Virgin Trains East Coast launch day

[Iskra]

At a stroke Virgin XC went from perfectly serviceable mark 2 stock with plenty of seats to those awful cramped and noisy voyagers. Perhaps XC should have gone down the Chiltern Mainline route with new class 67/8 locos and an unpowered vehicle on the other end.

The 47's on the front were not so serviceable though...

 

[38Cto15E]

I do not use the ECML much so please excuse my ignorance.
The Virgin First lounge piccie for Newcastle mentioned nothing about Advance ticket holders having to pay £5 to enter the lounge.
In the past at Edinburgh I was told I had to pay £5 to enter the 1st lounge with my East Coast 1st Advance ticket.
Was this scrubbed a while ago or are Virgin just doing what they already do on the WCML?
Finally, do you think that Virgin East Coast 1st class complimentaries will gradually change to mirror image their offerings on Virgin WC.?

 

[chris89]

I do not use the ECML much so please excuse my ignorance.
The Virgin First lounge piccie for Newcastle mentioned nothing about Advance ticket holders having to pay £5 to enter the lounge.
In the past at Edinburgh I was told I had to pay £5 to enter the 1st lounge with my East Coast 1st Advance ticket.
Was this scrubbed a while ago or are Virgin just doing what they already do on the WCML?
Finally, do you think that Virgin East Coast 1st class complimentaries will gradually change to mirror image their offerings on Virgin WC.?

1st Class Lounges on VT WC, you don't have to pay extra if on a Advance first. At least not at Wolverhampton or Birmingham New Street.

 

[RichH95]

I think it's more left-wingers/union folk as the story has been spun in the news as if EC were a massive success compared to privatised operators, even though that's not necessarily true.

In my experience Virgin (West Coast) have always been fantastic, however their cross-country operations were dire. I've only used a stagecoach TOC once and I was fairly impressed. I have faith that VTEC will be successful- the ECML seems to be one of the easier franchises and they will appear successful due to shiny new IEP's and new routes/services.

I believe Stagecoach run East Midlands Trains (?)

Either way the service on the North Staffs can be pretty poor... :roll:

 

[Iskra]

I believe Stagecoach run East Midlands Trains (?)

Either way the service on the North Staffs is absolutely dreadful... :roll:

That's not a sensible comparison as VTEC is intercity, so you can only compare EMT's intercity services which I've found to be good.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

1005h Leeds to Retford(?) today at Leeds.

Vulgar does not do that justice.

 

[RichH95]

That's not a sensible comparison as VTEC is intercity, so you can only compare EMT's intercity services which I've found to be good.

Fair point, you're right on that. I rarely use EMT London services but I use the local Crewe - Derby services much more frequently. Don't get me wrong, the staff who work them are fantastic and always have been - perhaps dreadful was probably too strong a term to use of which I've amended in the original post, but some of the journey's I've made really haven't been that great.

I use VT WC a lot and in response to the negativity on Facebook, I think the service on the West Coast is excellent and I do expect it to be similar on the East Coast too

 

[Aictos]

Seems the Quiet Carriages are no more as they've been replaced by Quiet Rooms and its either Virgin Trains or Virgin Trains East Coast not to mention the word Diversion has been replaced by the word Detour with the word LONG added to front depending on length of divert...

 

[thelongestroad]

Seems the Quiet Carriages are no more as they've been replaced by Quiet Rooms and its either Virgin Trains or Virgin Trains East Coast not to mention the word Diversion has been replaced by the word Detour with the word LONG added to front depending on length of divert...

Christ, I wonder which "blue sky" thinking manager fresh from university thought "out the box" on that one and came up with those lovely word alternatives.

 

[Bungle73]

Seems the Quiet Carriages are no more as they've been replaced by Quiet Rooms and its either Virgin Trains or Virgin Trains East Coast not to mention the word Diversion has been replaced by the word Detour with the word LONG added to front depending on length of divert...

Um.......http://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/the-east-coast-experience/the-east-coast-standard/quiet-coach/

 

[ainsworth74]

Was this scrubbed a while ago or are Virgin just doing what they already do on the WCML?

