Virgin Trains East Coast launch day

[JaJaWa]

The Guardian says that trains will all be fully relivered March 2015 - August 2015 and internally refreshed August 2015 - August 2017.

 

[jonnysr]

Any stations in the new VTEC livery yet?

 

[Max]

We're used to having other people's cast off......

........only joking.

Completely typical - the EC franchisees (no matter who) have always treated Hull as a complete inconvenience. I really hope this doesn't mean a sub-standard catering service and level of comfort on the Hull Executive for 2 years...

 

[SaveECRewards]

As for the responses on this thread...well, those who’ve always been critical of Branson/ Souter/ Virgin/ Stagecoach don’t like it very much, those who’ve been fans do like it – hard to tell very much from this!

I don't like Branson/Souter but I like the livery!

 

[lincolnshire]

Completely typical - the EC franchisees (no matter who) have always treated Hull as a complete inconvenience. I really hope this doesn't mean a sub-standard catering service and level of comfort on the Hull Executive for 2 years...

Will the people of Kingston Upon Hull ( full title) give a dam that the train they are travelling on has East Midland Trains on the side and inside it, they do have more than a lot of places have a lot of through trains to London Kings Cross, be it only a token train from Virgin Trains East Coast. Its more than Cleethoropes & Grimsby have these days ( finished back in B.R. days). The people of Hull have something more important to be proud of Hull Trains with there superior service between Hull & London Kings Cross, there service has made a few of the others sit up and take note and introduce a new way of doing things.

 

[po8crg]

Hull Trains and Grand Central have shown that high-quality service is really popular and can get more people to use the service. I do think it's a shame that there hasn't been capacity to do the same on WCML.

 

[gavin]

Should do 11.05 KX to Leeds.

The first week of April will see the next set emerge in the new VTEC livery, with all electric sets finished by August.

The first HST in the new livery will be released into traffic in May and, as the electric fleet, all HSTs will be in the new colours by August.

If I'm reading this right they will have the 2 sets in the new livery for the next 4 weeks or so till more are painted?

 

[387star]

Why are they being so slow to repaint the trains?

 

[jimm]

Why are they being so slow to repaint the trains?

How about because the rolling stock is being worked very hard and the East Coast HSTs are going through overhauls, hence the borrowed EMT stock to cover for that, so taking lots of sets out of traffic all at once to give them a proper coat of paint that will last more than five minutes isn't going to happen overnight.

Going by the pace of some fleet repainting programmes over the years, August looks to be pretty good going.

 

[sprinterguy]

Why are they being so slow to repaint the trains?

In terms of typical TOC performance, six months to re-livery the entire train fleet is not “slow” at all, but really very rapid. Bounds Green will have reliveried five mark 4 sets a month at that rate (I assume that the HSTs will be vinyled at Craigentinny?). Remember it took Virgin at least FIVE YEARS to finish repainting the trains in their West Coast and Crosscountry franchises the first time round and, in fact, they never quite finished the job on Crosscountry (One mark 2 set remaining in Intercity livery up until withdrawal and power car 43029 “escaping” the franchise to FGW towards the end of the repainting process).

There’s only a limited number of trainsets that you can have out of service for work such as this at any one time with a train fleet that is diagrammed as intensively as East Coast’s. If the livery is just a vinyl wrap (I didn’t think that Bounds Green has a paint shop?), then I would assume that it must take a couple of days at least to vinyl a complete 9-car rake.

 

[Gadget88]

I think the new trains look fantastic.

Much better than the dull blue under GNER. The trains now look much fresher and newer.

I like Bransons vision to have the service as good as the West Coast line aslong as prices don't go up too much I'm happy.

 

[sprinterguy]

I think the new trains look fantastic.

Much better than the dull blue under GNER. The trains now look much fresher and newer.

I like the new Virgin livery, but in my opinion it doesn’t come close to matching the sheer class of the GNER scheme. Bold and brash doesn’t usually beat tasteful and conservative in my view.

 

[Deerfold]

I think the new trains look fantastic.

Much better than the dull blue under GNER. The trains now look much fresher and newer.

I like Bransons vision to have the service as good as the West Coast line aslong as prices don't go up too much I'm happy.

Branson's vision? I've not seen anything about that. Was that in some of the press reports? Odd, as it's Stagecoach who are in charge of the operational side.

Having caught EC regularly and VT occasionally I've not seen much difference in the service between the two.

 

[sprinterguy]

I like Bransons vision to have the service as good as the West Coast line aslong as prices don't go up too much I'm happy.

What was wrong with the East Coast offering? From a passenger perspective, there isn’t much that I can see “Virginisation” of the service improving, personally. Or Stagecoach for that matter, not that I have any problem with the EMT or West Coast franchises. The loss of the Rewards scheme is already a personal disappointment.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Having caught EC regularly and VT occasionally I've not seen much difference in the service between the two.

I'd agree with that, and I'd hope the Virgin 10% will be enough to keep the worst of Stagecoach's penny-pinching at bay. I don't like Beardy Rail but have always enjoyed VT first class.

Compare East Coast with East Midlands Trains and there is a huge difference, though.

