Virgin extension until 2017

[theshillito]

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.

I think it's to discourage people from boarding the train before they finish cleaning since they often arrive quite early into Euston prior to departure and they don't want the stampede to the train too early. Then again, leaving it until 2 minutes before departure before announcing the platform sometimes is probably the reason the stampede happens in the first place...

 

[northwichcat]

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.

They never use that message at Piccadilly for any operator, yet at the TPE managed terminus' you're always told not to board the train when it arrives on it's inbound service with the CIS showing the destination but 'Preparing' under the expected time.

 

[cjmillsnun]

Interesting that they don't seem to be gating Wolverhampton and Coventry!

IIRC Coventry has been gated before but they had to remove them.

 

[Lampshade]

Then again, leaving it until 2 minutes before departure before announcing the platform sometimes is probably the reason the stampede happens in the first place...

They also had the platform allocations removed from LDB/NRE, so they're actively choosing not to alleviate said stampede.

IIRC Coventry has been gated before but they had to remove them.

They found they were protecting Central's revenue more than their own, CT wouldn't contribute to running them so out they came.

 

[theshillito]

They also had the platform allocations removed from LDB/NRE, so they're actively choosing not to alleviate said stampede.

I think they still come up on Real Time Trains, so I have a slight advantage... Until they change the platform lol ??????

 

[Hellfire]

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.

They don't seem to do a deep clean at Euston. I board the 1630 to Glasgow early using Real Time Trains to get me to the right platform ahead of the stampede. The cleaners are on board but they just collect rubbish and give the toilet floors a quick mop over.

 

[Class 170101]

But presumably the set goes to Polmadie on arrival at Glasgow and is cleaned there?

 

[dk1]

They don't seem to do a deep clean at Euston. I board the 1630 to Glasgow early using Real Time Trains to get me to the right platform ahead of the stampede. The cleaners are on board but they just collect rubbish and give the toilet floors a quick mop over.

I would imagine the cleaners are very impressed with you doing that if it's not boarding yet.

 

[LowLevel]

I would imagine the cleaners are very impressed with you doing that if it's not boarding yet.

I kick people off my trains when they do that and lock the doors - it's impossible to clean the train quickly and effectively around crowds of people.

 

[Hellfire]

I kick people off my trains when they do that and lock the doors - it's impossible to clean the train quickly and effectively around crowds of people.

I'm not a crowd.

 

[dk1]

I kick people off my trains when they do that and lock the doors - it's impossible to clean the train quickly and effectively around crowds of people.

When i was a train announcer at Norwich in the 90s we would shout over the station PA "Would those passengers for the London service wandering up platform 2 return to the concourse immediatley. Pay attention to display screens" :roll:

 

[rebmcr]

I'm not a crowd.

You are part of a crowd though, and not distinct enough to get special treatment than all the other parts.

 

[Hellfire]

If it is an issue I'm sure the Virgin gate line staff would say so. If they are happy to check my ticket and cheerily wave me through, and the doors of the train are open, then there cannot be a problem. I have never been prevented from boarding early.

The cleaners are not cleaning in the true sense of the word, they just walk through and pick up loose rubbish. I make sure I don't get in the way.

 

[WCML]

Milton Keynes doesn't need any more VT services stopping in the morning peaks. Not sure about evenings however.

Part of the reason there is overcrowding is because VT stop some services there. Because they're quicker than the LM ones, MKC passengers choose the VT services rather than the LM ones.

The 0714 departure can get dangerously overcrowded if a 390/0 turns up which has frequently been the case recently. A 390/1 can cope, but I've been on some /0 services where there have been announcements requesting pax to vacate some coaches as they have been overloaded and the train won't move.

There's the 0717 LM service which stops at Leighton Buzzard only which takes 8 minutes longer to get to Euston and that will be sat on the slow line platforms with loads of space yet everyone piles onto the VT service.

People take umbridge with MKC passengers as many are completely uncivilised. I travel on VT services which pick up at Stafford, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth and Rugby. Commuters can board the train at these stations in a civilised manner, take notice of the quiet zone, don't fight for seats and don't spend the journey time into Euston shouting at each other or down their mobiles. MKC passengers however seem incapable of this on the 0714.

Surely a better solution would be to make all LM services 3 units and extend the Tring services to MKC?

 

[Carlisle]

I kick people off my trains when they do that and lock the doors - it's impossible to clean the train quickly and effectively around crowds of people.

Well said

 

[pablo]

I kick people off my trains when they do that and lock the doors - it's impossible to clean the train quickly and effectively around crowds of people.

You want a job?
You'd better treat your customers better if you want the same support next time around.

 

[Hellfire]

I kick people off my trains when they do that and lock the doors - it's impossible to clean the train quickly and effectively around crowds of people.

Obviously Virgin have a higher standard of customer service.

 

[rebmcr]

You want a job?
You'd better treat your customers better if you want the same support next time around.

They're not his customers yet! Just queue-jumpers.

The same sort of horrible person who makes stupid comments about a complete stranger getting fired, for no reason other than inflated self-entitlement.

Be nice!

 

[northwichcat]

Indeed; and Macclesfield but not Wilmslow!

Wilmslow is managed by Northern so unless they transfer management of the station to Virgin or Network Rail then I wouldn't expect it to be included.

 

[Starmill]

Wilmslow is managed by Northern so unless they transfer management of the station to Virgin or Network Rail then I wouldn't expect it to be included.

Quite, but that's nothing but a daft quirk of the system. They are two stations of similar size, similarly served by London trains that aren't that far from each other. I find it difficult to believe that it would be impartially sensible to gate one and not the other.

 

[northwichcat]

Quite, but that's nothing but a daft quirk of the system. They are two stations of similar size, similarly served by London trains that aren't that far from each other. I find it difficult to believe that it would be impartially sensible to gate one and not the other.

I imagine Chester & Wilmslow weren't put under the management of the West Coast franchise operator because they had a limited number of trains to/from London when the franchise was awarded and stayed under the management of ATW & Northern respectively when the 2008 WCML recast happened. Hartford had as many London trains as Wilmslow when Virgin took over West Coast services and if Hartford had transferred then Virgin would manage a station that they no longer call at.

 

[pt_mad]

I imagine Chester & Wilmslow weren't put under the management of the West Coast franchise operator because they had a limited number of trains to/from London when the franchise was awarded and stayed under the management of ATW & Northern respectively when the 2008 WCML recast happened. Hartford had as many London trains as Wilmslow when Virgin took over West Coast services and if Hartford had transferred then Virgin would manage a station that they no longer call at.

Yes makes you wonder whether Rugby would have been given to London Midland (Central or Silverlink) had the current service pattern been the same back then,