Virgin High Speed Train

Nick Leverton wrote:

> In article <1138319934.428525.47500@f14g2000cwb.. com>,
> <jonporter1052@> wrote:
> >Oxford Blue wrote:
> >
> >> forms an earlier Leeds-Plymouth and return to York diagram. Since
> >> Midland Mainline are getting rid of several HSTs with more 9 car
> >> Meridians, why can't Virgin take up the HSTs instead - especially on
> >> the busy Anglo-Scotish routes?
> >
> >No that would never do, on the grounds that the train is not new and
> >short, the idea is sensible and these trains were meant to be providing
> >homes for fish by now.
>
> I don't think the sea comes *quite* that high at Dawlish !
>
> Nick ;)




Oh believe me it can!! Used to watch it from my home above Parsons
Tunnel . A Virgin Trains Spokesman said something about "Dumping them
in the Atlantic" when the new super reliable Voyager fleet replaced the
HST's and the 47s.

jonporter1052@ wrote:
> Oh believe me it can!! Used to watch it from my home above Parsons
> Tunnel . A Virgin Trains Spokesman said something about "Dumping them
> in the Atlantic"

Taking a leaf out of White Star Line's book then!

--
Nathan Whitington <><

nathan@nathanwhitington.co.uk wrote
>
>jonporter1052@ wrote:
>> Oh believe me it can!! Used to watch it from my home above Parsons
>> Tunnel . A Virgin Trains Spokesman said something about "Dumping them
>> in the Atlantic"
>
>Taking a leaf out of White Star Line's book then!
>
But does the bearded wonder go down with the 'ship' :-)))
--
dave hill

dave hill wrote:
> But does the bearded wonder go down with the 'ship' :-)))
> --

It can be arranged ;-)

--
Nathan Whitington <><

<jonporter1052@> wrote in message
news:1138320545.175342.149780@z14g2000cwz. o...
>
> Nick Leverton wrote:
>
>> In article <1138319934.428525.47500@f14g2000cwb.. com>,
>> <jonporter1052@> wrote:
>> >Oxford Blue wrote:
>> >
>> >> forms an earlier Leeds-Plymouth and return to York diagram. Since
>> >> Midland Mainline are getting rid of several HSTs with more 9 car
>> >> Meridians, why can't Virgin take up the HSTs instead - especially on
>> >> the busy Anglo-Scotish routes?
>> >
>> >No that would never do, on the grounds that the train is not new and
>> >short, the idea is sensible and these trains were meant to be providing
>> >homes for fish by now.
>>
>> I don't think the sea comes *quite* that high at Dawlish !
>>
>> Nick ;)
>
>
>
>
> Oh believe me it can!! Used to watch it from my home above Parsons
> Tunnel . A Virgin Trains Spokesman said something about "Dumping them
> in the Atlantic" when the new super reliable Voyager fleet replaced the
> HST's and the 47s.

I thought that the quote referred only to the 47s - and was by a certain
Chris Green. Has anyone told him that some of those 47s are still with VT,
as 57s?

Incidentally, I understand several passengers have complemented Virgin on
their nice new train with lots of seats (the MML HST) and asking when are
they getting some more!

John Tattersall wrote:
,
> as 57s?
>
> Incidentally, I understand several passengers have complemented Virgin on
> their nice new train with lots of seats (the MML HST) and asking when are
> they getting some more!


Well had they had a time machine to go back three years they could've
had these trains anytime they liked on the route!

Anyone with true sense would think HST's were limousines compared to
the voyagers.

Virgin Voyagers were a con to passengers in the way that a passenger
will believe anything that is shiny and new is better than an old
train. Even if virgin trains ran a pacer on their route refurbished
with voyager seats, passengers would think they were an improvement
just because they'd be new to them.

GreatWesternSean wrote:
>
> Virgin Voyagers were a con to passengers in the way that a passenger
> will believe anything that is shiny and new is better than an old
> train.

Sums up the ethos of every part of the Virgin group, if you ask me!

Oxford Blue wrote:
> How long will this HST be in operation for? I read elsewhere that this
> forms an earlier Leeds-Plymouth and return to York diagram. Since
> Midland Mainline are getting rid of several HSTs with more 9 car
> Meridians, why can't Virgin take up the HSTs instead - especially on
> the busy Anglo-Scotish routes?


I've booked my ticket on the 0912 Birmingham - Plymouth virgin train on
the 15th Feb so i hope it's still running then!

I would think the HST will be in use for sometime yet considering all
the current voyager problems. The HST will be used in the summer for
Newquay trains so will virgin even bother getting rid of it? It's only
five months away.

GreatWesternSean wrote:
> Virgin Voyagers were a con to passengers in that a passenger will
> believe anything that is shiny and new is better than an old train.

I find Virgin Voyagers much superior to their HST predecessors. And that
has nothing to do with them being shiny or new (except that because they
are new, they are built to modern standards of accessibility).

The balance would tip in favour of HST's if they were gutted, with the
seats being replaced with something easier to get into and one or more
sensibly accessible toilets aboard. From my personal perspective BR's
coaches from Mk2e to Mk3 have been less comfortable than what went
before, and Mk4's seats were far too hard when first introduced. I
haven't travelled on one recently to be able to form a current view.

Good luck to you if you think that HST's are the best thing ever. But I
find them so uncomfortable that for preference I stand. Voyagers don't
have much to beat.

Chris Tolley wrote:
>
> The balance would tip in favour of HST's if they were gutted, with the
> seats being replaced with something easier to get into and one or more
> sensibly accessible toilets aboard.

The seating (and the slam doors) remain the two most obvious negative points
of the HST - but, as Jon Porter has repeatedly pointed out, costs of
replacement militate against any action in these areas. FGW have, however,
installed disabled access toilets in their HSTs.