Virgin Launches Blockade Runner

[Metroland]

Virgin Trains is to operate a direct Birmingham International - London Euston train service on key dates when the West Coast Main Line is blocked at Rugby and Milton Keynes. The Blockade Runners - using Class 221s – will travel non-stop through Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire via Leamington, Banbury, Bicester North, Gerrards Cross, Greenford, West Ealing and Willesden. They will be driven by Virgin Trains drivers, who will be route conducted by EWS drivers. VT train managers will work the services, which will also carry catering facilities. The blockade runners are expected to be a big hit with rail enthusiasts and those passengers who dislike substitute bus services. It will supplement the Pendolino shuttle service which will operate twice an hour to/from Northampton for coach connections which will serve Birmingham International. Virgin train services to Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland will operate from Birmingham International. Its all the idea of Virgin Trains’ genial Chief Operating Officer,Chris Gibb. ‘The upgrading of the West Coast Main line is essential to provide a state-of-the-art railway. We want to make travel during these route improvement works as painless as possible for our customers. That is why we have decided to provide this through train service,’ says Chris.

http://www.railwaypeople.com/rail-news-articles/virgin-launches-blockade-runner-1554.html

 

[richa2002]

Lol, they've only just thought of this?

 

[D306]

Took their bloody time. They could run them along the MML as well, thanks to the Marston Vale. Now that would be very interesting

 

[16CSVT2700]

Took their bloody time. They could run them along the MML as well, thanks to the Marston Vale. Now that would be very interesting

I doubt Voyagers are route-cleared for the Marston Vale.

 

[D306]

hmm. That burst my bubble. Probably not really, but virgin could run pendilinos from Bedford to St Pancras, meaning that one platform in Bedford would hold a pendilino, and a platform in St Pancras with another. It could work, but then again, it may not

 

[Julian G]

AT LAST, Common SENSE!

i agree with Richard A, they should had done this years ago,
I mean look at the olden days.... even some West Coast Passenger traffic was diverted to St.Pancras with the AC locos running between Bedford and London: I'm quite sure someone will provide more info on that


Anyways, training runs had began a little while ago

 

[yorkie]

'Project Rio' should never have stopped IMO.

It's a good idea. No-one likes buses!!

 

[Galvanize]

Have a HST starting at St Pancras, picking up at Luton or Bedford, then instead of going straight on, into Leicester, running through Hinkley, stop at Nuneaton, and again at Birmingham New Street, possible extensions to Wolverhampton!

Hardly difficult is it?!

But yeah, project rio was a fab service, much better than a sweaty claustrophobic pendo!

 

[voyagerdude220]

So does anyone possibly know when this will start?

I'd like to book on one of those services

I couldn't possbly think why though....

Could be something to do with the fact it'll be a fantastic Super Voyager!!!! 8) :razz:

 

[class 313]

Took their bloody time. They could run them along the MML as well, thanks to the Marston Vale. Now that would be very interesting

Good luck with paths south of Bedford!

 

[me123]

A good idea from Virgin. I'm looking forward to the upgrades; an hourly Glasgow to London service will certainly help lure air travelers onto the rails. I am however dispointed at the problems with the engineering work. I'm sure the planes'll get a large increase in passenger numbers as Glasgwegians turn their back on all this hastle. Let's face it, up in Glasgow no-one likes travelling anyway!

 

[Max]

Good luck with paths south of Bedford!

Are the fast lines really that congested?

 

[class 313]

Are the fast lines really that congested?

During the week they are.

Every fast FCC service should be on the fasts by Radlett Jnc going south if they are not on already, and from Kentish Town going north. Plus EMT... Sometimes the fast FCC services have to take the slow due to being late and missing paths and such...

 

[Techniquest]

So does anyone possibly know when this will start?

I'd like to book on one of those services

I couldn't possbly think why though....

Could be something to do with the fact it'll be a fantastic Super Voyager!!!! 8) :razz:

You're not the only one! This Voyager basher is rather keen on doing it too.

I see no dates mentioned yet, but hopefully it won't take too long. I'm picturing my Voyager coverage map, to have a Voyager down the Chilterns will be, shall we say, bizarre!

Of course, if it were to be HSTs I'd have been there like a shot, irrespective of anything else!

As for Project Rio, I agree with the others on that one, it was an incredibly useful service. If only we had it running still...

 

[The Planner]

They are not in the system yet as Virgin have only just bid for them. FGW havent thrown their toys yet as it involves them between Greenford and Acton, expect them to do so. It has also put WSMRs nose out of joint too. They will trundle along the Chilterns at the same speed as WSMR too, except they arent as comfy !!

 

[richa2002]

Good luck with paths south of Bedford!

There are paths seeing as the 1Q14 from Derby with 37/6s goes fast lines.