 

[D1009]

Will the people of Kingston Upon Hull ( full title) give a dam that the train they are travelling on has East Midland Trains on the side and inside it,

They might if they can't get a seat; it's a shorter set.

 

[387star]

I'd agree with that, and I'd hope the Virgin 10% will be enough to keep the worst of Stagecoach's penny-pinching at bay. I don't like Beardy Rail but have always enjoyed VT first class.

Compare East Coast with East Midlands Trains and there is a huge difference, though.

South west trains and East Midlands trains both come across as very professional highly competent operators
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

In terms of typical TOC performance, six months to re-livery the entire train fleet is not “slow” at all, but really very rapid. Bounds Green will have reliveried five mark 4 sets a month at that rate (I assume that the HSTs will be vinyled at Craigentinny?). Remember it took Virgin at least FIVE YEARS to finish repainting the trains in their West Coast and Crosscountry franchises the first time round and, in fact, they never quite finished the job on Crosscountry (One mark 2 set remaining in Intercity livery up until withdrawal and power car 43029 “escaping” the franchise to FGW towards the end of the repainting process).

There’s only a limited number of trainsets that you can have out of service for work such as this at any one time with a train fleet that is diagrammed as intensively as East Coast’s. If the livery is just a vinyl wrap (I didn’t think that Bounds Green has a paint shop?), then I would assume that it must take a couple of days at least to vinyl a complete 9-car rake.

Sorry bad sense of humour

 

[West Ruislip]

Why are they being so slow to repaint the trains?

I was told that the first two sets are 'trials' for the vinyl and that now VTEC is happy with the results it will bulk order the materials to finish the fleet.

The issue with the HSTs is that , because the body is very different to the 91s, discussions are still ongoing regarding livery design for the power cars. This is expected to be signed off in the very near future.

 

[stut]

Whose bright idea was it to put great big red stickers right in the middle of the windows? They are *very* annoying.

 

[JaJaWa]

Whose bright idea was it to put great big red stickers right in the middle of the windows? They are *very* annoying.

I think that's just on the launch train? They shouldn't be there very long.

 

[CallySleeper]

I think that's just on the launch train? They shouldn't be there very long.

Nope think they're on all of the windows in all of the trains. Hopefully they'll be there as long as whoever it was who had this horrific idea.

 

[Aictos]

Didn't take long but even though reciprocal travel agreements are still in place, one manager was told they were not allowed to use them as the said travel agreements were no more :roll:

Next two months be interesting to see what cross benefits will stay and which will go :cry:

 

[westv]

They might if they can't get a seat; it's a shorter set.

What coach letters are missing on the set? I trust mine will be there!!

 

[Marton]

I like the new Virgin livery, but in my opinion it doesn’t come close to matching the sheer class of the GNER scheme. Bold and brash doesn’t usually beat tasteful and conservative in my view.

Agree.

 

[Suraggu]

Didn't take long but even though reciprocal travel agreements are still in place, one manager was told they were not allowed to use them as the said travel agreements were no more :roll:

Next two months be interesting to see what cross benefits will stay and which will go :cry:

Email to all VTEC and VTWC employees this afternoon stating no reciprocal travel agreements have been agreed but both executive teams are looking at the possibility of it.
VTEC staff are also not entitled to any travel with SWT or EMT.

 

[Aictos]

Email to all VTEC and VTWC employees this afternoon stating no reciprocal travel agreements have been agreed but both executive teams are looking at the possibility of it.
VTEC staff are also not entitled to any travel with SWT or EMT.

That goes against what GTR have advised their employees, GTR have stated 30th April is when the existing agreements expire.

 

[43367]

Existing travel agreements are still in place i.e. with GTR, was FCC, but East Coast employees are not allowed on West coast services and vice versa, for now.......................

 

[JaJaWa]

Email to all VTEC and VTWC employees this afternoon stating no reciprocal travel agreements have been agreed but both executive teams are looking at the possibility of it.
VTEC staff are also not entitled to any travel with SWT or EMT.

It's all a bit strange and it doesn't really feel like a proper Virgin or Stagecoach TOC. It's also incredibly confusing that the West Coast is staying as Virgin Trains - the website and lounges say "Virgin Trains tickets are not valid on Virgin Trains East Coast".

 

[LowLevel]

Email to all VTEC and VTWC employees this afternoon stating no reciprocal travel agreements have been agreed but both executive teams are looking at the possibility of it.
VTEC staff are also not entitled to any travel with SWT or EMT.

I believe a restricted reciprocal agreement with EMT is also being looked at.

 

[lincolnshire]

It's all a bit strange and it doesn't really feel like a proper Virgin or Stagecoach TOC. It's also incredibly confusing that the West Coast is staying as Virgin Trains - the website and lounges say "Virgin Trains tickets are not valid on Virgin Trains East Coast".

You have to remember that they are two totally different companies and as such are no way connected except by the name Virgin and the red colour.

Also Stagecoach is also another totally different company.

If they run with reciprocal travel arrangements between between companies they might be only available between companies for the duration of the franchise or they could run into problems with TUPE when franchises end as employees who go with the transfer under TUPE, if the franchise is won by a different company could claim there entitlement to travel on there former companies other franchise trains. Can be a big problem.