Most annoying aspect of travelling on Virgin Trains

[trebor79]

I can't decide. It's a toss up between the completely knackered seat cushions and the ridiculous recorded announcement advertising some WiFi service which end with "...aaaah, that's better!". No, it's just irritating hearing it after every single stop!

They really do need a minor refresh on the 390s. The seats have had 15 years or more of intensive use. Some new cushions wouldn't cost the earth and would be a vast improvement.
And turn that stupid announcement off!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The only aspects of travelling on Virgin Trains I find annoying are:-
- The price, if not travelling off-peak
- The reservation displays never working properly on Voyagers
- The silly talking bogs.

Otherwise I find them a good TOC.

 

[mmh]

They have had a refresh, the seat covers and carpets were replaced.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

The increase in advance prices over the last 5 years on tickets and weekend upgrades and the lack of advances in the first place.

2 x advances from home to London and back, if I can get them in the first place are rarely much less than an off peak return these days.

They also seem to have got wise to the splitting of tickets while staying on the same train.

 

[hexagon789]

I can't decide. It's a toss up between the completely knackered seat cushions and the ridiculous recorded announcement advertising some WiFi service which end with "...aaaah, that's better!". No, it's just irritating hearing it after every single stop!

They really do need a minor refresh on the 390s. The seats have had 15 years or more of intensive use. Some new cushions wouldn't cost the earth and would be a vast improvement.
And turn that stupid announcement off!

The annoying and often patronising signage/announcements and the tatty looking train interiors. That would be my two main ones.

 

[Facing Back]

They also seem to have got wise to the splitting of tickets while staying on the same train.

How so? I didn't think that was against the rules?

 

[gordonthemoron]

Not enough services stop at Milton Keynes. I'd stop the Liverpool and the Trent Valley Glasgow service in addition at least

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

How so? I didn't think that was against the rules?

It isn't against the rules but they have realised where you can split and save and made sure at least one of the legs is way over inflated in price to make sure it doesn't work out much if any cheaper.

 

[trebor79]

They also seem to have got wise to the splitting of tickets while staying on the same train.

I'm currently travelling Glasgow to London on exactly that sort of split ticket.

They have had a refresh, the seat covers and carpets were replaced.

A shame they didn't take the opportunity to at least replace the more broken underlying bases and cushions. A bit of experimentation and I have learnt that window table seats are almost all knackered. Aisle seats less so.

 

[Facing Back]

It isn't against the rules but they have realised where you can split and save and made sure at least one of the legs is way over inflated in price to make sure it doesn't work out much if any cheaper.

Ah, OK thanks.

They've also removed some of the stupid pricing though. Its more expensive from Lancaster than Preston to London and for the last couple of years they added off peak first to routes which didn't have it (Euston Warrington for one) - which, when Euston Liverpool did led to some gymnastics on days when you haven't booked in advance. And there are some (very limited it seems....) same day advances now too which helps me.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

I'm currently travelling Glasgow to London on exactly that sort of split ticket.

Good job

Few and far between I find these days.

 

[Mag_seven]

the ridiculous recorded announcement advertising some WiFi service which end with "...aaaah, that's better!"

The silly talking bogs.

And at stations the ATOS Anne special VT add on about "you can find the shop in coach C for delicious......"

 

[Merseysider]

The stupid toilets talking BS annoy me far more than any of their other antics.

It was funny the first time (ish) but it's just repetitive and annoying now.

 

[itsonlyme]

I live in Crewe and whichever direction I am going to travel when I join the train if I have reserved a seat it is almost always already occupied

 

[Bletchleyite]

They also seem to have got wise to the splitting of tickets while staying on the same train.

Got wise to it in what way? It is permitted and there is no scope for them not to permit it. There is I understand legal precedent on the matter due to a case involving BR years ago.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Got wise to it in what way? It is permitted and there is no scope for them not to permit it. There is I understand legal precedent on the matter due to a case involving BR years ago.