 

[class 313]

There are paths seeing as the 1Q14 from Derby with 37/6s goes fast lines.

few spare ones though.

 

[djw1981]

Could be something to do with the fact it'll be a fantastic Super Voyager!!!! 8) :razz:

Have you stopped taking your medication 8)

I guess this also means that the Brum-Glasgow services will be Pendo's those days to release the Voyagers.

 

[Snapper]

Are the fast lines really that congested?

They will be. The new VHF timetable sees a Virgin train leaving Euston every 4 minutes!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So does anyone possibly know when this will start?

I'd like to book on one of those services

I couldn't possbly think why though....

Could be something to do with the fact it'll be a fantastic Super Voyager!!!! 8) :razz:

28th June:

Voyager times during the blockades are as follows:

0900 and hourly until 2000 from Euston.

0945 and hourly until 1745 from Birmingham International.

Rugby does not close until 1000 on Saturdays so double Voyager sets will work from Wolves/Birmingham to Euston via the WCML, which will get sets into Euston to work north.

 

[87015]

They will be. The new VHF timetable sees a Virgin train leaving Euston every 4 minutes!

Apart from the 17 minute gap between the xx43 Wolves and xx00 Manchester?

Should be fun when the entire WCML of three or four trainloads tries to get on a 10-car Voyager once an hour at Euston/Int'l. People of Coventry will no doubt be pleased they have two operators services to London passing through which arn't stopping, very passenger friendly :roll:

As an aside, is NR paying for this by chance?

 

[devon_metro]

I think FGW have every right to throw their toys out, why should a problem else where affect FGW?

 

[The Planner]

Im personally waiting for the track engineers to get edgy about it all. There are 4 diverted freights down the Chilterns when Rugby is blocked and they get battered by 30mph TSRs which only apply when they run. Voyagers arent the lightest either, so 300 odd extra tonnes twice an hour isnt going to keep them happy.

 

[yorkie]

Im personally waiting for the track engineers to get edgy about it all. There are 4 diverted freights down the Chilterns when Rugby is blocked and they get battered by 30mph TSRs which only apply when they run. Voyagers arent the lightest either, so 300 odd extra tonnes twice an hour isnt going to keep them happy.

Network Rail have silly track access charges which do not reflect the true cost of damaging, overweight vehicles such as Voyagers and 185s.

NR only have themselves to blame for this. Until they fairly charge operators based on damage caused to track, TOCs will continue to use overweight DMUs and you will continue to have silly situations such as on the Hope Valley where trains go at slower speeds due to being overweight yet have to burn more fuel to accelerate faster in order to make up the time lost by running slower. It's crackers.

The reason many TOCs do not want loco haulage is because of unfairly high track access charges. Yet these lardbutt DMUs do more damage and aren't footing the bill.

 

[jopsuk]

Clearly what we need are carbon fibre trains.

No, really.

Of course, the problem there is material and construction cost. But the weight savings would be HUGE.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Just wait until one of these super new carbon-fibre trains crashes into something though, and you'll regret having a super light-weight train!

Just look at how 390 033 coped after derailing at 95 m.p.h at Lambrigg.....

It was very sad that one person died, but if it was an older MK3 set, goodness knows how many more would have died!!

This is why Voyagers and Pendos have all the pillars....

In the very, very, very, rare event of an emergency/crash/derailment, they may quite possibly save your life.....

 

[Techniquest]

Indeed, and I'd rather that than have a super-light train that could blow over in the slightest bit of wind.

 

[devon_metro]

Just wait until one of these super new carbon-fibre trains crashes into something though, and you'll regret having a super light-weight train!

Just look at how 390 033 coped after derailing at 95 m.p.h at Lambrigg.....

It was very sad that one person died, but if it was an older MK3 set, goodness knows how many more would have died!!

This is why Voyagers and Pendos have all the pillars....

In the very, very, very, rare event of an emergency/crash/derailment, they may quite possibly save your life.....

You make Mk3s sound unsafe, far from it!

Remarkably stable considering no metal pillars, lightweight body and no crumple zones. Just stay out of the Buffet!

 

[voyagerdude220]

But on FGW ref-HSTs, i'd probably only want to sit in the buffet, if it has unrefurbished FC seats in it.

 

[The Planner]

The reason many TOCs do not want loco haulage is because of unfairly high track access charges. Yet these lardbutt DMUs do more damage and aren't footing the bill.

They dont have a lot of choice now though. ATW want to tap into the seemingly endless supply of 67s to run a Holyhead Cardiff using the same set up as WSMR.

 

[Techniquest]

Arriva want a lot of things, but then they were going to get 180s which didn't happen. 67s on CDF - HHD runs will not happen either.