Virgin Trains services Saturday 3rd April

[oliverj8]

Hi,

I noticed that London - Birmingham/Wolverhampton services are being diverted via Nuneaton to Birmingham instead of Coventry or Birmingham International, will this be Pendolino drags or Voyager?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Drimnagh Road]

I would suspect a mixture of 221s and 57/390s.

A quick look on National Rail for trains between Euston and Birmingham between 09:30 and 14:00 gives two trains per hour, xx:20 and xx:47 (to Wolves).

The xx:20 is booked to call at Watford Junction and Milton Keynes with a journey time of 2:00, so clearly a Vomitter.

The xx:47 stops at Rugby only, with a dwell time of 12 minutes, which suggests the attachment of a 57, and a journey time of 2:15

That said, on the return the trains which call at Rugby (xx:10) are booked to stop for only 2 minutes, so maybe somebody from within can clarify?

 

[oliverj8]

Hi,

Does anyone know why it takes nearly 2 hours to travel between Crewe and Euston on May 1st on Virgin compared to the normal 1 hour 40ish? I have looked on NRE but can't find anything.

Thanks

 

[ChrisTheRef]

But it's all electrified through Nuneaton....?

Where do the wires disappear?

 

[Mojo]

But it's all electrified through Nuneaton....?

Where do the wires disappear?

Nuneaton to Coventry is not electrified, nor is the route via Water Orton

 

[oliverj8]

Nuneaton to Coventry is not electrified

Wouldn't that require the 57 to run round at Coventry? I think they will go through Water Orton because they're not timetabled to call at Coventry or Birmingham International.

 

[Mojo]

Wouldn't that require the 57 to run round at Coventry?

Yes, or come off at Coventry. Though I don't think we've decided whethere there will be any drags or not yet...

 

[Drimnagh Road]

The diversion route will definitly be going via Water Orton and directly into New Street.

Actually while we're at it are Pendolinos / Vomitters cleared Nuneaton-Coventry?

 

[Philip Elliott]

These services will all be 221s. All bar one will call at Nuneaton for crew changes. I don't know whether NRE are showing the correct times - they all had to be re-timed. 221s are passed for Nuneaton - Coventry as they are heading that way on Easter Sunday on Euston - Nuneaton via High Wycombe services!

 

[oliverj8]

These services will all be 221s. All bar one will call at Nuneaton for crew changes. I don't know whether NRE are showing the correct times - they all had to be re-timed. 221s are passed for Nuneaton - Coventry as they are heading that way on Easter Sunday on Euston - Nuneaton via High Wycombe services!

Have Virgin got enough 221s to do all those services? That is:
2tph Euston - Birmingham
1tph Euston - Chester/Holyhead
1tph Birmingham - Scotland

Or would some of the 390s that would normally do the Euston - Birmingham service be doing Birmingham - Scotland services?

 

[voyagerdude220]

221s are passed for Nuneaton - Coventry as they are heading that way on Easter Sunday on Euston - Nuneaton via High Wycombe services!

I've already done Nuneaton-Coventry on a Super Voyager last April (11-4-09 according to my booking history).

Has the route been cleared for Super Voyagers for a while now?

 

[Geezertronic]

The xx:20 is booked to call at Watford Junction and Milton Keynes with a journey time of 2:00, so clearly a Vomitter.

Why would it clearly be a Super Voyager? Just because of the journey time?

 

[Dreadnought]

Have Virgin got enough 221s to do all those services? That is:
2tph Euston - Birmingham
1tph Euston - Chester/Holyhead
1tph Birmingham - Scotland

Or would some of the 390s that would normally do the Euston - Birmingham service be doing Birmingham - Scotland services?

Birmingham - Scotland definitely Pendolino as I have tickets booked from New St - Preston and the seats allocated (without window view as usual :roll correspond with a 390 seating plan.

 

[Drimnagh Road]

Why would it clearly be a Super Voyager? Just because of the journey time?

If it were to be a drag - which we have now established it will not be - it wouldn't make any sense attaching a 57 at Milton Keynes, which is the last calling point of the xx:20 services.

 

[thefab444]

These services will all be 221s.

Do Virgin ever run 57+390 diversions these days, not heard of any for some time.

 

[oliverj8]

Birmingham - Scotland definitely Pendolino as I have tickets booked from New St - Preston and the seats allocated (without window view as usual :roll correspond with a 390 seating plan.

Does this mean that all these services will be Pendolinos?

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

With the way the catenary has been just recently, life on the whole WCML is one long drag... Sorry Old Timer!

 

[alex57601]

Do Virgin ever run 57+390 diversions these days, not heard of any for some time.

Hardly any nowadays. 221s being the preferred choice where possible.

 

[Drimnagh Road]

I've always wondered why Virgin never returned some of the 57s to Porterbrook post VHF been introduced.

 

[MCR247]

Well they are on-hire now to other TOCs

 

[dk1]

On the earlier subject of Voyagers on the Water Orton-Nuneaton route, this has been used by Cross Country as a diversionary route via Leicester to Derby. On some occasions Leicester has actually been a pick-up point & advertised on the departure screens.

 

[87015]

I've always wondered why Virgin never returned some of the 57s to Porterbrook post VHF been introduced.

Virgin signed up for a long lease deal.

 

[Mojo]

On the earlier subject of Voyagers on the Water Orton-Nuneaton route, this has been used by Cross Country as a diversionary route via Leicester to Derby. On some occasions Leicester has actually been a pick-up point & advertised on the departure screens.

Some time last year there was an all-stations (except Water Orton) Leicester service formed of a 4-car Voyager vice 170!

 

[38Cto15E]

I was at Nuneaton this morning and about 1110hrs a Voyager came off the Leicester line, through Platform 6 and over the top of the WCML, i assume an empty stock or route learning movement.