Virgin Trains

[Stuharris 6360]

Virgin cancels all services on West Coast next Monday & Tuesday due to strike!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32812606

[the trainbasher]

To quote a Mr J Clarkson...

How dare they go on strike when they've got these gilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed while the rest of us have to work for a living?

[Stuharris 6360]

To quote a Mr J Clarkson...

How dare they go on strike when they've got these gilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed while the rest of us have to work for a living?

All unions have now cancelled the strike and services will operate as normal.

and as for Mr J Clarkson he would still have a BBC pension if he hadn't........ well we all know that story!!!

[Stuharris 6360]

Thanks to Virgin Trains being very generous with compensation at the moment, I treated myself to a First Class ticket to Lomdon on Friday and boy was it a good day out.

Caught the 05:34 from Sandwell & Dudley and was greeted by a young lady asking if i wanted tea or coffee. The breakfast was absolutely superb, and on the return journey Sandwiches, crisps, nuts, cakes fruit and lager. Brilliant day, only problem was the return journey was a Voyager  but we were still 5 early into Coventry and 4 early into Sandwell & Dudley.

Would rthoroughly recommend it!

[JoNi]

Coventry travel centre is coming back to life!
https://www.flickr.com/gp/92409298@N06/44J4fw

[mikestone]

But only so they can close the booking office and make passengers buying tickets for the next train queue behind two people buying railcards and somebody who needs to have ten ticketing options explained twice.

[JoNi]

Is Stafford the only station which still has Virgin trains Gold, Orange and Purple zones on platforms?

[Trident 4194]

Am I right in saying it's unusual to see a pendolino doing EUS to Edingburgh, when the train before was a voyager doing EUS to BHM?

[Tony]

Am I right in saying it's unusual to see a pendolino doing EUS to Edingburgh, when the train before was a voyager doing EUS to BHM?

No, you are not right.

[Trident 4194]

No, you are not right.

Thanks for the response much appreciated

[Stuharris 6360]

Thanks for the response much appreciated

For quite a while now, the service has been EUS to EDB via BHM, SAD & WVH although I understand that the SAD stop is now being considered to be withdrawn to allow faster journey times, although I have used the SAD stop numerous times and I always find it well used.

[markcf83]

When I was in Birmingham recently and travelled to London on the Friday night,the train I caught was from Edinburgh and was a 11 car Pendelino.

[Tony]

When I was in Birmingham recently and travelled to London on the Friday night,the train I caught was from Edinburgh and was a 11 car Pendelino.

The London to Glasgow and Edinburghs via Birmngham are a mix of Pendolinos and 10 car Voyagers. There are a few Birminghams booked 5 car voyage, so nothing unusual with the sighting. There are also the Euston-Shrewsburys, some of which start off as a 10 car voyager, dropping 5 off at New Street, or Southbound joining onto 5. The 16:30 from Birmingham is like that

[mikestone]

On Mondays to Fridays the 11.43 Euston-Glasgow is a single voyager, as is the 12.43 Monday to Thursday, while the 16.43 is only a pair to New St.
In the opposite direction the 05.50 from Glasgow attaches at Wolves and the 10.00 is a single set throughout.

[Trident 4194]

The voyager I saw was the 15:33 from International to New Street