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Most annoying aspect of travelling on Virgin Trains

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Puffing Devil

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Window seats with no window

I like this. Travelling 2/3 times a week I pick out the non-window window seat when I don't have a reservation as I'm pretty much guaranteed to get both seats to myself. All I want to do is settle down with Netflix for 90 minutes. I've seen what's out of the window plenty of times before now.

I like the rest of the set-up, normally running to time with minimal Virgin errors (train faults, etc). I'm not looking forward to the replacement.
 

VT 390

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Window seats with no window
This is definitely one of the most annoying things especially as quite a few windows are taken up by luggage racks instead of seats.
 

nlogax

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I like this. Travelling 2/3 times a week I pick out the non-window window seat when I don't have a reservation as I'm pretty much guaranteed to get both seats to myself. All I want to do is settle down with Netflix for 90 minutes. I've seen what's out of the window plenty of times before now.

Agree. If you're a regular passenger the view means less with every journey. If you really want a window seat, reserve one.
 

VT 390

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This is not made easy by no TOC marking windows on their seating plans.
I agree with this but Virgin Trains are much better than some operators at least showing on their online seat selector which seats have a limited/no view (you can also download the seating plan with this on).
LNER used to mark windows on their HST and 225 sets but not on the new trains.
 

VT 390

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Can you do that with an advance ticket?
Yes and if you book through the Virgin Trains website you can pick the exact seat you want on whatever ticket type you have chosen.
 

al78

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Yes and if you book through the Virgin Trains website you can pick the exact seat you want on whatever ticket type you have chosen.

Thanks, that's useful to know. Years ago when I bought advance tickets traveling to Manchester, I assumed I had to take whatever was allocated, and I went through a period when I regularly got one of the few seats without a window.
 

nlogax

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Thanks, that's useful to know. Years ago when I bought advance tickets traveling to Manchester, I assumed I had to take whatever was allocated, and I went through a period when I regularly got one of the few seats without a window.

If you've already bought a ticket online from Virgin without a reservation you can give 'em a call up until the day before travel to request a specific seat for your journey. No guarantee they'll have what you're looking for but it's also another option.
 

VT 390

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When selecting seats on Virgin Trains I do use the information that their online seat selector gives but before hand I look at this seating plan to get a good idea of which seats have a view, it is also useful if you don't have a reservation to have the best chance at getting a seat with a view.
 

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boxy321

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A few weeks ago I arrived back home at Coventry after work with the rain pouring down on the evening of a Spice Girls gig at the Ricoh Arena. The TM helpfully instructed the passenger hoards attending the concert to buy a poncho from Go Outdoors adjacent to the station, as it would be cheaper than doing so when they got there.

Go Outdoors is in Canley which Virgin certainly doesn't stop at.
 

geoffk

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And at stations the ATOS Anne special VT add on about "you can find the shop in coach C for delicious......"
That one does annoy me when waiting at Wigan NW or Warrington BQ although I'm usually there only for photographs.
 

kristiang85

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DISLIKES
- Pokey, almost claustrophobic cabins (they are so dark!).
- That stench.
- The "beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep" at random times. Though this seems less often these days.
- The regularity of seat reservations breaking.
- The cost - even booking 2-3 months in advance now, I can't seem to get a London-Liverpool return for less than £80 for a weekend trip (its a regular for me), and no splitting opportunities. Only 5-6 years ago I remember I'd pay under £30 if I was organised. Manchester is worse, but I don't go as regularly (I've started flying there now anyway, as hideous as it is for the environment).
- Delay repay when not bought from Virgin directly is a real pain.
- Platform staff are among the ruder ones I've come across in the UK over all TOCs, but maybe because I usually travel Virgin at weekends they are having bad days with weekend travellers.

LIKES:
- The crew always seem pretty helpful and cheery (I don't mind that like some here).
- The smooth ride on the lines I use, it is a dream compared to my normal commute in SWR land.
- Delay repay effiency when you book directly with Virgin.

Err... that's it.
 

GodAtum

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I do wonder what the "beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep" is?
I hate the narrow 1st class seats.
I hate the drunk stag and hen parties in the quiet carriage.
 

headshot119

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I do wonder what the "beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep" is?
I hate the narrow 1st class seats.
I hate the drunk stag and hen parties in the quiet carriage.

