What is so special about this particular train?

[JDi]

Hello everyone,

I think that I have spotted unusual trains on my travels.

I have saw this train lots of times (I travel a lot by train!) - always on either the East Coast Mainline or the Midland Mainline.

The main carriages were branded in the Virgin Trains East Coast red and White style, however, the ends of the trains (I don't think that is the correct technical term!) were branded as 'East Midlands Trains'.

This train has been like this for a long time - is this intentional?

Also, given how many times I have saw it, am I right in thinking that there may be more than one train like this?

What is so special about this train? I always look out for it on my travels!

Also, last Saturday, why was an East Midlands Train HST (fully branded as an EMT HST) doing an Edinburgh - Doncaster journey on the ECML?!

 

[JDi]

EDIT *I think that I have spotted an unusual train on my travels...

 

[Sirgerbil]

Borrowed power cars/set. Operating as VTEC services.

 

[JDi]

Are VTEC and EMT both owned by Stagecoach? Is that why they can lend to each other with such ease?

 

[ScottDarg]

Are VTEC and EMT both owned by Stagecoach? Is that why they can lend to each other with such ease?

Yes, but it's not unusual for operators run by different companies to loan stock to each other. During the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, TPE (First) were loaned some Class 350s from London Midland (Govia) to double up Manchester - Scotland services.

I think more examples were given in a thread recently.

 

[JDi]

Yes, but it's not unusual for operators run by different companies to loan stock to each other. During the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, TPE (First) were loaned some Class 350s from London Midland (Govia) to double up Manchester - Scotland services.

I think more examples were given in a thread recently.

Do TOCs have to pay each other to loan stock or is it a given that all TOCs would help each other out if needed?

Would a TOC have the right to refuse a request to loan items to another?

Are different TOCs actually rivals or in reality, are they all on the same team?

 

[pdeaves]

Do TOCs have to pay each other to loan stock or is it a given that all TOCs would help each other out if needed?

Would a TOC have the right to refuse a request to loan items to another?

Are different TOCs actually rivals or in reality, are they all on the same team?

Yes, TOCs pay each other for stock loans (even when they are part of the same group; it's a franchise requirement to account these things properly).
Yes, TOCs can refuse a loan. Their own business comes first and if they don't have spare stock they won't lend it. If they do have spare stock they are likely to respond favourably if they can earn an income from it.
Yes, TOCs are rivals and yes, they are the same team! It all depends on the situation. In a non-rolling stock context I have spoken on behalf of other operators before to ensure the 'overall railway' works for the better. If 'other TOC' runs smoothly then 'my TOC' won't be adversely affected.

 

[Silver Cobra]

The daily VTEC service to and from Hull is always operated by an HST set with two East Midlands Trains power cars (unless a set-swap occurs, but that's pretty rare for this service), so as such is the most common occurrance of this.

[url=https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/frequently-requested-diagrams-thread.84997/#post-1797249]This post here[/URL] has a list of services this particular set is most frequently used on.

 

[Bedpan]

Yes, but it's not unusual for operators run by different companies to loan stock to each other. During the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, TPE (First) were loaned some Class 350s from London Midland (Govia) to double up Manchester - Scotland services.

I think more examples were given in a thread recently.

Think of the Southern units (319s and 377s) running on the Thameslink route before the 700s came along, or, in the early 2000s, Project Rio when Midland Mainline operated a St Pancras to Manchester service during the WCML upgrade - to enable this they had to borrow HST sets from Virgin Cross Country, and I remember seeing a Great Western set more than once, and possibly a GNER set although I'm not 100% sure about the latter.