XC services Nottingham - Bournemouth

[Scott]

You can't just build a new fleet of (rubbish) trains!

The voyagers may be bad, but the super voyagers own. Maybe TOCs should revise where to use their rolling stock and use super voyagers on peak-time journeys and normal voyagers on other ones, instead of just giving one depot the super voyagers and another all the regular ones.

Unless they already do this. :-P

 

[Jordy]

Its not as simple as that, the off peak diagrams return working may be a peak one for example!

1 extra carriage is not the answer to all of the Voyager problems, although it is better than nothing!

 

[Scott]

Its not as simple as that, the off peak diagrams return working may be a peak one for example!

I'm sure that they'd be able to figure out a way to prevent this from happening. Afterall they employ people to create the perfect timetables for them. :-P

 

[Jordy]

It just isn't possible, there aren't enough units to keep shuffling them around ECS to get them in the right place for peak workings.

 

[Scott]

Ah well.

And is it just my PC, or are the forums playing up a bit? Like the smilies are becoming weird and my top post on this page has one of the smilies overlapping the text in the 1st line beneath the quote. :-?

Even in this post the smilie at the end of the paragraph above this line isn't where it should be.

 

[Jordy]

All fine here, must be a slow connection or similar problem at your end.

 

[Bayum]

No - think it's just your PC

Depressing times =/

 

[Scott]

Just my luck. :-P
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oops, I'd accidently pressed ctrl + - which decreases the size of everything on the page.

Is back working again now.

 

[Bayum]

Hahaha

Didn't even know it did that!

Loooool

 

[222001]

Voyagers aren't junk. IMO they're the best trains in england They just need to be made bigger for peak-time services. 1 extra carriage would be good enough TBH.

Have you ever seen the Class 222 Meridian. In my opinion they are the best trains in england. They are like the Voyagers but have a better interior! They look better I think too.

 

[Scott]

Yeah they do seem to be better than the Voyagers. :-P Currently there isn't any TOCs that use them near where i live though.

They're also only 4-car, which is smaller than the 5-car super voyagers, so they wouldn't help to fix the overcrowding problem.

 

[Bayum]

There are some 9 Car Meridians though...

And where do you live?

 

[222001]

Yeah they do seem to be better than the Voyagers. :-P Currently there isn't any TOCs that use them near where i live though.

They're also only 4-car, which is smaller than the 5-car super voyagers, so they wouldn't help to fix the overcrowding problem.

When introduced in 2005 they were either 9-car or 4-car. The 9-car Meridians were too long really (see this picture - http://wayfarer.fotopic.net/p19888695.html) so they were changed to 6 7-car and 16 5-car trains.

 

[Scott]

Newcastle. :-P

And if there are 7 aad 5 car trains they'd be perfect, however according to wiki First Hull only operate 4-car ones.

 

[222001]

Newcastle. :-P

And if there are 7 aad 5 car trains they'd be perfect, however according to wiki First Hull only operate 4-car ones.

Yes they do have 4 4-car ones. These are due to come to East Midlands Trains anytime soon apparently. The closest Meridians get to you is York at weekends. There isn't really that much overcrowding on them. I've only had to stand up on one once and I've travelled on them lots of times.

Note: This is the interior. Very nice in my opinion - http://anoraksia.ukgeeks.co.uk/p9241365.html

 

[Bayum]

First and only time I travelled on one out of St Pancras, was the last time. Train took the mick, and was crowded already, and then the announcer said that a train up ahead had been cancelled, so the fast service we were meant to be on, was cancelled once we reached the station where the train had failed, and we would be taking over the slow stopping service upto Sheffield...

 

[222001]

First and only time I travelled on one out of St Pancras, was the last time. Train took the mick, and was crowded already, and then the announcer said that a train up ahead had been cancelled, so the fast service we were meant to be on, was cancelled once we reached the station where the train had failed, and we would be taking over the slow stopping service upto Sheffield...

Not nice. Guess you were just unlucky there! I've never had a problem.

 

[Scott]

First and only time I travelled on one out of St Pancras, was the last time. Train took the mick, and was crowded already, and then the announcer said that a train up ahead had been cancelled, so the fast service we were meant to be on, was cancelled once we reached the station where the train had failed, and we would be taking over the slow stopping service upto Sheffield...

Sounds like voyagers are better than class 222s afterall. :-P

 

[222001]

Sounds like voyagers are better than class 222s afterall. :-P

Well 222s are more comfortable! And they about twice the amount tables. Voyagers are still good though.

