Example Virgin train driver diagrams.

[luke1420]

I was just wondering if anybody has any examples of VT driver diagrams (Based in Pic or Wolvs if possible but anywhere will do) i am just interested to see how many legs they work in a day and which destinations they work to. I have heard somewhere that they are only allowed to work over the same section of track once in each shift, is this still the case?

Cheers, Luke

 

[plastictaffy]

Funnily enough, we were talking about this in the mess room today. That is indeed true. One of our guys stepdads' works for them. He does, for example - Euston Manchester, break. Then he'll do Manchester Birmingham, break. Then he'll do a Euston express. So yes, wherever possible, the diagrammers try to keep them off the same route as much as possible. Most of the diagrams apparently are triangular. Regarding the destinations - the TM's at EUS sign Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, Brum, and some of them sign as far as Preston. I would imagine the drivers work similar.

 

[Welshman]

Funnily enough, we were talking about this in the mess room today. That is indeed true. One of our guys stepdads' works for them. He does, for example - Euston Manchester, break. Then he'll do Manchester Birmingham, break. Then he'll do a Euston express. So yes, wherever possible, the diagrammers try to keep them off the same route as much as possible. Most of the diagrams apparently are triangular. Regarding the destinations - the TM's at EUS sign Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, Brum, and some of them sign as far as Preston. I would imagine the drivers work similar.

I thought that with one or two exceptions, the Manchester-Birmingham section is now covered by XC, not Virgin.

Whilst talking of Virgin rosters, do you know which depot usually works the Bangor/Holyhead trains?

 

[luke1420]

Cheers for the replies

I Think Pic and lime street work the North wales services, I think the Crew change at Crewe or Chester but i may be wrong.

 

[Welshman]

I Think Pic and lime street work the North wales services, I think the Crew change at Crewe or Chester but i may be wrong.

Thank you for this information.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Piccadilly and Lime St drivers certainly, I think there may be a guards depot at Holyhead though (as well as a CSA one too).

 

[plastictaffy]

I thought that with one or two exceptions, the Manchester-Birmingham section is now covered by XC, not Virgin.

That was the example given by the guy who was talking about it..........

 

[TheWalrus]

Who does early and late services to/from Holyhead?

 

[dangie]

Please excuse this question from a novice, but do Virgin drivers on Euston-Glasgow do the whole run, or do they change over at say Warrington or Preston?

 

[A-driver]

Please excuse this question from a novice, but do Virgin drivers on Euston-Glasgow do the whole run, or do they change over at say Warrington or Preston?

Traditionally change at Preston although there has been talk of some drivers signing through. Not sure if there is any truth to it or infact any chance of it happening.

 

[O L Leigh]

I believe that Preston drivers do indeed sign the entire route, but I doubt they do the whole trip in one hit. It's more likely that they'll got to Euston and back or Glasgow and back from Preston.

O L Leigh

 

[luke1420]

Pretty sure they cant do the hold route without a PNB anyway so i imagine all crews will change and Preston.

Am i right in saying that Pic work the section in between Preston and Euston as well as Preston and Euston crews?

 

[PHILIPE]

One Preston driver worked throughout from Glasgow to Euston on the record breaking special a few years ago. There was another Preston driver there but the original driver stayed in the seat.

 

[A-driver]

Pretty sure they cant do the hold route without a PNB anyway so i imagine all crews will change and Preston.



Am i right in saying that Pic work the section in between Preston and Euston as well as Preston and Euston crews?

Depends on their agreements regarding time in the chair. I thought Euston to Glasgow was about 4hours journey so within the 5hour limit many TOCs have.

I don't know what the virgin agreement is though.

 

[driver9000]

Traditionally change at Preston although there has been talk of some drivers signing through. Not sure if there is any truth to it or infact any chance of it happening.

Preston crews sign Glasgow/Edinburgh-London but they don't work end to end in one sitting.

 

[craigybagel]

Who does early and late services to/from Holyhead?

The same as all the other trains down that line, either Manchester or Liverpool drivers depending on the service. Some jobs involve taxis to or from Holyhead, and at least one involves empty stock between Holyhead and Crewe. All trains west of Chester have Holyhead TM's on though, no other TM's sign the route.
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Pretty sure they cant do the hold route without a PNB anyway so i imagine all crews will change and Preston.

Am i right in saying that Pic work the section in between Preston and Euston as well as Preston and Euston crews?

At least some drivers, though not necessarily all, from Preston, Manchester, Wolves and Euston work Preston-Euston. Glasgow, Edinburgh and Preston drivers work Preston to Scotland.

