XC Cl220 Voyagers are formed A-C-D-F, with the 221s formed A-B-C-D-F
First Class is A, while the Quiet Coach is F.
Would have made more logic if First was coded F.
The 180s were of course originally ordered by Great Western Trains (prior to the FirstGroup takeover of the original management 'buyout') to run South Wales services with 10-cars running to Cardiff and dividing with 5 continuing to Swansea (and occasionally beyond). There was also I believe a plan at one point for a follow-on order for North Western Trains/First NorthWestern for services from North Wales/Blackpool/others to London.
The rather severe 'teething problems' with the initial 180s (and of course pretty much all other early '3rd generation' Alstom units!) put paid to all that (and led to an extra summer of 47/8s and Mk2s running to Devon and Cornwall!) and the 180s eventually found limited use on Thames Valley and Exeter semi-fasts before being sent off-lease and picked up by the open access operators (and Northern of course!)
What letters to First Hull Trains use? Is it simply A-E with 1st class in B (or D)?
To be pedantic, we should mention NXEC in the history of the 180s as they leased five of them for a year or two (but IIRC never ran any in service - having stockpiled them for potential Lincoln/ Harrogate services and leased three to Northern in the meantime)
The 180s were of course originally ordered by Great Western Trains (prior to the FirstGroup takeover of the original management 'buyout') to run South Wales services with 10-cars running to Cardiff and dividing with 5 continuing to Swansea (and occasionally beyond). There was also I believe a plan at one point for a follow-on order for North Western Trains/First NorthWestern for services from North Wales/Blackpool/others to London.
Anyone noticed the announcement that GC want to go to a full 180 fleet and dispense with the HSTs...
Weren't the 14 (and only) 180s ordered by FNW originally? Can't remember the details of what services but somehow they ended up being diverted to FGW. I'm sure more would have been built, like with the rest of Alstom's products, if it wasn't for the 'teething troubles'...
Also for a time it looked like FNW would take over Holyhead - London, which is why such a high number were ordered for so few services.
Anyone noticed the announcement that GC want to go to a full 180 fleet and dispense with the HSTs...
More information in their application to Network Rail. It seems they're willing to pay for rebuilding the disused platform at Hartlepool.
Not stated there, but a full 180 fleet presumably also allows for the eventual possibility of joining trains for the mainline run to/from Kings Cross, which overcomes the criticism that they would be using short trains in LDHS paths.
and I can't imagine that would make any sense commercially.
allows for the eventual possibility of joining trains
Saw the Railnews article:
http://www.globalrailnews.com/2013/...m-fleet-of-trains-and-investment-in-stations/