Cross Country HST diagrams summer 2011

[MCR247]

First Group will have some spare if they lose FGW...

Nah, they'll probably sell them back to the DfT/the new holder, blackmailling the DfT does'nt go down well......

*Ahem* Virgin *Ahem*

 

[Lampshade]

50 years time, XC can have their pick of HST's.

Fixed that for you

 

[MCR247]

If some members on here got their way.... :P

 

[N Levers]

Fixed that for you

You were still missing a zero

500 years time, XC can have their pick of HST's.

 

[Zoe]

Will they actually go to XC though and not just be scrapped? The life extension to keep them in service from 2020 will be expensive. Yes HSTs are to be retained on Westcountry services and the Midland Main Line but I'm not sure the others will go to XC.

 

[ValleyLines142]

They are if you are travelling for more than an hour or so (IMO), or if you would like to get a seat on a busier service.

I think the problem with Voyagers on busy services is that they are quite crowded, but they should follow EMT's tracks with the Meridians and extend then to 7/8 carriages (although contradictory to that point CrossCountry are essentially doing that by double-forming their 220's). My friend commutes from Birmingham to Manchester every day and loves the Voyagers. A solution will work out one day
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yep the 1723 from Plymouth yesterday was a crappy Voyager. I arrived at Plymouth station at just after 5, went through to platform 4 and saw it sat there waiting to start the 1723 service. "Oh for...... goodness sake. I'm not getting on that rubbish. " I thought to myself. So instead I travelled back to Bristol via the services I mentioned in my previous post. I did see what the 1954 XC service from Taunton was, but it was another bloody Voyager! In the end I didn't arrive back into Bristol untill 2155. Could have got back at 1927 if I got on that Voyager at 1723. But I really hate travelling on those things for various reasons, that I travel via alternative services/routes to avoid travelling on them. They are the ONLY trains running on the UK network that I would goto such lengths to avoid travelling on them.

Crosscountry ought to bring back more HST's on their services. They are far more suitable for long distance journeys than those Voyager things. Weren't they once running EIGHT HST sets per day?

Ah, now I love the Voyagers, admittedly the old 'smelly toilet' issue may arise! But people who live in say North Wales who want to get to London can only travel on a Voyager.

I've travelled on many Voyagers in my time, I've done 1V71 (17:08 Edinburgh - Bristol) from Newcastle at 18.40 on 221133 and I arrived at Bristol Parkway at 00:04. That was a nice journey. I would much preferred to have done it on a Voyager as opposed to a HST. And I've also travelled on 220025 on 1E79 (06:02 Guildford - Newcastle) from Sheffield, and on 221119 on 1O22 (14:27 Manchester Piccadilly - Bournemouth) to Birmingham. I even will be doing 1V60, the 08:20 Aberdeen - Penzance as far as Exeter

My liking for the Voyagers is probably down the fact that I'm from Cardiff and we only see one Voyager a day (1M25, 07:00 to Manchester Piccadilly) so we make the most of them. Maybe if I lived in Bristol, who is serves by Voyagers twice an hour, then I'd get bored, but maybe not. The sound and engine is amazing! I even travelled to Birmingham in March on the Voyager (220016) (which does take 20 minutes longer as it travels via Bristol) as opposed to a Nottingham service via Gloucester. They are VERY nice I think!

So you purposefully waited for a HST?! really? The majority of services are Voyager operates now! :P

 

[ainsworth74]

but they should follow EMT's tracks with the Meridians and extend then to 7/8 carriages

The only reasons EMT were able to do that was because their 222s were delivered in 4 and 9 car formations meaning they were able to take vehicles out of the 9 car units and increase the length of the 4 car units. EMT didn't order any new vehicles and as XC's Voyagers are in 4/5 car formations there is no slack available to increase their length in the same way that EMT did.

 

[TheBigD]

Nah, they'll probably sell them back to the DfT/the new holder, blackmailling the DfT does'nt go down well......

*Ahem* Virgin *Ahem*

My money would be on transfering them to Hull Trains and then ditching the 180's.