Cross Country Mk3s Update

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

No double Voyagers at the moment (I think)

5 HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) go in;

5 Super Voyagers go out;

So I doubt there will be any/ any more double Voyagers.

Aren't the total number of diagrams reducing due to reductions in the routes offered? The Brighton trains are history come december for a start, aren't they?

[The SprinterMeister]

No double Voyagers at the moment (I think)

5 HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) go in;

5 Super Voyagers go out;

So I doubt there will be any/ any more double Voyagers.

Aren't the total number of diagrams reducing due to reductions in the routes offered? The Brighton trains are history come december for a start, aren't they?

Which will give AXC^» (Arriva Cross Country - about) some capacity within the Voyager fleet to undertake refurbishment / adjustment of the interior layout. Not sure what the plan is this week with regard to removing the shop, the toilets are to remain as is as I understand it.

[willc]

The following was the official announcement in April of the exact work being done to Voyagers and as far as I know nothing has changed since.

MORE SEATS AND LUGGAGE SPACE FOR CROSSCOUNTRY
CUSTOMERS
CrossCountry customers can look forward to extra seats and up to 25 percent more luggage space
following the award of a contract to redesign and refresh the interiors of the company^s Voyager
train fleet.
Starting in September, train builder Bombardier will add an extra 16 seats and 20 percent more
luggage space to each of the 22 five-car Voyagers and 14 extra seats and 25 percent more
luggage space to the 35 four-car trains, a total of 842 more seats across the fleet. The work will
take about 12 months to complete.
Space for additional seating is being created by minor modification of interior layouts and it has
been possible to retain all of the existing toilets, fully accessible to customers with special needs.
Increased luggage space will be achieved by introduction of new and improved luggage stacks
throughout each train and use of some of the space created by removal of the onboard shop,
which will also incorporate the cycle storage area.
As a result of customer feedback the shop will be replaced by at-seat service of food and drink
throughout the train.
CrossCountry Managing Director Andy Cooper said: ^Interior redesign of our Voyager trains will
make a significant contribution to our commitment to increase seating across our network by up to
35 percent. Getting a seat and having more space for luggage are customer priorities, and these
changes will allow us to improve the service we offer. People are naturally reluctant to leave their
possessions behind and take a walk to the shop, and we know that service of food and drink at
the seat is very popular.^

[Btline]

Ha! That's going to be a laugh - XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) staff pushing through packed Voyager (because on average there are way more than 16 people standing per coach, let alone train).

I take it the shop will become a rack, but people won't want to leave their luggage unattended for hours!
I expect the extra seats will be carried out through lossing tables, legroom and reinstating seats 1 & 2 (which Virgin pulled out to try to ease the luggage space problem).

How else will they manage this?

We need MORE carriages/ double Voyagers to both eliminate the current critical overcrowding, and to give some space for passenger growth. This refit won't even scrape the surface with the overcrowding!

At least there will be a few HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) rolling around, but they'll stay clear of the Cherwell Valley (i.e. FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) routes!

[devon_metro]

Having seen photos of the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) trolley store interior, I imagine XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) will decide to fit this into their Voyagers as there seems to be enough space to fit a person in with an openable window for serving.

[IndustryInsider]

Well, I'm all for giving operators a chance to prove their plans, but on the face of it 15 or so extra seats per set does equate to about 6 months of current passenger growth. I know their HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s are coming, and I know that services to some destinations are being pruned/withdrawn thereby releasing more capacity, but I remain sceptical that, with current growth in rail travel, AXC^» (Arriva Cross Country - about) will do much to reduce crowding - unless there are more changes on the horizon?

[r james]

Like I said, there were talks of efficiencies being brought about, and the timetable changes meant that less stock was required, plus the extra stock that will be gained from the Brighton services?  This means some will be freed up for doubel voyagers.

Lets remember, there must be excess voyagers in the fleet, to enbable them to start the voyager alterations?? 

[devon_metro]

Some photos of the new stock: http://www.trainpics.net/c1587437.html

Not mine

[Btline]

Interesting that they have used electronic reservations.

The overall view looks so much better than the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ones. The seats look comfier and there is less of a claustrophobic feel.

I don't know who designed the FGW ones, but the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) designer is miles better!

Roll this design out on the Voyagers I say!

[John R]

The electronic reservations weren't in use today, maybe because on alternate days an unrefurbished rake will be used.

I can confirm that the look is much better than FGW^▸ (First Great Western), but not sure about the seats being any more comfortable. I was at a table, so will try and sample airline style on Thursday to judge pitch/leg room etc. Of course, Voyagers are narrower because they were designed for tilt, but GNER^▸ (Great North Eastern Railways) managed to accomplish a decent ambience in the Mk 4s with their Mallard rebuild. The seats in the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) looked very similar in fact.

[dog box]

think you will find the seats are the same ones used by XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) as used by GNER^▸ (Great North Eastern Railways) in the Mallard Rebuild, also The XC 1st class seats are exactly the same as FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 1st Class albeit trimmed in cloth not Leather, i also i am led to believe they are all made by the same firm whose name escapes me at present , although FGW Stnd seats were made by Grammar of Germany.
The layout looks OK , hopefully be on it tomorrow, but it looks a bit too much like a voyager for me

[willc]

I can confirm that the look is much better than FGW^▸ (First Great Western), but not sure about the seats being any more comfortable

Certainly relatives who live in NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast)-land and came up from London to see me by FGW recently said they thought the standard class FGW interior felt too enclosed, but the seats were more comfortable than those in refitted Mk4s and Mk3s.

[r james]

Is there any way to guarantee getting onto this HST^▸ (High Speed Train)?  What is its diagram?

[devon_metro]

Every other day M-F

0900 Glasgow - Plymouth (1711 Bristol)
0640 Plymouth - Aberdeen (0900 Bristol)

[r james]

No Chance of me ever catching i then, as I need to travel after 930 with my railcard!