2006 Murder on the Glasgow to Paignton train.

[PaxmanValenta]

I read that in May 2006 there was a stabbing on the 1010 Virgin train service form Glasgow to Paignton. The incident happened near Oxenholme Lake District.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-415710/Student-stabbed-heart-stepping-domestic-row.html

...Thomas Grant, 19, had just finished the first year of a history and Arabic degree at St Andrews University and was returning to his family home in Churchdown, Gloucestershire, for summer, when he was stabbed by Thomas Lee Wood, Preston Crown Court heard. His murderer had just been freed from prison for burglary.

Thomas Lee Wood, 22, who pleaded guilty to the murder of student Thomas Grant on a train, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years before he can be considered for parole.

Mr Wood, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, stabbed Thomas Grant, 19, once in the chest on the 10.10 Virgin train from Glasgow to Paignton in Devon as it passed through Tebay, Cumbria on May 27....

I know the train was a class 220/221 Voyager does anyone know what the train number and/or name was and if its still in service? And if so with what TOC?

If not does anyone know where you can find what train formations were used on specific services.

I'm interested as I'm thinking of writing a non-fiction book.

Thanks in advance.

 

[6Gman]

I read that in May 2006 there was a stabbing on the 1010 Virgin train service form Glasgow to Paignton. The incident happened near Oxenholme Lake District.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-415710/Student-stabbed-heart-stepping-domestic-row.html

I know the train was a class 220/221 Voyager does anyone know what the train number and/or name was and if its still in service? And if so with what TOC?

If not does anyone know where you can find what train formations were used on specific services.

I'm interested as I'm thinking of writing a non-fiction book.

Thanks in advance.

Since no Voyagers have been withdrawn then the vehicles involved will still be in service.

I doubt anyone would wish to share the identity of the vehicle even if known. What purpose would be served?

 

[ainsworth74]

No Voyagers have been scrapped so the vehicle and unit in question will almost certainly still be in service (two driving vehicles are currently stored but could be easily returned to service if their centre vehicles were available) and it will either be with Virgin West Coast or CrossCountry.

 

[Domh245]

There is the 221 that has been reduced to just it's driving cars, which, whilst not officially withdrawn, is as good as useless

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

There is the 221 that has been reduced to just it's driving cars, which, whilst not officially withdrawn, is as good as useless

Is that 221 144?

Could they not couple the two driving cars together to make a 2 car unit? Seems a shame for it to be stored and used merely as a training tool when it could be out there making money! Is it still furnished inside?

 

[ainsworth74]

There is the 221 that has been reduced to just it's driving cars, which, whilst not officially withdrawn, is as good as useless

Well yes those are the two vehicles I referred to as being stored. However if you were to take the centre vehicles out of the sets they were inserted into then you could them back into service is fairly short order (depending on how many spares have been nabbed from the two driving vehicles).

Could they not couple the two driving cars together to make a 2 car unit? Seems a shame for it to be stored and used merely as a training tool when it could be out there making money! Is it still furnished inside?

Capacity would be pathetic (one of them is a first class vehicle) and they need the other vehicles in a Voyager unit as there are certain key things missing on the driving vehicles that are found on centre vehicles (an air compressor being one of them I believe). Storing them is the best way to proceed.

 

[Domh245]

It is 221144, and the cars are coupled together, but I don't see how it would be good in any way to have it out on the mainline. It could be used as a peak-time strengthener, I suppose, but given that the you've got about 1.3 cars worth of furnishable space out of 2 cars, it really isn't worth it. You don't want to run it around on it's own because again, there isn't a huge amount of room, and other units could be better used on whatever service it was operating.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I see...

If they were to jerry rig the air compressor, would it be possible to do it from a technical point of view?

 

[HarleyDavidson]

IIRC it was 220 005 - Guildford Voyager as it was at the time.

 

[ainsworth74]

If they were to jerry rig the air compressor, would it be possible to do it from a technical point of view?

Yes technically it would be possible to make the two vehicles work on the mainline by themselves. But you would never bother to do it (hence why it hasn't been done despite XC and VTWC both needing more capacity on their Voyagers).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

IIRC it was 220 005 - Guildford Voyager as it was at the time.

In which case it now resides with CrossCountry as they have all the 220s.

 

[PaxmanValenta]

IIRC it was 220 005 - Guildford Voyager as it was at the time.

So that was made up the 1010 Glasgow to Paignton train that morning. Thanks

 

[dk1]

Was only a bit of blood so only a clean up job. Seem to remember the (female?) Train Manager locked the internal doors to help keep the nutter segregated.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Was only a bit of blood so only a clean up job. Seem to remember the (female?) Train Manager locked the internal doors to help keep the nutter segregated.

