VTEC "Coach K locked out of use"

[ryan125hst]

I noticed on Virgin Trains East Coast's journey check earlier that on one service, Coach K was "locked out of use". The question is, do they actually physically lock coaches out of use on VTEC services?

The reason I ask is that doing so would prevent passengers in first class coaches L and M from getting complementary food as the kitchen is located in coach H. Likewise, what if there was a fault in coach D? Locking just that coach off would prevent passengers in coaches B and C from accessing the buffet car in coach H.

It's easy on, say, a Northern Rail service to lock a unit out of use, but it must cause issues on Intercity services such as this?

What would happen in this case?

 

[RoundNewcastle]

I noticed on Virgin Trains East Coast's journey check earlier that on one service, Coach K was "locked out of use". The question is, do they actually physically lock coaches out of use on VTEC services?

The reason I ask is that doing so would prevent passengers in first class coaches L and M from getting complementary food as the kitchen is located in coach H. Likewise, what if there was a fault in coach D? Locking just that coach off would prevent passengers in coaches B and C from accessing the buffet car in coach H.

It's easy on, say, a Northern Rail service to lock a unit out of use, but it must cause issues on Intercity services such as this?

What would happen in this case?

I've never recorded a VTEC or in the past East Coast coach being locked out so it must warrant a major problem in that coach or just could be a bad Human Spillage that closed the coach.
The set would've been taken out of service at the end of the service and replaced by another set.
First class would've been suspended to the displeasure of the First class customers.

 

[Mikey C]

Maybe it was a private block booking (e.g. a football team), though an end carriage would make more sense?

 

[moleman212]

One time on EC the first class quiet coach on a HST was out of use for passengers because it had no power (no lights were on). All reservations were moved into the next first carriage. They also couldnt serve hot drinks or hot meals to first class on that train.

 

[43367]

depends what the fault is if there are no lights then correctly the coach is not fit for use but crew will be allowed to walk through it, and its very rare that the whole coach is locked out completely otherwise it brings its own problems i.e. no access to the emergency equipment in the DVT.
The only exception to this is when coach B is locked out of use, as it is between Leeds-Skipton on Mk4 services due to platform lengths, if coach D D is locked out then coaches B and C would have to be too

 

[Ianno87]

I've never recorded a VTEC or in the past East Coast coach being locked out so it must warrant a major problem in that coach or just could be a bad Human Spillage that closed the coach.
The set would've been taken out of service at the end of the service and replaced by another set.
First class would've been suspended to the displeasure of the First class customers.

Not on the core ECML route, but on the evening run to Skipton the rearmost standard class car (after reversal at Leeds) gets locked out of use, due to the short platform at Keighley and/or Skipton.

 

[ryan125hst]

One time on EC the first class quiet coach on a HST was out of use for passengers because it had no power (no lights were on). All reservations were moved into the next first carriage. They also couldn't serve hot drinks or hot meals to first class on that train.

That was probably what happened. I can't remember if it said train fault for definite (I should have posted this straight away!) but I reckon it did.

I don't think it was a block booking as surely they would put them in coach M as you say Mikey C.

It's the first time I have heard of coach B being locked out between Leeds and Skipton so thanks for that 43367 and Ianno87

 

[Chrism20]

When I went to Leeds from King's Cross a few months ago K was out of use due to a heating issue. There were staff at both doors directing passengers to L&M and the same was repeated at every stop.

The full service was provided and the crew just walked through the empty K as normal.