Indeed, thanks. Looks like the 15:25 from Plymouth formed off the 06:06 from Edinburgh as booked (so both were HST) and the 17:25 came out of Laira with the set that had done the 06:20 York-Plymouth earlier in the day. That's two HSTs at Neville Hill overnight so S51 will hopefully be good tomorrow.
! I'm going for 5 nights but on a day where I can catch either an HST or double Voyager back to Oxford any South West-bound train from Edinburgh via Birmingham New Street where the 65-70 minute trip is on a 4 or 5-car Voyager rather than the 5-hour stretch which I'm aware could be a single Voyager substituting for a longer train.Wow, all week and a Saturday???! I was told it was just Fridays. That's good if it's all week -
I know you've just said Saturdays is from Newquay.
If that's all week (including next year) - I may have to go on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday to Edinburgh
I'd catch an LNER to Newcastle, Darlington or York. Problem is, if my seat is backwards to Birmingham New Street there may not be many good alternatives - whether as if I change at New Street, then I'll stick with my seat reservation.
Backwards trips on Voyagers isn't bad but more preferable on a more spacious train or for up to say 60-70 minutes / not too long on a Voyager.
. I meant I'd catch an HST or double Voyager to Birmingham New Street then one of the regular 4 or 5-car Voyager trains from there back to Oxford.Ah no, sorry If I confused you there
In late InterCity swallow days / early Virgin Trains days, an HST to and from Oxford and Edinburgh, straight through, would've been possible and so much easier too - especially as there would've been plenty of seats to reserve too!
It's not booked all week.
As 221129 has said it is very unlikely to be all week (as much as I would like it to be). Looking at RTT the HST timing load is attached to Fridays only which this probably allows the HST to go from Plymouth to Edinburgh ready for the service on Saturday. Going the other way it looks like the 0632 Dundee to Plymouth might be a HST on Mondays and Fridays.
I got the information last week from a Plymouth XC driver at Exeter. He didn't say it was Friday/Saturdays only, but perhaps that is the case. He also mentioned to me that XC is close to procuring a 6th HST set as well, I think the final decision resides with the DfT, so that could go either way with that lot.
Means anything. Looking at the empty workings from Laira a separate 5C09 only works on Fridays so it is very likely to be a voyager Monday to Thursday as it comes out with another set which makes a Scotland service from Plymouth.
It's possibly possible to be Monday to Saturday with a 6th set as this gives a set for maintenance almost every day but at the moment the only maintenance in the summer is between Monday and Thursday as all 4 sets (set 5 would be at Doncaster) in use Friday to Sunday.
Well all I know is that XC have requested a 6th set, its in negotiation, but the final decision will be made by the DFT, so don't hold your breath. As a matter of fact, XC want more HST's for the South West to be able to run more services during stormy weather along the Dawlish coast. XC want to operate more HST's on the SW-NE corridor for this purpose and to free up more Voyagers to strengthen other services to/from Manchester, Newcastle to Reading and Bournemouth...watch this space....
Lucky it got that far tbh.
No it won't.
Still Isn't booked a HST from the new timetable regardless...
Another 1 (or even more) HSTs for XC would be really welcome. It seems bonkers that we have off-lease HSTs in storage whilst XC passengers are suffering horrendous overcrowding on 4 car voyagers. It might also allow more maintenance on the existing fleet to be carried out. Reliability does seem to have taken a bit of a hit recently.
