I Hate Virgin Trains

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
MikeF
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by MikeF »

Steam trains didn't have much problem with slipping on leaves because the the linesides were kept clear of trees and they had sanding boxes if the wheels slipped.They also had plenty of room for luggage and bicycles. The replacement diesel units around here still had plenty of luggage/bicycle room, but even in the 1970s started slipping and sliding as the trees started to grow and throw down leaves. This was long before it was a national problem. Then later trains were designed by bus engineers instead of rail engineers who decided anti lock and disc brakes were better, but in effect caused more slippage problems.

Now we have trains with very little luggage space. There appears no problem at all if what little space there is is cluttered with non folding push chairs, large suitcases, back packs, boxes, musical instruments or whatever other large object a passenger might have .......except when that object is a bicycle, when there are policies and restrictions of all sorts. :evil: It's an integrated transport policy. :?
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Postboxer
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by Postboxer »

Maybe they planted the wrong trees when first building the railways, an unforeseen problem. Would fir trees have been better? Maybe lines of shrubberies or heather alongside the lines to try to intercept the leaves?
Flinders
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by Flinders »

MikeF wrote:Steam trains didn't have much problem with slipping on leaves because the the linesides were kept clear of trees and they had sanding boxes if the wheels slipped.They also had plenty of room for luggage and bicycles. The replacement diesel units around here still had plenty of luggage/bicycle room, but even in the 1970s started slipping and sliding as the trees started to grow and throw down leaves. This was long before it was a national problem. Then later trains were designed by bus engineers instead of rail engineers who decided anti lock and disc brakes were better, but in effect caused more slippage problems.

Now we have trains with very little luggage space. There appears no problem at all if what little space there is is cluttered with non folding push chairs, large suitcases, back packs, boxes, musical instruments or whatever other large object a passenger might have .......except when that object is a bicycle, when there are policies and restrictions of all sorts. :evil: It's an integrated transport policy. :?


To be fair to designers of trains, if the customer won't pay for, e.g. a decent air conditioning system, or doesn't want the weight it would involve, it isn't always the designers' fault that the air conditioning on, say Pendolinos and Virgin cross-country trains, can't cope with our searingly hot British summers. Or even Springs and Autumns. :roll:
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Sweep
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by Sweep »

I thought Pendolinos were an Italian design.

Is the aircon retrofitted/specced by the end user?
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Edwards
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by Edwards »

I am curious to know the make and type of folding bike and is it was in a bag?

Do the Ditch, German or other European countries allow bikes on trains (folded and or bagged) during morning and evening peak times?
Keith Edwards
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bikepacker
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by bikepacker »

You have to pay to take your bike on a train in the Netherlands but do not have to book in advance. For those who think train fare there are cheaper, they are not.
There is your way. There is my way. But there is no "the way".
iviehoff
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by iviehoff »

MikeF wrote:Steam trains didn't have much problem with slipping on leaves because the the linesides were kept clear of trees and they had sanding boxes if the wheels slipped.

In steam era, they had to keep the vegetation clear because of fire risk. Since then trees have grown up and the neighbours like the trees for the screening. They've done a huge vegetation clear-out around us recently in combination with a program of embankment and cutting stabilisation, and some places where the train was previously well hidden it is now prominently visible, and people are not always very happy about it.

Some modern trains have sand-boxes, more particularly trams and light rail as they are more prone to slipping.
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Sweep
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by Sweep »

bikepacker wrote:You have to pay to take your bike on a train in the Netherlands but do not have to book in advance. For those who think train fare there are cheaper, they are not.


You also have to pay to take a bike (I think it's almost like paying for another person) that isn't folded in Italy.

Even in Sardinia where the trains have a very low number of passengers.

Sheer stupidity/stubborness.

And then once a year, on a special day, they make a great show of letting you take your bike for free. Pathetic.

If travelling on more than one train in a day with your beloved bike, you can buy a 24 hour pass for the thing. Which is cheaper than simple tickets for it but it's still p poor.

There have been real advances in bikes on trains in the UK - credit where credit's due.

Outside peak hours around London it is very good - no payment and in practice you can take large numbers of bikes. The companies tend to be very understanding.

I have had good experiences with Virgin recently.
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bikepacker
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by bikepacker »

As I have said previously most of my experiences with Virgin Trains and other train companies have been very good.
There is your way. There is my way. But there is no "the way".
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john4703
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by john4703 »

Jughead wrote:I commute most days from Glasgow to Motherwell using the Virgin train from Glasgow to London. One stop instead of the umpteen with the local service which has no cycle space except for the doorwells where you have to maneouvre to let folks on and off. Absolute murder at peak times.

I've used Scotrai which is the local service a lot and no problem with a bike. You can take your bike into any doorway and it is not hard to learn which side the platforms will be at each stop. No specific bike spaces but there seems to be no limit to the number of bikes they let on each train.
Don't let them win but keep up the struggle and wear them all down by our persistence.
Flinders
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by Flinders »

bikepacker wrote:As I have said previously most of my experiences with Virgin Trains and other train companies have been very good.


I've just been trying to book trains for a trip to London from Stafford (not with bikes).
As Virgin are too expensive, as well as uncomfortable for me (tilting trains make me throw up unless I stand up all the way) I go by London Midland.
Except no matter how you add in your data, or what boxes you check, the National Rail Enquiries site doesn't display a lot of the London Midland trains.
How curious.
If I hadn't known better, I'd have assumed that I could only get one of two LM trains back in the evening. In the same time three-hours period there are at least three other LM trains that NRE don't list.
It's almost as if NRI don't want you to use London Midland trains................ :evil:

If anyone is thinking of avoiding Virgin and saving their money (as well as getting into London earlier without having to take out a mortgage on the fare) I suggest they go to London Midland's own site to avoid being ripped off and getting stuck with Virgin. :?
TonyR
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by TonyR »

Flinders wrote:If anyone is thinking of avoiding Virgin and saving their money (as well as getting into London earlier without having to take out a mortgage on the fare) I suggest they go to London Midland's own site to avoid being ripped off and getting stuck with Virgin. :?


I don't know when you are looking and what you think needs a mortgage but there are plenty of Advance Standard Single fares available on Virgin from Stafford to London for around £16.50 or on London Midlands for £7.00. The latter do take longer though.
Bicycler
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by Bicycler »

TonyR wrote:or on London Midlands for £7.00. The latter do take longer though.

I think that last bit may be the answer to the anomaly. NRE doesn't routinely show trains which get overtaken. There used to be a tick box option for showing overtaken trains but it seems to have gone in the last redesign
TonyR
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by TonyR »

Bicycler wrote:
TonyR wrote:or on London Midlands for £7.00. The latter do take longer though.

I think that last bit may be the answer to the anomaly. NRE doesn't routinely show trains which get overtaken. There used to be a tick box option for showing overtaken trains but it seems to have gone in the last redesign


I use the East Coast website. It has its own engine which is much better where most just clone the NRE engine. And it did bike bookings online when the NRE one didn't Having said that they have recently made it much worse with "improvements"
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Sweep
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Re: I Hate Virgin Trains

Post by Sweep »

What are the "worse" East Coast improvements?
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