Sorry I maybe should have been clearer, they aren't doing anything wrong. All they seem to have done in my experience is where I could get from A to C splitting at B on the same train the certain places that I could split for a cheap A to B and then a cheap B to C at least one of the legs is always over inflated now to stop this.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sorry I maybe should have been clearer, they aren't doing anything wrong. All they seem to have done in my experience is where I could get from A to C splitting at B on the same train the certain places that I could split for a cheap A to B and then a cheap B to C at least one of the legs is always over inflated now to stop this.

I don't think you can really criticise them for removing fare anomalies, even if this is done in a way that is disadvantageous to you. To be fair, other than stringing CDRs together for a day return journey or splitting at a change onto LNR for their dedicated fares, I find splitting not to be advantageous far more often than it is advantageous, to be honest, even on very long journeys. I do use Trainsplit, but more because it's quite good at identifying the best combination of tickets if I wish to travel via a non-permitted route.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

I don't think you can really criticise them for removing fare anomalies, even if this is done in a way that is disadvantageous to you. To be fair, I find splitting not to be advantageous far more often than it is advantageous, to be honest, even on very long journeys.

Not criticising , the question was what is annoying, if you go back to my first post I think to summarise everything I have put is basically the lack of value on Virgin these days. In my opinion anyway and that is annoying, to me at least.

 

[cactustwirly]

Basically everything: the horribly uncomfortable Pendolinos, with their microscopic windows and huge pillars; the overpriced fares; the arrogance of the staff; the tacky marketing and awful toilets with voices

Please can we have a nice competent, professional ToC like ÖBB...

 

[SteveM70]

I find the Pendolinos claustrophobic - a combination of me being tall, the tapering body sides and shallow windows

And the talking toilets obviously

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

They have had a refresh, the seat covers and carpets were replaced.

And if you sit in coach F or U the seats, like the coaches, are "nearly new".

Anyway, it seems all up for Virgin.
Let's see if their successors are any better.
For me, the WCML is unrecognisable from what it was in 1997, which is what matters.
You will not get better WCML journey times out of anything other than 390s and 221s, this side of HS2.

 

[thenorthern]

The smelly toilet problem in the vestibule area of the Pendolinos and Voyagers is annoying.

 

[DarloRich]

Not enough services stop at Milton Keynes. I'd stop the Liverpool and the Trent Valley Glasgow service in addition at least

Agreed. I would stop all trains at the expense of the likes of rugby amd nuneaton.

The interiors need a spruce up.

 

[Hadders]

Some aspects of Virgin can be annoying (like the Wi-fi announcement) but overall they’re a competent TOC who have transformed the service on the WCML.

I fear that whoever gets the WCP franchise we will not see an improvement so enjoy what we’ve got while it’s still here.

 

[mde]

The Voyagers - in particular, the badly designed accessibility features.

Try travelling using a wheelchair, and, by some sort of magic, due to the rubbish layout, you’ve got no place for a companion to sit... other than in the aisle opposite, or, with their back to you,

Even a refurbished 156 is better in this respect, as is the Pendolino.

 

[nat67]

The case of Virgin running Voyagers under the wires up to Glasgow and Edinburgh is just shear stupidity. But it's all down to the DFT.

 

[martinsh]

Where to start ? There are so many annoying things about them !

Not mentioned so far are the announvements "!we are now arriving at ..." when there is still at least one (local) station to travel through

And the talking loos obviously

 

[Robertj21a]

I'm clearly easily pleased as I find very little of concern with Virgin. Most 'normals' wouldn't even notice much of what some on here are highlighting.

 

[hexagon789]

I'm clearly easily pleased as I find very little of concern with Virgin. Most 'normals' wouldn't even notice much of what some on here are highlighting.

I think most people would notice the talking toilets and find them equally as annoying.

 

[Parallel]

I don’t find Virgin that bad, I don’t like the overly informal/‘chummy’ brand, and the talking toilets are just unhinged, but overall I find them OK.