Please post your trip reports for XC Aberdeen/Dundee-Penzance services

[anti-pacer]

Have any of you travelled 'end to end' on this service and if so, how did you find the long journey?

 

[142094]

Seeing as it is booked for a Voyager, no doubt it is very uncomfortable.

 

[1e10]

Seeing as it is booked for a Voyager, no doubt it is very uncomfortable.

I was recently on a Voyager for 2 hours and didn't notice it being uncomfortable. Howcome a lot of people on here have a big problem with them?

 

[142094]

I was recently on a Voyager for 2 hours and didn't notice it being uncomfortable. Howcome a lot of people on here have a big problem with them?

Mainly the seats, but depends on the passenger loadings, and another type of loadings (i.e. toilet). I always aim for the HST but unfortunate that they are heavily outnumbered by the Voyagers.

 

[1e10]

Mainly the seats, but depends on the passenger loadings, and another type of loadings (i.e. toilet). I always aim for the HST but unfortunate that they are heavily outnumbered by the Voyagers.

Ah okay. I traveled on both a HST and a Voyager last Saturday and did notice that the HST seats seemed more comfortable. Nothing terrible about the Voyager seats though.

I am still at college though so I guess I am used to sitting on hard seats.

 

[bb21]

I was recently on a Voyager for 2 hours and didn't notice it being uncomfortable. Howcome a lot of people on here have a big problem with them?

See this post for the major reason.

 

[Butts]

Have any of you travelled 'end to end' on this service and if so, how did you find the long journey?

My advice would be if it's a Voyager and you are not in First Class then forget it .....

Even in FC a journey of that duration would be a pain.....let "the plane take the strain"

 

[Goatboy]

Almost - I did the Plymouth to Aberdeen as far as Haymarket from it's origin station.

 

[Butts]

Almost - I did the Plymouth to Aberdeen as far as Haymarket from it's origin station.

Did you enjoy it ?

How long did it take ?

 

[jopsuk]

in Virgin XC days I did St Austell to Glasgow or Edinburgh (when they used the WCML- I was headed for Stirling usually so went with what was cheapest) a few times- though mostly in "Club Class" so it wasn't too uncomfortable.

 

[Goatboy]

Did you enjoy it ?

How long did it take ?

I did enjoy it - yes. It was sadly a Voyager and it took almost 9 hours. However as it was a weekend the £20 First Class Upgrade represented excellent value.

 

[Butts]

I did enjoy it - yes. It was sadly a Voyager and it took almost 9 hours. However as it was a weekend the £20 First Class Upgrade represented excellent value.

That's one time an Upgrade must be classified as good value....

 

[Laryk]

I did Penzance to Leeds and back direct (not on the same day! ). Journey time 7:33hrs. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. If the train wasn't so rammed throughout the journey could have been described as "pleasant".

Even so, I do aim for their HST's for their superior length and therefore (mostly) comfort.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Have any of you travelled 'end to end' on this service and if so, how did you find the long journey?

IanXc
Has. In the trip reports section theres a thread about his 2011 ALR With a post concerning said bash.
i have done the 06:32x Dundee to Plymouth, which is an HST and found it very enjoyable.
I couldnt do the ABD>PNZ unless it was loco hauled MK2 or MK3 coaches or an HST.
(i][/i]

 

[dk1]

I've done many long distance Voyager journeys and they where fine. Only problems I have are crowding and the removal of the shop. I prefer to be sitting in firm seats to sinking into sofa style ones anyway.

 

[Butts]

I've done many long distance Voyager journeys and they where fine. Only problems I have are crowding and the removal of the shop. I prefer to be sitting in firm seats to sinking into sofa style ones anyway.

Edinburgh to Wolverhampton was bad enough for me - if you are in "cattle" and manage to obtain the "extra legroom" seats it is not quite so bad.

I only used it as I had a "megatrain cheapo"

 

[12CSVT]

I did Derby to Aberdeen on a 221 unit last September.

Having spent the early part of the Saturday at the GCR diesel gala, I then proceeded to Aberdeen for the Royal Deeside Railway (both class 03s running) the following day.

 

[RYS]

I'm currently sat on a 221 taking me from BHM to TRU and I must say that for me it's been a perfectly pleasant journey. I don't take voyagers often and I think it's a nice smooth ride, no rattling, no loud engine noise. All fine really. Yes the overhead rack is barely big enough to hold a coat, and yes I'm jealous of the people next to me in the "extra legroom" seats but I don't really feel any more cramped than on a 390.

Having said all that, the preceding service was cancelled and so at times this train has been full and standing. Judging from some of the seat reservations around me it looks like a lot of people do indeed do very long journeys on this service - the one in front on me is York to Totnes. Perhaps some of those people and the people sitting on the vestibule floors are having a less enjoyable journey.

