Grand Central Discussion

[DescendingSadly]

That doesn't define it much mate

 

[BOSCH]

Is this really the end of an era of Valenta's? :cry::cry:

Unfortunately yes,1st one goes under the knife in june !!!

 

[Failed Unit]

That doesn't define it much mate

Have a look at www.eastcoast.co.uk

search for Halifax - London Kings Cross and select direct trains only for any date after May 25th.

Looking yesterday and it didn't find any trains.

 

[Lampshade]

I think that's because GNER/NXEC refused to sell GC tickets :?

Depart: HFX 10:38
Arrive: KGX 13:45
Duration: 3h 7m
Changes: 0

It works if you use the GC website.

 

[MCR247]

I think that's because GNER/NXEC refused to sell GC tickets :?

Depart: HFX 10:38
Arrive: KGX 13:45
Duration: 3h 7m
Changes: 0

It works if you use the GC website.

They have to don't they, as part of impartial retailing (?)

 

[Techniquest]

Unfortunately yes,1st one goes under the knife in june !!!

I see your angry emoticon there and raise you my choice (from the selection on the side of the post, canna be arsed to search through the whole lot):

:cry::-x

Really we all knew (well, those of us who care at least) it was coming, just we didn't know when. Such a shame that it is coming, of course, but there's nothing we can do to halt progress. And in the best interests of GC, a fleet of reliable MTU'd power cars can only be a good thing to keep a good service going. Just make sure the fire brigades up there don't pour foam down the exhausts if they catch fire (a la 43176 at Didcot)

Bring on the next GC HST bash I can do, it can't come soon enough. Shall be loading a new tape into the camcorder that day to record as much as possible, which I suspect might be a large video file when it would come to transferring to the PC...

Truely, the end of an era is coming...

 

[Deerfold]

I think that's because GNER/NXEC refused to sell GC tickets :?

Depart: HFX 10:38
Arrive: KGX 13:45
Duration: 3h 7m
Changes: 0

It works if you use the GC website.

The GC website isn't showing them to me today.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The GC website isn't showing them to me today.

and

http://www.grandunionrail.com/

isn't being very specific about start dates.

 

[Failed Unit]

I think that's because GNER/NXEC refused to sell GC tickets :?
.

As MCR suggested isn't that illegal? However I don't think they have a choice of what tickets they can see as the booking engine is someone elses software, so it would result in it been blocked by all other operators using it such as South Eastern.

I couldn't find any GC West Yorkshire times either today searching for the 26th May. I guess they may have learnt from previous mistakes and not open trains up for booking unless they are 100% confident that they will work, saying that it is T-12 yet so it is quite possible they will be open for booking soon anyway!

 

[fsmr]

Stupid question but If i want to know timings for valenta engined GC hsts on the ECML at Essendine, where do i look would like to take my 10yr old over there before they are all gone
thanks

 

[142094]

Very hit and miss I'm afraid, went to see one at York last night and it was 180 instead.

 

[Aictos]

I'm heading to Sunderland on the 24th March with a colleague, should be getting the first GC from the Cross - what is the booked traction?

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

depends on availablilty... could be either HST or 180!!

 

[fsmr]

depends on availablilty... could be either HST or 180!!

Are all the GC 125s valentas?

 

[Techniquest]

Yes

 

[MCR247]

...for now

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Many of you will already be aware that there were massive dealys (up to 4 hours?) on the ECML on Sunday night linked to engineering works at Hitchin (already discussed in other threads).
I see that penaltyfareappeal.co.uk asked the 3 operators, GC, EC and FCC to comment on the inconvenience.
Its the contrast between the 3 Operators' reponses that I like:-

Grand Central was the first to respond and has the following to say

Grand Central Railway apologises to those of its passengers caught up in the disruption in the Hitchin area last night (Sunday).

Owing to a Network Rail signalling problem that caused an East Coast service to become marooned in the non-electrified section of the route near Hitchin (where engineering work was taking place) there was severe disruption to all rail services to London King’s Cross yesterday evening.

The East Coast train had to be assisted out of the affected area by Grand Central’s train. Once this was done, we believed our train would proceed straightaway to Kings Cross. However, once pushed clear of the non electrified area, a technical problem occurred with the stalled train, which consequently blocked our onward journey until a rescue locomotive was summoned to take the affected train forward to London Kings Cross.

This resulted in several services to Kings Cross being delayed for up to four hours, included the Grand Central service from Sunderland.

Taxis were provided for passengers at Kings Cross for onward travel.

Network Rail is mounting an enquiry into the original signal problem and East Coast is mounting an enquiry into the cause of their trains subsequent failure which blocked the line to London.

Grand Central is supporting both these enquiries and will of course be looking at how we can learn from how the events were dealt with from a passenger’s viewpoint.

Meanwhile Grand Central customers involved in this delay are invited to send their tickets to our Customer Services department for compensation of the fare for that leg of the journey.

Once again Grand Central apologises for any inconvenience caused to our passengers, which were exacerbated by the fact that the Grand Central train, in common with the other trains affected were very busy, because train paths were severely limited by the planned engineering work in the Hitchin area.

East Coast has responded as follows:

East Coast apologises to customers whose journeys were delayed on the night of Sunday, 28 February.

In particular, East Coast wishes to apologise to passengers travelling on the 17.50 hrs service from Leeds to London King’s Cross. This train came to a standstill due to a signalling problem near where engineering work was taking place. The journey was further interrupted by a train failure before a rescue locomotive was arranged to allow customers to continue their journeys to King’s Cross, where taxis were provided for onward travel.

The 13.50 hrs service from Aberdeen to London King’s Cross was also seriously delayed as a result.