 

[Jordy]

Enough of this Voyager vs Meridian vs everything else now please, its not what the thread was intended for.

 

[Techniquest]

Super Voyagers (221s) can tilt and are 5 cars rather than 4 (220s), however I think there is/was one or two 4 car 221s, just to confuse us!

221141, 142, 143 and 144 are 4-car Super Voyagers and were originally intended for use on the London to Holyhead route. Capacity was soon found to be way below demand, even in First Class, so they got used elsewhere (VXC I believe).

Scott: Nice to hear of yet another Voyager fan. But you should be aware that Newcastle is not exclusively served by 221s, it does get 220s on a regular basis.

Jordy: I've been on many uncrowded Voyagers. The 1700 Bristol Temple Meads to Newcastle (I got on at Birmingham New Street for York) I did on a mid-August 2006 Friday evening was fairly empty, motive power that day was 220001. That's the best example that comes to mind right now, I'll see if I can think of others.

222001: When I did 222021 from Derby to Long Eaton on 4th October, I must admit I sat down and thought "Hmm, they're not that bad then". But I still reckon my beloved Voyagers are superior. There's something about Meridians that I just don't like though.

 

[Jordy]

Jordy: I've been on many uncrowded Voyagers. The 1700 Bristol Temple Meads to Newcastle (I got on at Birmingham New Street for York) I did on a mid-August 2006 Friday evening was fairly empty, motive power that day was 220001. That's the best example that comes to mind right now, I'll see if I can think of others.

I don't need examples, I know that not every single service is packed, most are though.

 

[Techniquest]

Its very rare to get a non overcrowded (or at least busy) Voyager IMX!

That's what I read so I thought I'd shove in an example of a non-busy Voyager run. Always depends where you get it, what day, where you're going and where it's come from/going to, but all these people that moan that Voyagers are way overcrowded get on my pip, primarily because the majority of them are not 100% full and it's usually inconsiderate travellers who take up valuable seats (people sleeping across two or more seats gets on my nerves) that cause overcrowding!

 

[TEW]

Well if they were so bad, why would the main train companys such as virgin, XC and first use them? :-P

They aren't really the main train companies, they are all different, differnet services etc. And first don't even use Voyagers, they use Class 180s, Adelantes, which are much much better.

 

[Max]

They aren't really the main train companies, they are all different, differnet services etc. And first don't even use Voyagers, they use Class 180s, Adelantes, which are much much better.

If you were being penickety, you could say that First in the shape of Hull Trains use 222s, which are very much like Voyagers.

 

[222001]

That's what I read so I thought I'd shove in an example of a non-busy Voyager run. Always depends where you get it, what day, where you're going and where it's come from/going to, but all these people that moan that Voyagers are way overcrowded get on my pip, primarily because the majority of them are not 100% full and it's usually inconsiderate travellers who take up valuable seats (people sleeping across two or more seats gets on my nerves) that cause overcrowding!

I agree. Most are not full to overcrowding. Just have to watch out about 5PM peak time.

 

[devon_metro]

The 1700 Bristol Temple Meads to Newcastle (I got on at Birmingham New Street for York) I did on a mid-August 2006 Friday evening was fairly empty, motive power that day was 220001. That's the best example that comes to mind right now, I'll see if I can think of others.

And then the service behind, 1605 Paignton - North is booked for a super Voyager and is completely crammed full past Bristol

 

[37402]

They also have about four weeks for four more rakes of refurb HST stock to appear, which may be pretty hopeful thinking.

Two refurb rakes out.
Two in Wabtec which only need internal refurb rather than a full rewire so should take a shorter time. One arrived this week, one more advanced in the programme.

Apparently there is an option to use another HST set from somewhere which may be sat spare.

Virgin don't need the Voyagers until VHF finally kicks in proper so a deal may be reached for one or two to stay with XC if needed.

 

[LTJ87]

Not a great start this morning. The service was cancelled from Nottingham and ran from Derby due to over-running engineering works.

 

[LTJ87]

Not a great start this morning. The service was cancelled from Nottingham and ran from Derby due to over-running engineering works.

Tried the service on Friday. A much better way of getting from Nottingham to Birmingham. I guess adding Nottingham to this single southbound service was done for operational reasons, but it would be good see more of the main Crosscountry routes going through Nottingham.

Unfortunately it was cancelled again from Nottingham today.