 

[luke1420]

Do the shift usually follow a similar structure to each other E.G XX:35 Pic-Euston then say an hour in Euston then the XX:43 Euston-Preston then train pass back to pic. Will the crews always do the same each hour baring the maybe some early and some late turns?

 

[Crossover]

Whenever I have used the Anglo-Scottish services the crew appear to have often changed over at Preston

 

[PHILIPE]

Whenever I have used the Anglo-Scottish services the crew appear to have often changed over at Preston

Always. Not just often.

 

[SkinnyDave]

The same as all the other trains down that line, either Manchester or Liverpool drivers depending on the service. Some jobs involve taxis to or from Holyhead, and at least one involves empty stock between Holyhead and Crewe. All trains west of Chester have Holyhead TM's on though, no other TM's sign the route.
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At least some drivers, though not necessarily all, from Preston, Manchester, Wolves and Euston work Preston-Euston. Glasgow, Edinburgh and Preston drivers work Preston to Scotland.

Was there not a possibility of Virgin opening a drivers depot at Crewe?

 

[luke1420]

I have to say Crewe dose seem like a logical place to put a crew base, would defiantly benefit North wales services and maybe take some pressure of Preston on the Scottish routes. Can see it opening up quite a few option for virgin, surprised they have not placed one there yet!

Am i right in saying they used to be one there?

 

[PHILIPE]

I don't think there is any need. North Wales covered by Liverpool or Manchester which already exist and are not far away. London/Birmingham to Scotland only need to change once and Preston being approx halfway is ideal. Manchester and Liverpool to Euston need just 1 driver throughout from either end.

 

[craigybagel]

Was there not a possibility of Virgin opening a drivers depot at Crewe?

There's been rumours about it for years - supposedly it was part of the most recent failed bid, but it's not happened yet. The same has been said for basing drivers at Holyhead. During the night there are quite a few Virgin drivers from various depots at Crewe involved with the Voyagers.
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Always. Not just often.

[PEDANT MODE] There are a couple of Preston TM jobs that see them work all the way from Glasgow to Crewe or reverse in one go, and catering crew work all the way from London/Birmingham to Scotland regularly, but the drivers (which to be fair is the focus of this thread) do always change at Preston [/PEDANT MODE]

 

[A-driver]

There's been rumours about it for years - supposedly it was part of the most recent failed bid, but it's not happened yet. The same has been said for basing drivers at Holyhead. During the night there are quite a few Virgin drivers from various depots at Crewe involved with the Voyagers.

There are always rumours about such things in all TOCs and FOCs. But a lot of people miss the point-just because trains are stabled somewhere or because a location is always full of drivers from other depots it dosnt mean it's necessarily cost effective or beneficial to base drivers there. It's often cheaper and far more practicle to base drivers in a single large depot somewhere in the middle and pass them to various locations rather than open 3 or 4 smaller depots with slightly less flexibility.

If you want rumours on depots opening/closing/moving etc then speak to FCC drivers at the moment ahead if the new franchise-but they are all just rumours, some which have been around since the '70s!

 

[berneyarms]

So how are the first three Virgin workings out of Holyhead crewed?

Do the drivers stay there overnight having worked the down trains or are there two sets of taxis driving one set of drivers home and bringing the others west to Holyhead?

There are no ECS workings that I can see on RTT, apart from ones to Crewe on Friday and Saturday nights, and one from Central Rivers Depot on Sundays.

 

[luke1420]

I don't think they stay overnight. it will probably be a taxi over from Liverpool or Manchester. Be a bit of a horrible shift to work as it will probably start at about 2am.

 

[SkinnyDave]

I don't think they stay overnight. it will probably be a taxi over from Liverpool or Manchester. Be a bit of a horrible shift to work as it will probably start at about 2am.

To me that's daft our high speed guys at Bristol have a turn like that they book on at 01.25 or something like that for a taxi to take them up for first Hereford to Paddington..
Surely a small drivers depot at Holyhead has to be considered at some point

 

[A-driver]

Surely a small drivers depot at Holyhead has to be considered at some point

At a guess it has been, many times, but still a better cheaper and more practicle option to ferry drivers in from elsewhere.

 

[Welshman]

Surely a small drivers depot at Holyhead has to be considered at some point

Why should only small drivers be allowed to work the VT Holyhead services? [sorry!]
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At a guess it has been, many times, but still a better cheaper and more practicle option to ferry drivers in from elsewhere.

A taxi firm with a contract to provide 3 return Liverpool/Manchester - Holyhead journeys per night is not going to complain!

 

[luke1420]

I take it that the 08:55 HHD-EUS (1A23) is a New street crew as that is where it arrives in from?