Under our Delay Repay compensation policy, which is one of the most generous in the rail industry, East Coast will refund the full cost of the rail tickets of passengers who travelled on these two seriously delayed East Coast trains.

Details of how to claim are available online at: http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/about-us/passengers-charter1/Delay-Repay/ or from East Coast stations.

East Coast apologises for the inconvenience caused. An investigation is underway to identify the cause of the technical problem on the 17.50 Leeds to Kings Cross service.

First Capital Connect have responded as follows:

Hello there, I understand the 1750 Leeds to Kings Cross came to a stand en-route to London but you’ll have to confirm that with East Coast. First Capital Connect will be offering double compensation.

Quoted from http://www.penaltyfareappeal.co.uk/wordpress/

Spot the difference?

 

[Aictos]

depends on availablilty... could be either HST or 180!!

Hope it's a 180 then!

 

[fsmr]

Yes

Thanks for that
Valentas are sweet music, must get over and see one on stoke bank before it is too late
I can remember the first ones on stoke bank and there were'nt any of those !!! wires there either oh my age

 

[Zamracene749]

On the ticket theme, noticed today that the machines at York do not show GC fares. Is this because the machines are run by east coast? All other fares eg arriva ,first, northern are shown. Is this allowed under competition laws?

 

[Lampshade]

Most likely, also the East Coast website only shows the Anytime fare, even more reason to buy on board.

Whether it's allowed or not is another matter as since when did any TOC put the full range of tickets onto them?

I've been planning my farewell Valenta GC bash in late May/June; hopefully the West Riding services will have started by then so I can go:

AP TPE: Manchester > Newcastle
Metro: Newcastle > Sunderland
GC: Sunderland > Kings Cross
GC: Kings Cross > Halifax (or Doncaster, or Brighouse)
Northern: Halifax > Manchester (or AP TPE)

 

[Techniquest]

Thanks for that
Valentas are sweet music, must get over and see one on stoke bank before it is too late
I can remember the first ones on stoke bank and there were'nt any of those !!! wires there either oh my age

Oh yes, thoroughly agreed with you on that. Lovely sound which'll be missed.

Never been to Stoke bank, but then if I did Stoke bank to see what the thrash was like, I'd soon regret not being on-board!

Paul Bigland (aka Snapper on the WNXX forum) posted on the aforementioned forum that he was talking yesterday to some GC people, and that the first power car to come out finished will be at the end of May! Which would be before the general consensus is that the first one goes in!

Thoughts ladies and gents?

 

[DescendingSadly]

Most likely, also the East Coast website only shows the Anytime fare, even more reason to buy on board.

Whether it's allowed or not is another matter as since when did any TOC put the full range of tickets onto them?

I've been planning my farewell Valenta GC bash in late May/June; hopefully the West Riding services will have started by then so I can go:

AP TPE: Manchester > Newcastle
Metro: Newcastle > Sunderland
GC: Sunderland > Kings Cross
GC: Kings Cross > Halifax (or Doncaster, or Brighouse)
Northern: Halifax > Manchester (or AP TPE)

Let me know which service you plan on getting upto Halifax when you finalise your plans

 

[daikilo]

Many of you will already be aware that there were massive dealys (up to 4 hours?) on the ECML on Sunday night linked to engineering works at Hitchin (already discussed in other threads).
I see that penaltyfareappeal.co.uk asked the 3 operators, GC, EC and FCC to comment on the inconvenience.
Its the contrast between the 3 Operators' reponses that I like:-


Quoted from http://www.penaltyfareappeal.co.uk/wordpress/

Spot the difference?

Well done GC, factual I assume, and I hope the relevant PR and management of other operators will learn a lesson from GC on the value of taking into account global impacts.

When **** flies it will hit everyone around, so be honest, otherwise it will stick.

d

 

[Techniquest]

Received good news in the form of gen that 43065+43068 were on the 1127 off the Cross this morning. Shame I couldn't afford to be there, sounded very lively apparently!

 

[jon0844]

I can remember when it was FCC giving detailed explanations of 'what went wrong'. It seems times have changed.

 

[Donny Dave]

Well done GC, factual I assume, and I hope the relevant PR and management of other operators will learn a lesson from GC on the value of taking into account global impacts.

When **** flies it will hit everyone around, so be honest, otherwise it will stick.

d

! big thing I've noted about GC is that they are very honest and factual when the report things, even if it is something detrimental to themselves.

Shame the rest of the rail indistry can't follow their example.

 

[Aictos]

It might just be me but I seriously doubt FCC would issue such a statement, rather I believe it was some idiotic reply thought up by the site themselves as they do seem to have a large chip on their shoulders against FCC for some reason - the standard FCC reply has always been along the same lines as then East Coast one and I can't see why they would even think about issuing such a reply.

 

[yorkie]

I thought it was run by fcc staff? but fcc treated them badly and I heard one of them left.

 

[Aictos]

I thought it was run by fcc staff? but fcc treated them badly and I heard one of them left.

It is managed by a former FCC employee who was sacked over a serious incident at Stevenage which resulted in legal action - can't comment anymore then that.
There is a current FCC employee who I think still works on the site but due to some incident is off work.

I don't take any notice of what it reports anyway, just seems to be over the top reporting but not at professional level!

 

[Aictos]

Well I did the full Grand Central experience yesterday from Kings Cross to Sunderland return and found the whole experience enjoyable, indeed the endless supply of coffee certainly helped as well.

Was most happy to see the train formed of one of their 180s as I until yesterday had never travelled on one nor gone all the way to Sunderland.

Credit to both crews though they were more then helpful and nothing was too much even to the point of directing us to the pub we were looking for at Sunderland.

In all a very enjoyable day in that Grand Central excelled themselves.