VT Class 380 service..

[voyagerdude220]

Hi all,

I notice that VWC have today hired in a Class 380 unit and run the train in the path of their usual 9M55 12:00 Glasgow Central to London Euston via Birmingham service, as far as Carstairs, where the usual Pendolino took over.

The reason being, that the inward working of the Pendolino was around 90 late I think.

380102 ran between Glasgow Central and Carstairs, with 390013 taking over from there.

I think this is a very good way of VT reducing the delay to their service, as it would have been far more heavily delayed, had the usual Pendolino formed the service throughout.

 

[swt class 450]

Hi all,

I notice that VWC have today hired in a Class 380 unit and run the train in the path of their usual 9M55 12:00 Glasgow Central to London Euston via Birmingham service, as far as Carstairs, where the usual Pendolino took over.

The reason being, that the inward working of the Pendolino was around 90 late I think.

380102 ran between Glasgow Central and Carstairs, with 390013 taking over from there.

I think this is a very good way of VT reducing the delay to their service, as it would have been far more heavily delayed, had the usual Pendolino formed the service throughout.

Sounds like good planning for once. I wish they would do that every day and run 380s on the entire route. It must have been a nice surprise for the passengers. 380s are a million times better to travel on than the usual awful Pendolino and Voyager 220 / 221 / 390 trains.

 

[bengley]

Sounds like good planning for once. I wish they would do that every day and run 380s on the entire route. It must have been a nice surprise for the passengers. 380s are a million times better to travel on than the usual awful Pendolino and Voyager 220 / 221 / 390 trains.

no they're not

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It must have been a nice surprise for the passengers.

Not sure that's the word I'd use! I'm quite fond of the 380s but if I was doing any intercity run down the West Coast I'd rather an actual intercity unit with provisions as such, as would I suspect 99.5% of all the passengers onboard...

 

[najaB]

If I was doing any intercity run down the West Coast I'd rather an actual intercity unit with provisions as such, as would I suspect 99.5% of all the passengers onboard...

So would I. But I'd also prefer a 380 over no train at all as in this case.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

So would I. But I'd also prefer a 380 over no train at all as in this case.

Indeed, I meant to say fair play to both SR and VT for sorting it out.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think the 380 demonstrates how nice the Desiro Verve will be if any TOC buys any.

 

[bb21]

Sounds like good planning for once. I wish they would do that every day and run 380s on the entire route. It must have been a nice surprise for the passengers. 380s are a million times better to travel on than the usual awful Pendolino and Voyager 220 / 221 / 390 trains.

Let's not kid ourselves. Four hours on a 380?

You'll lose the will to live at the end of the journey.

 

[ainsworth74]

Do we have to do the whole:

"Pendolinos/Voyagers are awful!"

"No they're not!"

"Yes they are!"

Panto routine again? We've done it so many times by now...

 

[gordonthemoron]

it would take longer than 4 hours on a 380 as they don't go at 125mph

 

[SeanG]

I would prefer the 380 over nothing in this situation - very good work there and I'm surprised that Virgin's PR juggernaut hasn't shouted about it.

 

[swt class 450]

Was this service worked by an Abellio Driver and an Abellio Guard? I presume VTWC staff dont sign 380s?

 

[PHILIPE]

Was this service worked by an Abellio Driver and an Abellio Guard? I presume VTWC staff dont sign 380s?

Sure to have been. They had to take it back to Glasgow Central from Carstairs.

 

[route101]

Sure to have been. They had to take it back to Glasgow Central from Carstairs.

They work services to Edinburgh and N berwick via Carstairs .

 

[gsnedders]

How many 380s are spare between the peaks? (I presume that pulling this off for something like the 09:00 service would've been practically impossible!)

That said, it shows that the different ToCs can work together if it is their interest (presumably, Abellio ScotRail getting paid for what would be a train and staff sitting around, and VTWC avoiding penalties). Still an inconvenience to the passengers having to change at Carstairs, though, but so would being delayed!

What I do find interesting is the implication they could fit everyone on the Class 380/1!

 

[Trainfan344]

Do we have to do the whole:

"Pendolinos/Voyagers are awful!"

"No they're not!"

"Yes they are!"

Panto routine again? We've done it so many times by now...

I mean, it's not even pantomime season.

 

[NSE]

i mean, it's not even pantomime season.

oh yes it is

 

[Bletchleyite]

oh yes it is

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Have VTWC hired in a 380 before?

 

[SpacePhoenix]

I didn't think that 380s were even cleared for the WCML

 

[The Planner]

Indeed they are. ECS only south of Carstairs.

 

[gsnedders]

Indeed they are. ECS only south of Carstairs.

Why are they cleared south of Carstairs?

 

[route101]

Why are they cleared south of Carstairs?

Didnt they do driver training down the WMCL?
Quite often you get a class cleared ECS , 158S are ECS only to East Kilbride but i wonder if they have actually been to EK

 

[The Planner]

Why are they cleared south of Carstairs?

Could be any number of reasons, likely for mileage accumulation runs when originally testing. If someone was prepared to pay to have it looked at and cleared it doesn't really matter.

 

[Clansman]

Could be any number of reasons, likely for mileage accumulation runs when originally testing. If someone was prepared to pay to have it looked at and cleared it doesn't really matter.

Could it be in case in future Scotrail ever wanted to introduce a service to Lockerbie? Maybe something First had in mind?

Although as you said, it most likely would of been for milege accumulation.

 

[gsnedders]

Could be any number of reasons, likely for mileage accumulation runs when originally testing. If someone was prepared to pay to have it looked at and cleared it doesn't really matter.

Oh, I'm well aware the why doesn't matter! I'm just somewhat surprised someone did pay for it. But yeah, mileage accumulation runs makes sense.

 

[scotraildriver]

They all did their 2000 miles fault free acceptance runs between Polmadie and Carlisle.

 

[380gk]

There was also a much rumoured plan of running to Carlisle with them at one point in order to provide Lockerbie with a scotrail train service. Can't imagine there are many paths available though

 

[Clansman]

There was also a much rumoured plan of running to Carlisle with them at one point in order to provide Lockerbie with a scotrail train service. Can't imagine there are many paths available though

I think a Lockerbie service would be a very popular and viable service. A limited stopper from Lockerbie calling at Carstairs and Motherwell would definitly take the ease off both TPE and existing Scotrail services throughout the route. The "Train Services" for Lockerbie and Carstairs are really infrequent that it surprises me, given the rising patronage at these stations, that there's no clear indication from Scotrail to provide a service.

 

[PHILIPE]

I think a Lockerbie service would be a very popular and viable service. A limited stopper from Lockerbie calling at Carstairs and Motherwell would definitly take the ease off both TPE and existing Scotrail services throughout the route. The diagrams for Lockerbie and Carstairs are really infrequent that it surprises me, given the rising patronage at these stations, that there's no clear indication from Scotrail to provide a service.

Sorry. It's the train service that's infrequent not diagrams.