I take back my praise for Greater Anglia

[dk1]

I agree about the colour scheme, but if you advertise a service it should be properly provided on all but a very few unavoidable occasions. Thus if wifi is advertised it should be provided, or the advertising should cease.

There is usually 'subject to availability' printed somewhere on the advertisement. Same with complimentary refreshments in 1st class. Nothing is guaranteed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There is usually 'subject to availability' printed somewhere on the advertisement. Same with complimentary refreshments in 1st class. Nothing is guaranteed.

Personally I don't believe this should be legal. Either it is part of the price (in which case non-provision is compensatable) or it is free (in which case everyone should be able to access it, e.g. Standard ticket holders or indeed non-passengers).

FWIW, VT agree with me and compensate in the event of absence of free food/drink, though at present they are quite openly stating their wifi is "best effort" - not in the small print - very clearly:

https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/experience/wifi

Small print has been there for years but it doesn't make it OK.

 

[DarloRich]

It is about providing what you advertise on which basis people make purchasing decisions, not about whether it is in the offering. If it is not advertised people will make other arrangements. If it is advertised people will make purchasing decisions based on it, so advertising it knowing it is not universally provided (or near so) is fraudulent.

whilst, as with everything in life, being subject to availability!

I agree that if there is a widespread issue meaning loss of service this should not be promised. Can we make that assumption based on anecdotal evidence?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I agree that if there is a widespread issue meaning loss of service this should not be promised. Can we make that assumption based on anecdotal evidence?

Possibly not, to be fair. I do find VT's wifi unreliable (it hasn't worked the last 2 times I have travelled) but at least they are honest about it, so I don't plan to use it. Wifi is an odd one - its absence is perhaps a first world problem, but people will plan to travel by train instead of car because of it on business journeys because they can work as they travel, or will plan to use it with their tablet to obtain reading material instead of pre-downloading or taking a book, etc.

First class food is similar - provision has to be reliable, or it's pointless as people will take it with them.

 

[DarloRich]

When I travel wifi is very useful but as on most trains in cattle class it is a paid service I don't bother as i am tight The availability of free wifi on GC is one of the reasons I use their trains for work travel on the ECML although that is also patchy. Virgin EC is fine in First class and Virgin WC seems to work well until about Warrington. However I only have low level usage for twitter or emails so cant comment on streaming or other services.

Provision of wifi on LM will be of most interest to me. As a commuter service it will have to be solid and reliable to be of any PR value.

 

[talltim]

Should GA take coaches out of service just to repaint them all in one go?

They could just paint them the same colour as the existing ones. No mismatch then...

 

[DarloRich]

They could just paint them the same colour as the existing ones. No mismatch then...

they have still got to stop them to apply the paint - that means services cancelled or amended.

 

[grumblingalong]

they have still got to stop them to apply the paint - that means services cancelled or amended.

And seeing as a trip to wolverton is required for the paint job it's bye bye coach for at least a week! During which time an ex VT coach may make its way into the set, which would honestly make me concerned for FGE's health.

 

[fgwrich]

As much as some members of this forum want the mk3's to continue forever and scoff at the prospect of sockets and wifi these are things that the majority of the commuting and leisure public want and expect these days (as well as a seat before someone pedantic comes along), something really has to give in the new franchise.

Ah, I wondered how long it would take for someone to erroneously blame the Mk3s. Look at Mk3s on CrossCountry, GWR and VTEC to see what can be done.

I'm going to put my foot in here and simply say this. No, I get that the Mk3s are older and outdated, and completely understand that they'll never carry on forever. But. In the time that they're still with us, they can as Yorkie has posted above be transformed into something incredibly pleasant and modern to travel in - I hold the FGW/GWR ones in high regard with XCs a close second. What I do want however, is a modern coach that will equal everything the Mk3 offers, comfortable, good riding, well built and most of all quiet!

Sadly GAs Mk3s have never really had the best of life - predominantly made up of fairly tired ex Virgin West Coast ones, with a lets face it fairly poor refurbishment from NXs 'ONE' and now under the temporary>longer term care of AGA. One thing I will say though, I cant stand the cheaper single lighting strip GA have fitted to their Mk3s. And people say the smarter twin light set up in the GW Mk3s is bright!

 

[talltim]

they have still got to stop them to apply the paint - that means services cancelled or amended.

I think you missed the point