 

[starrymarkb]

Personally I prefer the seats in the Voyagers to those in the XC HSTs. Really don't get on with the Mallard seat...

The Grammers on FGW are very good, especially given they have a large amount of legroom!

 

[Goatboy]

There must be something about the Voyager vestibules, even on lightly loaded services there are always people who think laying all over the floor in the vestibule is a superior place to be.

 

[Butts]

There must be something about the Voyager vestibules, even on lightly loaded services there are always people who think laying all over the floor in the vestibule is a superior place to be.

As long as it's not a vestibule with a toilet - the smell inside the carriage is bad enough let alone right next to it

 

[heart-of-wessex]

I remember reading an article a few years ago in RAIL about some fishermen or something who basically commuted from Aberdeen to Penzance on the Virgin XC HST, not everyday in that direction as it would be impossible but it was very frequent that they did it, I envy them!

Only time I've done that service is between Taunton and Tiverton Parkway, so I don't hold a record compared to some peoples mileage on that service on here. Longest trip I've done end to end is the Newcastle to Bristol XC service (when it used to run to/from Newcastle every hour) and did it from start to end, that was a killer especially as I didn't move from my seat at all. I paid for that when I got off (or tried to get off, seeing as I couldn't walk !)

I've always wanted to do it on a ALR though from start to end to see if I could do it. I'd do the Euston to Aberdeen sleeper, then maybe to a filler move to Dyce, then the Voyager from Aberdeen to Penzance* and then the GW beds to Paddington.

* = Depending on timekeeping, might have to forfeit and bail at St Erth. I have been on the beds out of Penzance before and seen the Voyager pass at Long Rock. Then again another time we were held at Penzance for the Voyager arrived, and a crew member bailed from the Voyager and went straight into the cab of the 57. Don't know if that's normal or if it was a Plymouth driver or something joining the loco

 

[Butts]

I remember reading an article a few years ago in RAIL about some fishermen or something who basically commuted from Aberdeen to Penzance on the Virgin XC HST, not everyday in that direction as it would be impossible but it was very frequent that they did it, I envy them!

Only time I've done that service is between Taunton and Tiverton Parkway, so I don't hold a record compared to some peoples mileage on that service on here. Longest trip I've done end to end is the Newcastle to Bristol XC service (when it used to run to/from Newcastle every hour) and did it from start to end, that was a killer especially as I didn't move from my seat at all. I paid for that when I got off (or tried to get off, seeing as I couldn't walk !)

I've always wanted to do it on a ALR though from start to end to see if I could do it. I'd do the Euston to Aberdeen sleeper, then maybe to a filler move to Dyce, then the Voyager from Aberdeen to Penzance* and then the GW beds to Paddington.

* = Depending on timekeeping, might have to forfeit and bail at St Erth. I have been on the beds out of Penzance before and seen the Voyager pass at Long Rock. Then again another time we were held at Penzance for the Voyager arrived, and a crew member bailed from the Voyager and went straight into the cab of the 57. Don't know if that's normal or if it was a Plymouth driver or something joining the loco

Commute from Aberdeen to Penzance on the Train - surely it would be quicker for the Fisherman to use his boat and sail down

 

[Techniquest]

Aye I too read Mr Bigland's article in that,think it was published in late 2003.

I was going to do the Aberdeen to Penzance all the way through on my 2011 ALR, but bailed off the sleeper at Dundee to do more track after chickening out of the marathon journey to Cornwall. If I ever manage to do a First Class ALR, I'll try it then but doing the whole bash on an Advance appears impossible to get. Lots of split tickets would cost a fortune!

As for my longest Voyager move, that would be Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street or Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street in both directions. Back then it was with Virgin XC and I enjoyed Voyagers,yes I know I must have been ill in the head back then!

 

[Drsatan]

The longest journey I've made on a Voyager must be Southampton Airport Parkway to York and back again in a day in 2008.

The outward journey was OK since I'd managed to get a priority seat, but got very busy from Birmingham New Street onwards. Thankfully, my seat wasn't near a toilet so didn't have to put up with the smell.

The return journey though, was below expectations. The train was full and standing from Leeds to Birmingham New Street, and some of the luggage racks started rattling. By the time the train arrived at Basingstoke, my coach was practically empty.

 

[Birdbrain]

I'd always rather travel via London than attempt doing it end to end on a voyager. The longest I've done on a voyager was Southampton Ctl to Birmingham New Street and that was far enough!

 

[gnolife]

The longest I've spent on a Voyager is 7 3/4 hrs from Southampton Airport Pkwy to Stockport, which got delayed by OHLE coming down at Penkridge. It then carried on and then got stuck outside Cheadle Hulme after the wires there fell down as well. What made it worse is that I could see the house thay I was staying at from where we stopped outside CHU.