CrossCountry HST's & Voyagers

[MML]

Surely some of the overcrowding on XC services could be resolved by doubling up and lengthening the Voyagers (using 5+4 coach units) on some services. While the extremities of the network (north of York or Newcastle, south of Bristol or Exeter) could see services continue with 5 car units, the central section between Bristol and Newcastle could be supplemented by the joining of an additional 4 or 5 car unit.

Overcrowded 4 and 5 carriage inter-city trains are not encouraging growth. Nothing worse than not finding a seat on a smelly voyager.

Then expand and lengthen the existing HST fleet as power cars and coaches are released by GWR and Grand Central. Additional HST and lengthening from 2+7 to 2+8 will provided the capacity required and help to grow the XC service and meet customer needs.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

If suitable engines could be sourced that met the emissions regs, what would prevent a new build of intermediate coaches (regs etc) for Voyagers, to extend them to 10/11 car trains, other than the possibility of Bombardier not offering them as an option?

 

[yorksrob]

If suitable engines could be sourced that met the emissions regs, what would prevent a new build of intermediate coaches (regs etc) for Voyagers, to extend them to 10/11 car trains, other than the possibility of Bombardier not offering them as an option?

Dosh I'm afraid.

Far better to cascade some HST's as they become redundant and reform the Voyager fleet into longer units (or at least double up).

 

[D365]

If suitable engines could be sourced that met the emissions regs, what would prevent a new build of intermediate coaches (regs etc) for Voyagers, to extend them to 10/11 car trains, other than the possibility of Bombardier not offering them as an option?

Err... you've answered your own question there.

Anyway, as above, far better to run them in multiple.

 

[CosherB]

If suitable engines could be sourced that met the emissions regs, what would prevent a new build of intermediate coaches (regs etc) for Voyagers, to extend them to 10/11 car trains, other than the possibility of Bombardier not offering them as an option?

This has been discussed umpteen times on here, so you'll know this will never happen.

 

[FQ]

Running Voyagers in multiple still doesn't change the fact that past 6 coaches (I think it was 6 but I'm not certain) having a loco and coaches is more environmentally friendly than an engine under every coach. It may improve capacity but you can improve capacity by taking in more HSTs once their cascaded and forming them to 8 coaches, lowering emissions at the same time.

I'm not sure if anyone's been to Birmingham New Street when a Voyager is under the roof - you can barely breath. When an HST is under the roof it's not as bad.

 

[CosherB]

Running Voyagers in multiple still doesn't change the fact that past 6 coaches (I think it was 6 but I'm not certain) having a loco and coaches is more environmentally friendly than an engine under every coach. It may improve capacity but you can improve capacity by taking in more HSTs once their cascaded and forming them to 8 coaches, lowering emissions at the same time.

I'm not sure if anyone's been to Birmingham New Street when a Voyager is under the roof - you can barely breath. When an HST is under the roof it's not as bad.

Hmmm ..... with modern engine controls, I'm not sure that's necessarily the case. You won't get very far with stop-start technology on an HST!

 

[boxy321]

Running Voyagers in multiple still doesn't change the fact that past 6 coaches (I think it was 6 but I'm not certain) having a loco and coaches is more environmentally friendly than an engine under every coach. It may improve capacity but you can improve capacity by taking in more HSTs once their cascaded and forming them to 8 coaches, lowering emissions at the same time.

I'm not sure if anyone's been to Birmingham New Street when a Voyager is under the roof - you can barely breath. When an HST is under the roof it's not as bad.

I agree. Where possible Voyagers (and all diesels) should be banished to Moor St. when and where infrastructure allows. The poxy fans in New St. are useless.

It's hilarious that the XC Voyagers through Solihull wind round to enter and smoke out New St. rather than use Moor St. I'm simply talking about station usage and pollution here, not paths or routing.

 

[The Ham]

I agree. Where possible Voyagers (and all diesels) should be banished to Moor St. when and where infrastructure allows. The poxy fans in New St. are useless.

It's hilarious that the XC Voyagers through Solihull wind round to enter and smoke out New St. rather than use Moor St. I'm simply talking about station usage and pollution here, not paths or routing.

I have wondered if XC would rather operate through Moor Street (at least for some services) once HS2 is operational so as to be able in shorten the interchange...

 

[Harbornite]

It's hilarious that the XC Voyagers through Solihull wind round to enter and smoke out New St. rather than use Moor St. I'm simply talking about station usage and pollution here, not paths or routing.

Why? The XC services that run via Solihull are usually to and from Newcastle. As things currently stand, Crosscountry services sent into Moor Street would not be able to direct access the line to Derby and Newcastle etc because there isn't a west to north-facing curve linking the Snow Hill and Derby lines (although this has been mooted) so if you wanted to route Voyagers into Moor St, the service would have to terminate.

 

[Starmill]

Of course, some trains do have cheap fares, but they aren't the crowded ones.

Not in my experience