time) - and at the time Virgin still offered a decent range of complimentary sandwiches/wraps etc and drinks.
Tezza1978
Member
Used to be lots of reasonably priced upgrades to 1st on Seatfrog on late evening trains EUS- WBQ. I regularly paid only £14-£16 and it was sometimes as low as £12. Even at £20 it was justifiable - some reasonable food, 1st class lounge access, lots of Uglies and crisps and 2 or 3 glasses of white wine! Now the minimum upgrade price is £35 which is far too expensive, and with the refurbed standard carriages with power points at each seat - £35 represents very poor value for money
Amusing to see on the travel news this morning that there is "..only 1 train per hour between Birmingham New Street and London Euston..."
Up until the timetable change on Sunday 1 train per hour was, er, a normal service.
It remains to be see how reliable the new timetable is.
Up until the timetable change on Sunday 1 train per hour was, er, a normal service.
It remains to be see how reliable the new timetable is.
londonmidland
Established Member
No fault of Avanti today but there’s major disruption to services in and out of Euston due to multiple signalling issues between Euston and Watford.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Points where the depot entered Bletchley P5 were frozen this morning, cancelling the first service at 0733 and delaying the 0741 as the units couldn't come off the depot. Was interesting to watch the Network Rail bods with their can of de-icer!
I’m booked on 9S60 from Penrith to Edinburgh later - it was due to leave Euston at 1016 but real time trains shows it as neither departed nor cancelled. Would anyone like to guess what’s happening to it?
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Cancelled I think. It's not showing on TIGER for MKC, it appears everything is set to show only running trains. Sometimes cancellations don't make it into RTT.
I suppose there's a possibility it might be started further up later though.
TIGER, if you've not come across it, shows (in various formats) the actual displays from Worldline CIS systems. Very useful to use alongside RTT:
ChiefPlanner
Established Member
3 paths only out of Euston one gathers (and still no DC services either due to ongoing traction supply problems) - my attempt to get to Stoke on Trent was kyboshed as the MML is suffering badly from multiple frozen points. Impossible conditions on the very few TLK trains running.
Not to worry - tickets accepted on ECML (which also seems to be suffering points failures etc.....)
Not to worry - tickets accepted on ECML (which also seems to be suffering points failures etc.....)
Ecml blocked at Prestonpans, wires down
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
Wouldn't Virgin have been subject to the same DfT regime if they were still running the service?
Covid would have taken the same toll and they would have been told to maximise revenue just like Avanti.
Anytime and Off Peak fares would have been the same whoever was in charge (and with regulation the off-peak fares have not changed markedly).
The same day-to-day management team has been in charge most of the time since the franchise change.
The "Virgin" 2019 franchise bid was actually led by Stagecoach (who were also running VTEC) with Virgin and SNCF as minority shareholders.
We don't really know what was in either franchise bid as regards staffing and fares.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Yes, I think it is important to note that Virgin Rail Group was ending whatever happened. The replacement "Virgin" would have been more like the not-entirely-successful Virgin Trains East Coast.
Is this a record for Avanti ? A new low - 98% of trains so far today cancelled or very late & delayed by over 30 mins
trains.im
Now updated to 99% !
trains.im
trains.im — National Rail performance data for Great Britain. Live PPM, historical trends, and route analysis.
trains.im
Probably a new record for the entire WCMLIs this a record for Avanti ? A new low - 98% of trains so far today cancelled or very late & delayed by over 30 mins
Now updated to 99% !trains.im
trains.im — National Rail performance data for Great Britain. Live PPM, historical trends, and route analysis.
One possible difference is virgin may have had a bigger recruitment drive knowing they’d be short of drivers a few years down the line.
Nicholas Lewis
Established Member
No service for the rest of the day at least AWC have managed to run three of their trains so far from EDI but there is no ticket acceptance showing on LNER site so guess you have to pay again.
Avanti declined ticket acceptance as they are in CSL2 disruption following signal issues at Euston which has caused major dosdruption.
They have enough issues with out all LNER customers going to Euston as well.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Euston is basically 2tph all stations to Northampton (not Harrow) at xx15 and xx45. Looks very much like that will be it for the day. A very limited Avanti service north of MKC only.
Are they using pilotman working or something? That's well below a 2 track timetable!
Are they using pilotman working or something? That's well below a 2 track timetable!
87015
Established Member
Normal working since lunchtime, just no service recovery.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
That's not what TIGER is showing - departures from Euston are just xx15/xx45 Northamptons (1845 canned...oh dear!). Or do you mean the ECML.
87015
Established Member
WCML - Full infrastructure available since lunchtime Euston-Watford (AC). LNR sticking with emergency plan all day is up to them.
Open Train Times (https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/lec1) shows two class 2 trains in platforms 7 & 8 at Euston and 1A51 (14:35 Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston) in the process of arriving at 17:42. And that's it, oh well, there's something needing a fitter's attention in platform 11 also.
EDIT 2Z47 is 17:45 to Northampton; 2Z49 is 18:15 to Northampton.
EDIT 2Z47 is 17:45 to Northampton; 2Z49 is 18:15 to Northampton.
It started from Birmingham and apparently ran OK to Preston - where it waited an hour for a driver, who had been delayed coming from Glasgow. So Penrith to Edinburgh was about 65 mins late throughout.
Like the outward trip, the train was not busy.
So this whole trip will be “free” due to Delay Repay, which I find sad.
2Z51 18:45 departure is now running again .....
Hot water not allowed?Points where the depot entered Bletchley P5 were frozen this morning, cancelling the first service at 0733 and delaying the 0741 as the units couldn't come off the depot. Was interesting to watch the Network Rail bods with their can of de-icer!
zwk500
Veteran Member
Would freeze back again in short order, and thermal shock wouldn't do point blades much good even if it wouldn't quite car windscreen them.
Not even if they shove some de-icer on afterwards? I must admit, it’s been bitter down there today. Even on some of the deeper tube lines it’s been ‘keep coat on’ temperature. Usually I come back feeling like I’ve lost half a kilo in sweat - not today!
zwk500
Veteran Member
Why do the job twice then? There's also the minor problem of getting the depot staff to not immediately use any water boiled in a kettle to make tea or coffee
- Status