First Class coach G permanently declassified on 9 coach Pendolinos?

[ag51ruk]

Got on my usual London Manchester train this morning to find coach G missing it's First Class headrests, although the outside still labelled First. The Service Manager said this is now permanent on the 9 coach sets in preparation for the proper conversion of that coach to Standard (to avoid confusion during the transition, it will now always be declassified - makes sense). I haven't seen any other 9 coach sets this morning though, so can't confirm whether they are all like this.
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And to answer my own question - the train waiting in the other platform at Piccadilly still had coach G as First Class, so not sure whether this was a one-off (perhaps on over-enthusiastic on-board team!)

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I was on a 9-coach Pendolino this morning and G still had the headrests and sugar bowls out (much like the typical weekend setup) but was declassified, though only the shop assistant mentioned it via PA. Not a soul other than a couple of staff going passenger and myself were in it for over an hour, despite four intermediate calls!

 

[DarloRich]

Comrades! The revolution begins! Soon we can all enjoy the petty bourgeois effete luxury of first class.

A very good move as the 9 car trains can be overloaded in cattle class. They should have all been made 11 cars mind!

 

[fishquinn]

When I was on 390046 on the 18th of March coach G was declassified so I sat in that coach for the journey from New Street to Euston and again last Saturday, on 390002 coach G was declassified on another New Street-Euston leg. I hope it is always like that!

 

[47802]

When do they start fitting scum class seats then?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I was thinking that today, would they go to all the hassle of refitting them to be more akin to the other Standard coaches, or just remove all the First branding and keep the 2+1 layout?

 

[47802]

I was thinking that today, would they go to all the hassle of refitting them to be more akin to the other Standard coaches, or just remove all the First branding and keep the 2+1 layout?

But you are likely talking nearly 30 seats more in scum class config, so I would think they will change it presumably it depends on what was agreed in the franchise.

 

[ag51ruk]

I've done some more digging, VT are replacing the seats and the first one was completed at the end of last week - hence the move to declassify the rest, so that you know that coach G on a 9-car set will always be Standard.

They are all due to completed by September, so enjoy it while you can!

http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/about...ats-for-virgin-trains-pendolino-fleet-1141221

 

[Bletchleyite]

Has the "major interior refresh" just been a cleanup, or has anything else e.g. seat fabric changed?

 

[Tetchytyke]

I've done some more digging, VT are replacing the seats and the first one was completed at the end of last week - hence the move to declassify the rest, so that you know that coach G on a 9-car set will always be Standard.

As part of this, are Virgin going to be more strict on which diagrams are 9-car and which diagrams are 11-car?

It's already bad enough when a 9-car subs an 11-car, but with coach G on some trains being standard and on others being first class it'll be a nightmare.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

IIRC someone mentioned on here about G on 9-car sets being 'relettered' to F to avoid such confusion.

 

[childwallblues]

390050 has been converted and has Coach F. The work is being done at Oxley.

 

[Aictos]

IIRC someone mentioned on here about G on 9-car sets being 'relettered' to F to avoid such confusion.

This is indeed correct as it will enable Virgin Trains to provide a extra 76 seats in Standard Class with the newly converted carriages being lettered as Coach F.

390010 and 390050 are the first two to be completed and are out in service today.

Virgin Trains have also instructed their TMs that where demand in Standard is likely to lead to customers standing for all or part of the journey, Coach G ought to be declassified with Virgin Trains Control being advised so the relevant CIS systems can be updated to show this information.

Also this programme is meant to be completed by August/September in case anyone was wondering.

 

[sd0733]

Saw on a message from VT that 3 390s have now had coach G de-classified and are in service today. 390010/039/050 are all now out in service.

 

[ag51ruk]

Has the "major interior refresh" just been a cleanup, or has anything else e.g. seat fabric changed?

I travelled on one of the converted sets for the first time yesterday - the seat fabric in First (coach H) appeared to have been cleared but not replaced - it looked too worn to be new. The only other change I noticed was new hand dryers in the toilets - much more powerful than the old ones.