There's different reasons for it, I'm sure a member of shop staff said the pattern is different depending on what sets it off. Call for aids, emergency alarm, door egress, and guard > driver all trigger it.
 

sprunt

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How many of the things listed here, both pro and con are actually a function of the franchise being run by Virgin?

The annoying zaniness (talking toilets, rhyming shop attendants et al) clearly are.
The prices are - it doesn't seem that long ago that it was possible to get Advances between Manchester and London for £13, now anything less than £30 is a major result.

The faster journeys than were previously possible on the WCML - well, the line would have been upgraded whoever the TOC was, wouldn't it?
The issues with the trains (small windows, poor luggage storage, tilting if it bothers you, smelly toilets) - isn't it the DfT that specifies the trains? If so, again the issues would have been there with or without Virgin.

Does anybody know (and is in a position to share) whether there are any operational decisions Virgin make that distinguish their services from others? I don't use them that often (4-5 times a year) and the actual operation seems fine - I can't remember when I last had a train cancelled or significantly delayed - I don't think I've ever done a delay repay claim from them, unlike some of our other long distance operators.
 

StaffsWCML

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How many of the things listed here, both pro and con are actually a function of the franchise being run by Virgin?

The annoying zaniness (talking toilets, rhyming shop attendants et al) clearly are.
The prices are - it doesn't seem that long ago that it was possible to get Advances between Manchester and London for £13, now anything less than £30 is a major result.

The faster journeys than were previously possible on the WCML - well, the line would have been upgraded whoever the TOC was, wouldn't it?
The issues with the trains (small windows, poor luggage storage, tilting if it bothers you, smelly toilets) - isn't it the DfT that specifies the trains? If so, again the issues would have been there with or without Virgin.

Does anybody know (and is in a position to share) whether there are any operational decisions Virgin make that distinguish their services from others? I don't use them that often (4-5 times a year) and the actual operation seems fine - I can't remember when I last had a train cancelled or significantly delayed - I don't think I've ever done a delay repay claim from them, unlike some of our other long distance operators.

All virgin brand have the brand image.

The line probably wouldn't have been upgraded had Virgin not pressurised Railtrack based on the Pendolinos chosen. I think Virgin/Branson were relatively influential in this train order but, they have long been since (2002 I think) and in my opinion are still the best trains operating on the UK network in terms of speed/service/ride.
 
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kevin_roche

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When selecting seats on Virgin Trains I do use the information that their online seat selector gives but before hand I look at this seating plan to get a good idea of which seats have a view, it is also useful if you don't have a reservation to have the best chance at getting a seat with a view.

Interesting thing about those plans is that the seats with the view have the power points. I would have thought the ones without the view might need them more.
 

nlogax

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Interesting thing about those plans is that the seats with the view have the power points. I would have thought the ones without the view might need them more.

Can't speak for others but if I'm intending on using a phone or tablet for the best part of four and a half hours I make sure I have a power bank with me. Not that such a duration is a real problem for devices these days.
 

gordonthemoron

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The main reason I like window seats on Pendolinos is that they give you more space, I don't bother looking out of the window much
 

VT 390

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Interesting thing about those plans is that the seats with the view have the power points. I would have thought the ones without the view might need them more.
Yes I have noticed that as well and at least in Standard class I think it is because only table seats have Power Points and they usually line up with windows quite well, though I don't know why only table seats have them.
 

furgus2

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I do generally enjoy the experience of travelling on Virgin Trains for all of the positive reasons mentioned throughout this thread. Yes, aspects of the experience are irritating but the good generally outweighs the bad. True, I only tend to travel when I can sit in 1st class these days so maybe that clouds my vision somewhat.

However, my biggest criticism are the overly repetitive auto announcements. In the early years of the Pendolinos, these were used quite rarely but these days I’d guess that well over 90% of times they are switched on. I’ve travelled nearly every day for the past two weeks on VT services and they drove me to distraction.

You get welcomed twice at each station each time with a full listing of every station to be called at. Then, and this is a recent unwelcome addition, there is “that” security message which has infected so much of the rail network. This is followed by the “Beam” message. To get all this at every station call seems very ott to me.

In contrast, one train manager I came across earlier this week had them switched off. Instead, at each station, we were given useful information about connections etc in a much more professional but personal manner.
 

Clip

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Im just annoyed now that they have taken out the radio function from the pendolinos. Thats all - they run a good reliable(when i use them) service and its just a train at the end of the day
 
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