I think this unit may have had a mention in the "Are Our Railways Haunted" thread not so long back, post #676

 

[dk1]

I think this unit may have had a mention in the "Are Our Railways Haunted" thread not so long back, post #676

As soon as I see the word 'haunted' I tend to lose the will

 

[387star]

I don't think there should be any humor on this thread be it emoticons on anything else

This is deeply saddening and frightening.. surely metal detectors could prevent this at major stations?

Presumably the train driver kept the train moving as that was the safest option or were they unaware of the events?

On a class 158 there are shutters you can pull down between coaches but the internal doors can not be locked shut so the voyagers must be different

awful story deeply troubling actually

 

[185143]

I don't think there should be any humor on this thread be it emoticons on anything else

This is deeply saddening and frightening.. surely metal detectors could prevent this at major stations?

Presumably the train driver kept the train moving as that was the safest option or were they unaware of the events?

On a class 158 there are shutters you can pull down between coaches but the internal doors can not be locked shut so the voyagers must be different

awful story deeply troubling actually

I'm assuming the doors that were locked were the glass sliding doors, in which case I'm surprised (but glad!) That the murderer didn't simply smash through!

 

[PaulHarding150]

This is deeply saddening and frightening.. surely metal detectors could prevent this at major stations?

Having them at only major stations would be s bit like having airport security at Heathrow and Gatwick but not at Cardiff.

Even if you wanted them, there physically isn't space at stations to do this let alone adding time to daily commutes.

This was floated and dismissed following the 7/7 bombings.

Also while it's not a nice thing to think about, this incident could easily have happened on a local high street.

awful story deeply troubling actually

 

[tsr]

I'm assuming the doors that were locked were the glass sliding doors, in which case I'm surprised (but glad!) That the murderer didn't simply smash through!

It's hard enough for qualified and (relatively) sane train crew to get through Bombardier gangway doors at times... don't forget they're not just made entirely of a sheet of glass, and the locks and suchlike are designed to prevent you getting through too easily if the next coach is anything up to a significant fire.

I'm not saying they're foolproof - by no means - but locking a murderer away in relative isolation could well be a good thing.

 

[PaxmanValenta]

It's hard enough for qualified and (relatively) sane train crew to get through Bombardier gangway doors at times... don't forget they're not just made entirely of a sheet of glass, and the locks and suchlike are designed to prevent you getting through too easily if the next coach is anything up to a significant fire.

I'm not saying they're foolproof - by no means - but locking a murderer away in relative isolation could well be a good thing.

I'm not sure what carriage it happened in but must have been one of the driving coaches otherwise the killer could have just walked out the other gangway.

It did say the victim sat next to the bicycle compartment where he kept his bike, I'm not sure what coaches have bicycle compartments?

Unless the train manager was able to lock both ends from the control panel

 

[Ash Bridge]

I'm not sure what carriage it happened in but must have been one of the driving coaches otherwise the killer could have just walked out the other gangway.

It did say the victim sat next to the bicycle compartment where he kept his bike, I'm not sure what coaches have bicycle compartments?

Unless the train manager was able to lock both ends from the control panel

From memory it did occur in the driving car with the standard class accommodation and in those days would have also contained the cycle storage area.

 

[PaxmanValenta]

From memory it did occur in the driving car with the standard class accommodation and in those days would have also contained the cycle storage area.

If that was the forward end he could have broken into the drivers cab, unless the cab door is kept locked and is a strong door.

 

[neilb62]

If that was the forward end he could have broken into the drivers cab, unless the cab door is kept locked and is a strong door.

The standard driving car still contains the cycle stowage, and you ain't getting through that (locked) cab door in a hurry, on the crashed 390 at Greyrigg the cab door caused all sorts of problems for the rescue services in that they simply couldn't get through it and were on the verge of taking the windscreen out to reach the seriously injured Driver...

 

[krus_aragon]

I'm not sure what carriage it happened in but must have been one of the driving coaches otherwise the killer could have just walked out the other gangway.

It did say the victim sat next to the bicycle compartment where he kept his bike, I'm not sure what coaches have bicycle compartments?

Unless the train manager was able to lock both ends from the control panel

Voyagers (in original Virgin layout) have their cycle accommodation in a lockable compartment at the driving end of carriage A.

 

[PaxmanValenta]

Voyagers (in original Virgin layout) have their cycle accommodation in a lockable compartment at the driving end of carriage A.

Sorry to revive an old thread, but if the murder took place at the rear of the driving car next to the cycle stowage then that means the scared passengers would have had to pass the killer as they fled the coach to move to the next coach before the train manager locked the gangway door. That's the only way the passengers could have escaped from the driving coach.