Virgin Trains: Manchester to Birmingham direct

[work-traveller]

Can anyone offer a answer as to why Virgin Trains operates a (once) daily service from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston via Birmingham New Street? Clearly the Wolves/Stafford/New St stops are served direct from Manchester by multiple Crosscountry Trains every hour, so I wondered if it's some legal point that is being adhered to. Something akin to a Parliamentary service for example.

 

[MCR247]

I think it replaces an XC between Manchester and Birmingham. Maybe a hangover from VXC?

 

[cle]

Might be route knowledge for VT drivers, although they do similar on the London - Birmingham - Scotland.

 

[1E05]

I would be inclined to agree with CLE above and say it's to refresh route knowledge

 

[telstarbox]

Do all the Pendolinos go back to Longsight TMD overnight, or are some of them stabled elsewhere on the network?

 

[northwichcat]

Under Virgin XC there was also a daily morning work from Birmingham to Edinburgh via Stockport.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Do all the Pendolinos go back to Longsight TMD overnight, or are some of them stabled elsewhere on the network?

pendo and voyager sets that end up in Scotland go to Polmadie, do units finishing at EUS go to Wembly?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Do all the Pendolinos go back to Longsight TMD overnight, or are some of them stabled elsewhere on the network?

Polmadie, Edge Hill, Longsight, Oxley and Wembley all stable 390s overnight. 2 also stay in Euston on Sundays only.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
For completeness, Voyagers go to Central Rivers near Burton, Crewe LNWR, Holyhead and Polmadie.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I think it replaces an XC between Manchester and Birmingham. Maybe a hangover from VXC?

Wasn't it something about paths through Stockport as a result of the VHF timetable?
I think VT and XC swapped paths to avoid a conflict somewhere.
XC normally operate via Macclesfield but still have an early path via Wilmslow.
The VT 390 working also gets a Longsight set into the West Midlands for a Birmingham-Euston service.

 

[AJP62]

This service has been running since 2003 at least so pre-dates pendos and VHF and possibly the enhanced XC service.

Times aren't suitable for Manchester - Brum commute so perhaps Oxley can't accommodate all the EBW sets and one stays at Lonsight overnight?

 

[sprinterguy]

Times aren't suitable for Manchester - Brum commute

It is very popular for morning commuters to Coventry from Stafford and Manchester according to what the Train Manager was telling a group of us onboard one morning.

 

[M60lad]

I know that the there's one Pendalino service that finishes at Preston then runs ECS back to Wembley:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/schedule/P50219/2013-06-14/

 

[Jeni]

While the XC services on either side offer me better connections at the Birmingham end, I usually try to get this one as you don't get crammed in like sardines!

I've always thought that running services along these lines would be better:

Virgin:
2tph Euston - Birmingham
1tph Euston - Crewe - Manchester (direct)
1tph Euston - Stoke - Manchester (direct)
1tph Euston - Birmingham - Wolves - Stoke - Manchester

Crosscountry:
1tph South East - Birmingham - Crewe - Liverpool (Replacing one of the London Midland Liverpool services)
1tph South West - Birmingham - Stoke - Manchester

London Midland:
1tph Birmingham - Liverpool
1tph Birmingham - Manchester (stopper)

It maintains current frequencies (though Manchester loses 1 fast train from Euston, but I don't think that'd be a *massive* loss), while allowing extra through trains.

Losing a direct Manchester - South East train I don't feel would be that much of an inconvenience, it never seems like there are too many people travelling beyond Birmingham (nowhere near as many as stay on for the south west services).

It would free up units for Virgin and LM to use elsewhere, perhaps LM would then be able to run that Birmingham - Manchester stopper that keeps getting talked about.

 

[Philip Elliott]

This service has been running since 2003 at least so pre-dates pendos and VHF and possibly the enhanced XC service.

Times aren't suitable for Manchester - Brum commute so perhaps Oxley can't accommodate all the EBW sets and one stays at Lonsight overnight?

You are right that it pre-dates VHF but its' main purpose is to assist XC these days. The Voyager that would otherwise work it is used to work the morning Nottingham - Bournemouth which allows a re-jig of the 170s to create an additional morning train from Leicester into Birmingham.

 

[SprinterMan]

This service used to be shown on VT's route map (2008), but isn't anymore despite still running. Does anyone know why?

Adam

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I believe that represented an earlier Brum-Manchester service which ended about 2-3 years ago, not the still currently existing later service. It was rather early in the morning ex-new St IIRC.

 

[SprinterMan]

I believe that represented an earlier Brum-Manchester service which ended about 2-3 years ago, not the still currently existing later service. It was rather early in the morning ex-new St IIRC.

Bingo. Just had a look, and as you say, there is a 0620 Birmingham New Street to Manchester Piccadilly, which no longer runs today. And since the journey was no longer possible in both directions, the line was taken off the map, simplifying it considerably.

Adam