X country half train locked

[tfw756rider]

I can only assume they XC drag locked out rolling stock around because for it's next working the pair of units might actually be fully staffed ..

Sometimes the locked-out unit gets reinstated mid-journey, such as at Birmingham (on the usual services that don't terminate there).

 

[Tetragon213]

Sometimes the locked-out unit gets reinstated mid-journey, such as at Birmingham.

Iirc New Street is usually where crew changes happen, so it would make sense that they can put on crew there.

 

[SwindonManor]

True, but 15 minutes (potentially) packed like sardines on the Northern Line is better than an hour and a half (potentially) packed like sardines on an XC Voyager . Plus the tube often isn't too crowded in the middle of the day

Elizabeth Line is my favourite, albeit it is sometimes busy and only links some major stations - (I know not a tube but yea)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Apr 2026 ==

What could possibly go wrong with putting Manchester Piccadilly on the side of the late running 1501 to Macclesfield? It went 10 mins before the 1601 Manchester service, no staff in sight so I'm sure there will be a few upset people once they realise.

The 1601 to Manchester is standing room and stinks. Absolutely fed up with this service.

Why are you surprised?

Let's all hope that they do get included in the nationalisation, can't see why not, then again some operators are staying I believe like Lumo. Especially as they are planning ahead for the next few years, e.g trains from Paddington to Torbay - to compete with GWR, like how they compete with LNER, and also Avanti (soon when their WCML route opens to Stirling from London Euston)

Avanti gets a bad rap too, but they're a damn sight better than XC, atleast they're trying to improve (and have trains of more than 4 or 5 coaches)

 

[GoneSouth]

Nobody gets free alcohol in XC first class, it's not part of the food and drink offer.

​

It should be given the outrageous ticket cost!

To be fair, their food and drink offering is a joke anyway. unreliable and only available in half of the train. What about the first class passengers in the non catered section, hope they can request a refund for non delivery of advertised services.

 

[zwk500]

My understand is that that is how it used to work and then the XC top management unilaterally decided to "demote" the catering staff so they could no longer be the only person in one of the units (to save a small amount of money presumably?). That's certainly been reported on this forum. This is why I'm hoping that the top management will be out on their ear next October, and the catering staff might be re-instated to their former level.

It's also been reported on this forum that the company wanted to return to the catering staff looking after the other half of the train.

Staff on non-ganwayed sets

I frequently see cross-country voyager GWR 801s that are two sets coupled together with no gangway between the two units. How are the staff distributed when there are two units like this coupled together? How do they reach all passengers? Are there two sets of trolley staff? A guard in one unit...

www.railforums.co.uk

XC now require a Train Manager to be in each set on a double Voyager. If not one set gets locked out. Catering staff such as myself used to be utilised as a “competent person” in the front set of only 1 Train Manager was available but that agreement came to an end.

Most catering staff didn’t mind doing it.
The company wants us to do it.
The union however, does not.

So perhaps we need a single sticky thread summarising what the various claims and positions actually are.