Virgin extension until 2017

[dannypye9999]

Some HSTs should also be available for Plymouth - Edinburgh via the ECML to make up any shortfall.

.

Where will the HSTs come from?

 

[Class 170101]

Where will the HSTs come from?

Great Western and East Coast once IEP arrives

 

[markydh]

They don't tilt and therefore would be unable to keep to current timings. Nothing to see here

 

[Class 170101]

No need to tilt on the East Coast Mainline.

 

[Anvil1984]

Don't agree at all why run a DMU 300 miles under the wires for no reason. It is currently being done due to lack of Pendos but that should be addressed in the new new ICWC Franchise. To be honest for punctuality reasons I think it should go back to Birmingham - Scotland via WCML and no extension to London (nor the South)

 

[dannypye9999]

Great Western and East Coast once IEP arrives

tbh I think it would be worthless running HST trains between Plymouth and Edinburgh such a vast distance at 700 miles at their age. The Manchester to Bristol route would be more suited.

 

[Starmill]

Regarding ticket barriers TPE are claiming the reason ticket barriers they installed at Huddersfield don't support the M-Card is because DfT didn't fund it: http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/new-huddersfield-train-station-barriers-7302404 They also don't support TPE's own Print@Home tickets.

I don't care who funds the damn things I just want it to work. The gateline staff at Huddersfield are bad enough treating people travelling on Northern services suspiciously as it is.

 

[The Planner]

. To be honest for punctuality reasons I think it should go back to Birmingham - Scotland via WCML and no extension to London (nor the South)

Not aware of them having hideous problems with punctuality, especially the up trains with the extended dwell at Wolves.

 

[NotATrainspott]

Don't agree at all why run a DMU 300 miles under the wires for no reason. It is currently being done due to lack of Pendos but that should be addressed in the new new ICWC Franchise. To be honest for punctuality reasons I think it should go back to Birmingham - Scotland via WCML and no extension to London (nor the South)

If you think the via Birmingham trains are a bad thing now you'll be delighted to know that post-HS2 the other WCML Glasgow train will go via Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke-on-Trent as well. Excellent.

 

[thealexweb]

Don't agree at all why run a DMU 300 miles under the wires for no reason. It is currently being done due to lack of Pendos but that should be addressed in the new new ICWC Franchise. To be honest for punctuality reasons I think it should go back to Birmingham - Scotland via WCML and no extension to London (nor the South)

I use VT's Edinburgh services and have not noticed any changes or trends in their punctuality since December. What I have noticed though is we used to have maybe a single 221 and now we have double 221s or a 390. No going back please.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If you think the via Birmingham trains are a bad thing now you'll be delighted to know that post-HS2 the other WCML Glasgow train will go via Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke-on-Trent as well. Excellent.

In which document is this stated? I, like many, would support some services going via Manchester as it could be done without any increase in journey times compared to present. At the moment some TPE Scottish services arrive in to MAN with Virgin London services leaving just minutes after.

 

[NotATrainspott]

In which document is this stated? I, like many, would support some services going via Manchester as it could be done without any increase in journey times compared to present. At the moment some TPE Scottish services arrive in to MAN with Virgin London services leaving just minutes after.

The Economic Case For HS 2 PFM v4.3: Assumptions report [Page 48]

I misread it slightly - their assumption is that the Scotland-Birmingham train terminate there with the other going through Manchester in Phase 1. However, these are still just assumptions and so it would be entirely feasible for the future InterCity West Coast operator to decide to do something slightly different. Phase 2, as it introduces HS2 services to Birmingham from the North, stops all ICWC services going north beyond Wolverhampton.

 

[DarloRich]

tbh I think it would be worthless running HST trains between Plymouth and Edinburgh such a vast distance at 700 miles at their age. The Manchester to Bristol route would be more suited.

Why? This is exactly the sort of service the trains were devised for: Long distance intercity services :roll:

EC 125 run daily trips of around a 1000 miles and don’t seem to do badly. Unless you are suggesting old trains shouldn’t run long distances.

 

[Tracky]

Possibly the easiest station to barrier does not seem to be on the list.

Warrington Bank Quay is very leaky in revenue terms with a lot of ticketless travel up to Wigan and Preston. The station operator would also take a considerable number of uncollected fares from Earlestown and Runcorn East, Frodsham and on busy services Helsby.

 

[northwichcat]

Don't agree at all why run a DMU 300 miles under the wires for no reason.

Virgin stated a few years back they can't justify only using electric trains on Scottish services as they need to be able to divert on to non-electrified trains as replacement coaches need to be an absolute last resort. With more diversionary routes being electrified and a more suitable model of loco being offered to them it seems they would be now happy to use only Pendolinos if they had some locos for hauling trains over diversionary routes and to non-electrified destinations.

 

[Starmill]

Possibly the easiest station to barrier does not seem to be on the list.

Warrington Bank Quay is very leaky in revenue terms with a lot of ticketless travel up to Wigan and Preston. The station operator would also take a considerable number of uncollected fares from Earlestown and Runcorn East, Frodsham and on busy services Helsby.

