Recent content by 221_108

Sat a few tables away from Stuart Maconie in first class on my way from Birmingham to London a few months ago.

It has been reported that Stagecoach will be buying the UK rail franchises and bus operations after the inital take over has been completed. The Times is also reporting that the DfT have now taken control of the East Coast and that the franchise will not be included in any deal with...

Personally I hate the trolley, I like to get up and move around the train, without the shop I've no excuse to get up and move around only to use the loo. IMO the trolley passes through quite quickly which suggests to me that not many more are using it than the shop. I've seen it get caught on...

Birmingham International and Manchester Airport stations are practically next to the terminals. Birmingham has the fantastic AirRail across which brings you into T1. There is a short walk from Manchester Airport station to the terminal across an internal bridge IIRC.

Some TMs do look puzzled when they check your ticket and see you're not in the seat you reserved, I've only been asked to move once and that was by an XC TM on a rather busy Saturday afternoon. Some London Midland tickets allow you to sit where you want, instead of printing a seat number in a...

Since London Midland took over the 323s have got better; with new flooring, new seat covers, thousands more stickers and some reliablity improvements (not sure what!). However they have the most annoying TV's which I have rarely seen working and when they do are far too loud! IMO the...

Michelle from the 11:20 to Birmingam to Preston on the 7th March and the return 16:58 from Preston to Birmingham. Plus Mike, Susan, John, Sharron and Ivor-Virgin Train managers who let me and three other friends travel on a free first class LM ticket to Euston. Ken from CrossCountry. Oh and...

I haven't noticed any visible works inside New Street station, there have been some work towards the northern end (lines toward Wolverhampton and Redditch) near to the signal box, but I don't know what this is. Anyone able to shed any light on it? The Virgin website is very economical with...

Sorry if some have already been covered! I've got a VTXC timetable from September 2002 which shows the following on the route map. VT1: Glasgow/Blackpool to Penzance. VT2: Aberdeen/Glasgow/Edinburgh/Newcastle to Poole via. Bolton and Manchester. VT3: Manchester/Liverpool-London...

Came across this earlier: Taken from www.mkrailusers.org.uk MK Rail Users have learned today that London Midland Managing Director, Steve Banaghan is leaving his post this month to take up a new position overseas In an e-mail received today, Steve Banaghan says “I would like advise you...

I was in Chester around 17:35, the London service was cancelled only going as far as Crewe, then returning to Chester. At Crewe all Virgin services were running at least 45minutes late with extra stops being added on some services. When I got back to Birmingham two Euston services were...

Birmingham-London Heathrow Birmingham International, Oxford and Reading (Pick up only) Two hourly service starting at 04:00 with last train departing LHR at 00:30 It’s a nightmare to get directly to Heathrow cheaply & conveniently, you can go via London with VT but it can be horrendously...

I've still got tickets for BHM-PRE for tomorrow, if interested please PM me. Thanks

If anyone is interested I have two sets of tickets which I now don't need (A friend and me both booked the same tickets) So if you are interested in: 09:30 from Euston to Glasgow returning on the 18:00 service from Glasgow to Euston via. New Street or 07:50 from Birmingham New Street to...

Thanks for that, also just wondered if anyone knew if on a Saturday Virgin replace some SuperVoyagers with Pendolinos on the Birmingham-Edinburgh/Glasgow route? If so any idea of which services?