VT Euston to Holyhead via Chester: two paths for the 1910 service

Hi,

RTT are showing a number of Virgin Trains, London Euston to Holyhead services shadowed by a service timed to leave Euston at the exact same time, but only as far as Chester, arriving at Chester a minute later but never seems to be activated.

For example:

19/06/19

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P58335/2019/06/19/advanced

1D93 1910 London Euston to Holyhead arriving Chester 2115.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P58684/2019/06/19/advanced

1Z93 1910 London Euston to Chester arriving Chester 2116.

I know the units divide at Chester and the front 4 or 5 cars carrying on to Holyhead and the remaining either return to Euston as a Chester to Euston service or go ECS to Crewe, but I am puzzled by this ‘ghost’ service...

Anyone got any explanation?

Thanks!

Isn't it just incase the service operates a single unit &/or to keep the internal unit mileage systems happy? Same applies to Shrewsbury units that attatch/detach enroute.

Isn't it just so that one can be activated if the service is 'restarted' by the unit waiting to attach?

Starmill said:

Isn't it just so that one can be activated if the service is 'restarted' by the unit waiting to attach?

Click to expand...

Happens all the time on the Liverpool-Norwich but just becomes a 'Z'.

There are similar Wolves-Euston "Q" paths at 07.24 and 09.45:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P58665/2019/06/20/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P58672/2019/06/20/advanced

These run in the paths of the 0639 Shrewsbury to London Euston and the 0549 Glasgow Central to London Euston both of which are Voyager operated.

As I understand it, it's a fudge to make the reservation system work better.

With the 1Z path, anyone travelling London-Chester (or part thereof) can be allocated a seat in the portion of the train that terminates and detaches at Chester. This ensures that more capacity is available for passengers who are genuinely travelling beyond Chester, by not clogging up the portion for Holyhead with reservations that don't need to be there.

Without it, I think you could end up in a situation where there are free seats London-Chester and free seats Chester-Holyhead, but no seats reservable for the whole journey.