"Uncollected fares" from Earlestown or Newton-le-Willows ought to be prosecutions as far as I can see - those stations are staffed at all times. Much less so little unstaffed Frodsham or under-staffed Runcorn East.

 

[northwichcat]

"Uncollected fares" from Earlestown or Newton-le-Willows ought to be prosecutions as far as I can see - those stations are staffed at all times. Much less so little unstaffed Frodsham or under-staffed Runcorn East.

Well it does seem Earlestown has a small ticket office with a single window and no TVM, so there could be times when there's no sign of ticket selling staff or where the queue is very long and people get told they can buy on board.

 

[Starmill]

Well it does seem Earlestown has a small ticket office with a single window and no TVM, so there could be times when there's no sign of ticket selling staff or where the queue is very long and people get told they can buy on board.

It seems like a candidate for a TVM to speed the simple queries along I do agree. I wonder if anyone ever does get told to buy on board.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

...it seems they would be now happy to use only Pendolinos if they had some locos for hauling trains over diversionary routes and to non-electrified destinations.

Like the 57/3s?

 

[GatwickDepress]

As a start to their extended franchise, how about employing the OBM to walk down the train with a bin bag every so often? Whether I board at Oxenholme, Nuneaton, or Milton Keynes Central, there's more rubbish on the rear seat racks and floors than the average Channel 5 schedule.

I'm sure Virgin will keep putting a good spin on it all though, and continue to offload passengers onto other TOCs as soon as a signal stays red for longer than three minutes.

I have no idea why I'm feeling so vindictive towards Virgin Trains tonight...

 

[tsr]

I have no idea why I'm feeling so vindictive towards Virgin Trains tonight...

If it's to do with the lengthy delay last night, that was almost all LM's fault Just so happened that a couple of VT services via MKC were heavily delayed.

 

[Starmill]

Almost all of VTs trains have cleaners onboard... not something that can be said for most TOCs!

 

[GatwickDepress]

If it's to do with the lengthy delay last night, that was almost all LM's fault Just so happened that a couple of VT services via MKC were heavily delayed.

It might've been the delayed Manchester train a few days ago, where I sat down in a carriage full of litter and had something horrible drip down from the luggage rack. I changed seats immediately.

Almost all of VTs trains have cleaners onboard... not something that can be said for most TOCs!

Do they work on all routes, or is it predominantly the longer distance ones?
I've travelled quite a lot with them and never seen any.

East Midlands Trains seem to come down all the carriages periodically, though it helps the train I usually get is a 5 car 222 and not a 9 car Pendolino!

 

[rebmcr]

Going up and down the full 350/4 route on the weekend, TPE had multiple trolley and rubbish runs on each journey.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Do they work on all routes, or is it predominantly the longer distance ones?
I've travelled quite a lot with them and never seen any.

Just about any Euston-Birmingham, Euston-Birmingham-Scotland and Euston-Scotland service I have been for as long as I can remember has had one, can't speak for the Chester, Liverpool or Manchester services though.

 

[Starmill]

Can't recall ever being on a Manchester train that didn't have one. They may be spending a lot of time in First? They were through there more regularly the one time I travelled First (which is understandable, because all the free stuff produces a lot of crap that needs binning).

 

[aylesbury2]

It might've been the delayed Manchester train a few days ago, where I sat down in a carriage full of litter and had something horrible drip down from the luggage rack. I changed seats immediately.



Do they work on all routes, or is it predominantly the longer distance ones?
I've travelled quite a lot with them and never seen any.

East Midlands Trains seem to come down all the carriages periodically, though it helps the train I usually get is a 5 car 222 and not a 9 car Pendolino!

Just last week I saw two on both legs of a Euston-Edinburgh Pendo via Birmingham return, and about a month ago I saw two again on a return to Chester on a SV. This leads me to belive that they are indeed on most services.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Going up and down the full 350/4 route on the weekend, TPE had multiple trolley and rubbish runs on each journey.

On recent TPE Newcastle-Liverpool runs, the conductor (not an extra cleaner or the trolley staff) was doing the rubbish pick up into Liverpool.
Never seen that before.

 

[northwichcat]

Like the 57/3s?

No a new type of diesel-electric loco that would be quicker to attach and detach than the 57/3s.

 

[aylesbury]

I have always seen cleaners on the Virgin trains I have travelled on and if there is a problem a quick visit to the train manager solved the problem .Chiltern has problem with this on rush hour trains and does nothing until the unit enters the depot.

 

[Bill Stanier]

Virgin do 'on train' cleaning for fast turn-around; no need to clean the train after the passengers leave and before the next lot join (at least at Manchester where I have seen an incoming late Pendolino turned around and off again back to Euston in 5 minutes!).

At Euston one often gets the message on the board 'Train being prepared'. I'm not sure why it's different at the London end unless they do a 'deeper' clean every time the train turns around at Euston.