I think it changed about twelve or so months ago that at all lounges other than Kings Cross 1st Advance ticket holders can get free entry. The £5 still applies at Kings Cross (though I think they might move it to being a peak time only charge like EMT do at St Pancras) however. Since then, in my experience, the lounges outside of London are actually getting some use! Previously they were ghost towns...

 

[Mojo]

I think it changed about twelve or so months ago that at all lounges other than Kings Cross 1st Advance ticket holders can get free entry. The £5 still applies at Kings Cross (though I think they might move it to being a peak time only charge like EMT do at St Pancras) however. Since then, in my experience, the lounges outside of London are actually getting some use! Previously they were ghost towns...

East Midlands dropped the peak time restrictions/charge on Advance fares in the St Pancake lounge.

Someone asked them on Twitter about access to the Kings + lounge and they said there are no immediate plans to change access rights but it will be reviewed within the first 12 Months.

 

[Condor7]

Well obviously some of the class 91's are now running with the Virgin stripe across them, but what (if anything) is going to be so special about the 11:00am from Kings Cross tomorrow (Monday 2nd)?

 

[ainsworth74]

It's getting a full re-brand rather than just getting a stripe.

 

[Kite159]

I wonder if VTEC will change the weekend first cost to be more in line with the VTWC cost (Max of £15 instead of £45).

Although they might do if the weekend offer is changed

 

[87015]

Forgot it was corporate bull day, loads of useless extra staff posing around KX, guard advises all sorts of freebies tomorrow if you can hack the embarrassing PR people...

PS the stickers look dire on the sets, not even managed to get them between the grills

 

[Blindtraveler]

What level of refurbishment are the MK4 Sets getting and what does it involve? Also will the HSTs be so treated?

 

[Michael.Y]

At a stroke Virgin XC went from perfectly serviceable mark 2 stock with plenty of seats to those awful cramped and noisy voyagers. Perhaps XC should have gone down the Chiltern Mainline route with new class 67/8 locos and an unpowered vehicle on the other end.

I don't know if you ever rode those Mk2s. I did once and found it a very unpleasant experience - not much leg room under the tables and their age belied their comfort - smelly, rattly and out of date. Leave them to the heritage railways.

 

[D1009]

I wonder if VTEC will change the weekend first cost to be more in line with the VTWC cost (Max of £15 instead of £45).

Although they might do if the weekend offer is changed

The only similarity to West Coast will be the branding. It's a different franchise run by a different company.

 

[Frothy]

According to this map, East Coast is still operating the Hull Executive, instead of VTEC!
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/documents/content/routemaps/nationalrailoperatorsmapzoom30.pdf

 

[Hadders]

Caught a glimpse of an HST at Stevenage carrying the Virgin stripe. It doesn't look very flattering.

 

[Retorus]

Yeah it's fairly dreadful looking.

 

[Aictos]

Um.......http://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/the-east-coast-experience/the-east-coast-standard/quiet-coach/

I'm just going by the onboard announcement by the staff!

 

[gavin]

What level of refurbishment are the MK4 Sets getting and what does it involve? Also will the HSTs be so treated?

refurbished toilets, clearer on-board signage, new carpets and seat covers

 

[bussnapperwm]

Looking on their site, they'll be going for Byelaw 14 for parking (there's a whole page about it...)

 

[Michael.Y]

Caught a glimpse of an HST at Stevenage carrying the Virgin stripe. It doesn't look very flattering.

Well it won't right now, will it? Bloody hell.... :roll:

 

[ainsworth74]

Looking on their site, they'll be going for Byelaw 14 for parking (there's a whole page about it...)

So did East Coast.

 

[dosxuk]

new carpets and seat covers

*Please* let it be muted colours like now rather than the Stagecoach traditional bright reds and blues. :cry:

 

[Hadders]

Well it won't right now, will it? Bloody hell.... :roll:

They could've just applied the Virgin logo in red lettering on the existing grey background - would've looked far better.

 

[alexl92]

At the last glance there were 159 comments on East Coast's profile pic change from EC to VTEC on facebook... 158 of which were complaining about the change. Says a lot.

 

[yorksrob]

I'd personally find it quite nostalgic if they went for their "classic" Virgin livery for the HST's.