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XC Swindon to Birmingham

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tgrb

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On the ever so reliable Wikipedia old Virgin XC page it says that XC are starting running Swindon to Birmingham from April - is there any truth in this? I can't see anything to support it on the forum or from googling - any info would be appreciated if it is on the route etc.
 
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yorkie

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Welcome to the forum :)

The XC franchise has not been operated by Virgin since 2008.

Can you provide a link to the source and a quote from it (as per our forum rules) please?

Edit: I see the text you refer to has been removed. Can I take the opportunity to issue everyone reading this a gentle reminder of the following requirement in our Forum Rules:
  • If referring to an external source you should put the text in QUOTE tags(
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    , provide details of the source and make a relevant comment to promote discussion.
We ask for a quote because our blind members and users of some mobile devices, may find it hard to navigate to external sites, find the relevant information and navigate back again, so this makes it easier for them. Also in years to come, hyperlinks may no longer work or content may be removed.
 
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tgrb

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Welcome to the forum :) Can you provide a link to the source and a quote from it (as per our forum rules) please?

The XC franchise has not been operated by Virgin since 2008.

Oops sorry, looks like midnightflyer beat me too it, thanks!

I realise virgin hasn't operated this for a while and hence thought it fishy it being on there and no other info around about it, depending on the route could be dead handy for me though!
 

yorkie

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If there is no source available then it's no different to someone making a fishy claim down the pub (or on the end of a platform ;))
 

sjoh

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I seem to recall a proposal of running a service to cater for the Birmingham-Great Western route after Bournemouth-Manchester services are diverted via East West railway to the WCML avoiding Birmingham. Could it possibly be a slightly unhinged reference to that?
 

The Planner

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No, Bournemouth Manchester via E-W isn't a diversion, they would stay where they are. Anything that ends up on E-W is a new additional service.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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We seem to have several levels of history and fantasy mixed up here.
Even the Wiki entry says the VT0 service was withdrawn in 2003.
It's ancient history.
Swindon-Birmingham doesn't currently figure in any GW or XC franchise plans.

The E-W proposals are future pipe-dreams.
Until there is an electrified through route via Bletchley and Oxford, any proposals for new XC services that way are pure fiction.
HS2 will in any case change everything.
It looked promising for about a year when the Electric Spine was on the DfT table, but has evaporated along with NR's electrification programme.
 

Kite159

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The only time Swindon might feature XC is diversions when the main line via Bristol Parkway was closed for engineering. Diverted via Swindon then towards Temple Meads.

But XC serving Swindon on a permanent basis is as unfounded as returning across the great divide and serving Liverpool
 

swt_passenger

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No, Bournemouth Manchester via E-W isn't a diversion, they would stay where they are. Anything that ends up on E-W is a new additional service.

The references to it in one of the RUSs a couple of years back (think it was the GW one without checking) suggested the extra route it might be Manchester via Trent Valley and Milton Keynes to Basingstoke only, IIRC. That would have allowed operation with suitable electric stock - so is probably completely off the medium term agenda...
 

Wilts Wanderer

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Until there is an electrified through route via Bletchley and Oxford, any proposals for new XC services that way are pure fiction.

I would argue that Class 80x bi-mode trains put the prospect of (say) Bristol-Nottingham via Swindon/Oxford/Leicester firmly back on the table, with no wires necessary. Currently there is a general consensus that 800 units will be useless on diesel-only model but regardless it proves the concept and a second generation of bi-mode trains will be much better.
 

Dr Hoo

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IIRC the 'original' Virgin Cross Country franchise envisaged creating a 'new' Birmingham-Cheltenham-Swindon-Paddington axis under the Operation Princess banner.

Despite considerable timetable development work it was never feasible as even by then the timetable was getting filled up with more frequent Great Western and Heathrow Express services, etc.

This was a very long time ago now.
 

Mag_seven

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IIRC the 'original' Virgin Cross Country franchise envisaged creating a 'new' Birmingham-Cheltenham-Swindon-Paddington axis under the Operation Princess banner.

Despite considerable timetable development work it was never feasible as even by then the timetable was getting filled up with more frequent Great Western and Heathrow Express services, etc.

This was a very long time ago now.

You may be correct - I'm sure the proposal was for a two hourly XC Brum service with FGW running a Pad-Chelt-Worcester service in the other hour. The XC service was to be operated by "Challenger" short HST sets.
 

ChiefPlanner

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IIRC the 'original' Virgin Cross Country franchise envisaged creating a 'new' Birmingham-Cheltenham-Swindon-Paddington axis under the Operation Princess banner.

Despite considerable timetable development work it was never feasible as even by then the timetable was getting filled up with more frequent Great Western and Heathrow Express services, etc.

This was a very long time ago now.

It was also a blatant ORCATS raid - Swindon to Paddington ! (20% share potentially) - VXC had a traumatic time with GW in trying to get it started , but of course rolling stock shortages nulled the whole thing.

It ended up as a "last redoubt" of VXC running Brum to Swindon -sometimes with mini - HST sets , more often with the filthy 158 sets they had - until it was killed off and the Stroud Valley put back into the non "inter city" mode of operation via Wessex Trains. (who got the bug infested 158's !)
 
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