Ex Virgin Trains Voyagers, where could they go next?

[greatvoyager]

Platform lengths have to be considered

True, but Reading is the only serious problem with that.
They have operated double units from Bournemouth and Plymouth through to Manchester and the North East without issues, so it'll probably be down to whether they can move away from the bay platform at Reading.
Maybe the extra units will enable more trains to extend to Southampton.

 

[swt_passenger]

True, but Reading is the only serious problem with that.
They have operated double units from Bournemouth and Plymouth through to Manchester and the North East without issues, so it'll probably be down to whether they can move away from the bay platform at Reading.
Maybe the extra units will enable more trains to extend to Southampton.

please see the detailed analysis of platforming at Reading by MarkyT that’s been split out into a separate discussion. It isn’t as much of a problem as you think.

It’s been explained regularly that there are no spare paths between Basingstoke and Southampton. That’s why the extended services have only run 2 hourly ever since introduction nearly 10 years ago.

 

[greatvoyager]

please see the detailed analysis of platforming at Reading by MarkyT that’s been split out into a separate discussion. It isn’t as much of a problem as you think.

It’s been explained regularly that there are no spare paths between Basingstoke and Southampton. That’s why the extended services have only run 2 hourly ever since introduction nearly 10 years ago.

Already read that post.

I didn't know about the lack of paths to Southampton though...

 

[Whistler40145]

Would the length of a double Voyager be different if extra carriages were added to a single Voyager?

 

[krus_aragon]

Would the length of a double Voyager be different if extra carriages were added to a single Voyager?

I think what you're asking is "would adding carriages to a single Voyager give a shorter train for the same capacity as a double Voyager?"

Given that the front 1/3 of every Voyager is non-passenger space (for crashworthiness reasons), using two driving cars rather than four would give you a train two carriages shorter, but losing just over one carriage's worth of seats.

 

[Whistler40145]

I think what you're asking is "would adding carriages to a single Voyager give a shorter train for the same capacity as a double Voyager?"

Given that the front 1/3 of every Voyager is non-passenger space (for crashworthiness reasons), using two driving cars rather than four would give you a train two carriages shorter, but losing just over one carriage's worth of seats.

I wasn't asking about capacity, but about length of a single set with extra carriages fitting in a platform

 

[greatvoyager]

I wasn't asking about capacity, but about length of a single set with extra carriages fitting in a platform

It could work, it depends on the platform. Say extra carriages from the Avanti sets were put into the XC sets, it may help, but at the same time it would also mean less units available for service (not sure how much slack there is in the current XC fleet).

 

[The Ham]

It could work, it depends on the platform. Say extra carriages from the Avanti sets were put into the XC sets, it may help, but at the same time it would also mean less units available for service (not sure how much slack there is in the current XC fleet).

It should be that there's not any need for extra units, and depending on how you use the extra Central coaches you could create 7 coach units with the same capacity as a pair of 4 coach units. In doing so you create an extra unit which available for use elsewhere.

Doing so would also limit the amount of extra overnight storage needed.

 

[greatvoyager]

It should be that there's not any need for extra units, and depending on how you use the extra Central coaches you could create 7 coach units with the same capacity as a pair of 4 coach units. In doing so you create an extra unit which available for use elsewhere.

Doing so would also limit the amount of extra overnight storage needed.

Either way, XC really needs the extra capacity.

 

[greatvoyager]

I hope it’s XC with no internal refit.

A whole standard class carriage of table seats for those who prefer them and a proper buffet would be a boon for us XC victims!

I can skip the buffet... Overpriced and not worth the effort really.
Won't keeping the shop carriage configured with tables there mean there is less seating than on a current XC unit?

 

[hexagon789]

Won't keeping the shop carriage configured with tables there mean there is less seating than on a current XC unit?

The difference amounts to fourteen seats

 

[VT 390]

The problem with keeping the table layout as in the Avanti Voyager's if XC get them is that if XC had all the 221's together then if one on the Avanti units had to be switched with an XC unit the seat reservations would not match, unless you made that carriage the unreserved carriage.

 

[DavidGrain]

The problem with keeping the table layout as in the Avanti Voyager's if XC get them is that if XC had all the 221's together then if one on the Avanti units had to be switched with an XC unit the seat reservations would not match, unless you made that carriage the unreserved carriage.

The first time I travelled on a Voyager, I had a seat reservation for an HST and the carriage that I was allocated to did not even exist. I have been critical of Richard Branson's little train ever since. The first time I actually saw a Voyager was when this little train left Birmingham New Street just as a 12 car Silverlink train pulled in. The contrast was so marked.

 

[greatvoyager]

The problem with keeping the table layout as in the Avanti Voyager's if XC get them is that if XC had all the 221's together then if one on the Avanti units had to be switched with an XC unit the seat reservations would not match, unless you made that carriage the unreserved carriage.

And would be even more complicated if a 4 car unit then substituted.

 

[VT 390]

And would be even more complicated if a 4 car unit then substituted.

Though it does mean less capacity don't the current 5 carriage XC Voyager's have B as unreserved which means it can be a 4 or 5 but reservations are unaffected, it just means fewer unreserved seats.
If the Avanti Voyager's do go to XC they could always re letter the carriages so that the all tables coach becomes B which should solve the problem.

 

[greatvoyager]

Though it does mean less capacity don't the current 5 carriage XC Voyager's have B as unreserved which means it can be a 4 or 5 but reservations are unaffected, it just means fewer unreserved seats.
If the Avanti Voyager's do go to XC they could always re letter the carriages so that the all tables coach becomes B which should solve the problem.

Very true.