Meridians are years away, given any likely timescale for the MML's new trains. Capacity really needs to be boosted much sooner.
It just seems to be companies cheaping out.Is it not to do with level of fire resistance? With denser firmer thinner upholstery being more fire resistant?
You have to have one bay in the carriage so that not all seats face the same way.
Why can’t all seats face the same way? You could have the seats facing different direction on one side of the aisle to the other if it matters that much.
Because one will face the wall - nothing wrong with all except one pair of seats facing the same way
I seem to recall that one of the recent procurements was specified on the basis that about one-third of passengers preferred airline seating, about one-third preferred bay seats, and about one-third didn't much care either way.My view, for what it’s worth, is that a mixture of seating styles as found on the latest German ICE trains (which is mainly airline seating but with a good proportion of tables and even a few compartments) would be the best model to follow.
A couple of the 5 HST sets already have power doors. I believe either 2 or 3.Recently I got off a XC 125 at Alnmouth. The guard (who walked the whole set as it is self dispatch there) intimated that in the next year or two power door 125s would be along. Is he right and will these be extra or simply replacing the existing 125s?
The whole rolling stock issue on XC is urgent. Not the travel environment on Voyagers as much as the whole issue of capacity and this chimes with the same on TPE where they overlap. Both (like Northern and I guess others) must limit ridership simply because of loadings.
The existing five Crosscountry HST sets are receiving power doors. Two have already been completed and entered service (XC03 and XC01), while a third set (XC04) recently entered Doncaster works for the same work to be undertaken. Wabtec are expecting to have completed all five within the next 12 months.Recently I got off a XC 125 at Alnmouth. The guard (who walked the whole set as it is self dispatch there) intimated that in the next year or two power door 125s would be along. Is he right and will these be extra or simply replacing the existing 125s?
Note sure if someone has mentioned this but Bombardier are working on a 125mph bimode aventra, as the voyagers are demus could you modify an aventra carriage enough to work with voyagers, then the electric motors can get power from there already existing diesel engines or the pantograph on the new carriage.
Ah yes, 'Project Thor' - the 'Project Zeus' of the rail industry. I believe it became unviable when the penny dropped that Bombardier in Bruges (where the 22x units were built) had dissembled the jigs, and neither they nor Litchurch Lane were willing to rebuild them just to construct a small order of a handful of vehicles with pantographs in.I can't imagine that being worth the bother, the principle of turning them into bi-modes has been proposed and rejected before ('Project Thor' IIRC).
They’re less refined than a 158. Says a lot really.
The worst things to be inflicted on the long distance passenger since 150/2s on Trans Pennine Holyhead-Scarborough trains in the 80s.
There are a few VT Manchester-London services that fill in gaps.Okay, so this is news to me, but is the only direct rail connection between Manchester and Birmingham twice hourly 4-car Voyagers?
I assumed some services to London stopped by Birmingham...
Sorry for stating what everyone has probably known for years, I'm new to Manchester and only travelled south via Birmingham today! It was a real shock to me though, I assumed the UK's 2nd and 3rd cities would have much more connectivity and capacity than this. The journey times are quite long as well...
Okay, so this is news to me, but is the only direct rail connection between Manchester and Birmingham twice hourly 4-car Voyagers?
I assumed some services to London stopped by Birmingham...
Sorry for stating what everyone has probably known for years, I'm new to Manchester and only travelled south via Birmingham today! It was a real shock to me though, I assumed the UK's 2nd and 3rd cities would have much more connectivity and capacity than this. The journey times are quite long as well...
Yes, that's the only usual connection (though sometimes it is a 5 car unit, which is a capacity increase of just over a third for standard class). Foreseeable overcrowding regularly results at the usual "peak" hours, but even at "off-peak" times it can be full and standing.Okay, so this is news to me, but is the only direct rail connection between Manchester and Birmingham twice hourly 4-car Voyagers?
I assumed some services to London stopped by Birmingham...
Sorry for stating what everyone has probably known for years, I'm new to Manchester and only travelled south via Birmingham today! It was a real shock to me though, I assumed the UK's 2nd and 3rd cities would have much more connectivity and capacity than this. The journey times are quite long as well...
Politicians and officers based in Whitehall don't use XC much, perhaps? Out of sight, out of mind.XC is unfortunately a perfect example of the "centralisation" of rail in the UK around London. The franchise touches many corners of the country, even going to areas near London such as Reading, Guildford, etc. However, there seems a lack of political will or even realisation there are and have been capacity issues for many years on XC.
White panels and the purple lights that virgin have would go a long way. Having said that, one of my XC voyagers had purple lights the other week, so maybe they are in the process of doing this.
Okay, so this is news to me, but is the only direct rail connection between Manchester and Birmingham twice hourly 4-car Voyagers?
More or less yes, on some services you get the luxury of it being five car. I'd rather it being an HST (high speed train) on the 1900 out of Bristol Temple Meads.
Yes, that's the only usual connection (though sometimes it is a 5 car unit, which is a capacity increase of just over a third for standard class). Foreseeable overcrowding regularly results at the usual "peak" hours, but even at "off-peak" times it can be full and standing.
...
Manchester to Birmingham is but one of the journeys which are surprisingly poorly served across the UK.
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http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/gb/car/Mk4/MK4-TSO/gner2001_2.jpgBecause the originals made ironing boards look good - like everything else about the Mk4 they were very much designed down to a price.
Interestingly I can't find an online photo showing the originals.
Two existing 5-car Crosscountry 221s each lost one vehicle to create three 4-car units using the two driving cars from 221144, which were off lease at the time. Only one vehicle (60794) transferred to XC from Virgin West Coast in a straight swap with vehicle 60986.No - two Voyagers transferred from Virgin West Coast to CrossCountry in 2017 (Class 221) and the interior lighting wasn’t changed. You’ll also notice these two 221 sets are only 4 carriages long instead of 5 so easy to spot (221144 is one of them).
Two existing 5-car Crosscountry 221s each lost one vehicle to create three 4-car units using the two driving cars from 221144, which were off lease at the time. Only one vehicle (60794) transferred to XC from Virgin West Coast in a straight swap with vehicle 60986.
I think the 0645 York - Plymouth and 1325 Plymouth - Edinburgh (but only as far as Newcastle) went from a single set to a double set.Just out of interest did XC increase the number of double set voyager diagrams or has all that happened is that we now have more 4 car (and less 5 car) voyager services than before?