X Country HSTs

[whole diary]

[The Grecian]

From what I've seen Crosscountry seem to concentrate their longest trains on Plymouth-Edinburgh, then Bristol-Manchester. They seem to prioritise trains to the south-west over the south coast. This also seems true destination-wise, although obviously it's controlled by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about). In the SW, apart from Paignton and Cardiff where you can go anywhere as long as it's Manchester (ignoring the fact that Cardiff has plenty of trains to Birmingham, Stockport and Manchester anyway) you can still go NW or NE. If you live south of Reading it's Manchester again for you.

But not to worry there's a charming part of the Midlands called New Street where you can go almost anywhere.

[r james]

I just dont see how they will get away with it, as they commited to adding additional seats to their services!

What will happen to their HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)?  Its crazy, as once they go to another operator, they will never get them back.

DO any diagrams currently run around as doublevoyagers?

Or are they simply reducing the overall number of train services?

[willc]

There are a few double Voyager diagrams on XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) but I don't know the details of when and where.

[r james]

I suspect that more services re going to be cut, and in turn a few double voyagers will offer the additional capacity?

[caliwag]

I have to agree that it's far more enjoyable to go via London. I occasionally travel from York to Falmouth...easily 125 all the way to Truro...except the tube from KX to Padd of course!, but was pleased to see XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) 125s, at least to Plymouth, as long as you take a good picnic (no buffet, just trolleys).

So, it'll be back to KX Padd for me.

Incidentally, as a complete aside, I travelled on a a bit of the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) on Friday...South from Carlisle to Lancaster in a Pendo, Northbound on a Voyager. Am I alone in finding the Pendos incredibly claustrophic?...despite having a window seat. And another thing, the pathetic seat reservation indicators (whither the partially sighted!) show "reserved"...no from/to...useless. Bring back card tickets...rant over.

Best ride and most comfortable journey, by far, a 158 over the glorious S+C, made more enjoyable by the attendance of a gent selling locally made ice-cream...marvellous.

Same trip witnessed a 66 hauling a refurbed FGW^▸ (First Great Western) buffet car and a class 50.

[woody]

I suspect that more services re going to be cut, and in turn a few double voyagers will offer the additional capacity?

If I were to be synical and fast foreward 20 or so years I could easily imagine the Dft bean counters by then being tempted for financial and operational reasons to route all FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services to Devon and Cornwall via Bristol on an electrified GW^▸ (Great Western) main line with X country going no further west than Bristol.OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website)?maybe.
 Out of curiosity I wonder how a Paddington/Penzance  IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) running via Bristol(Limited or non stop Padd/Bristol) would fare time wise compared to todays HST^▸ (High Speed Train) times via the Berks & Hants given electrification and 125mph running between Bristol and Bridgewater and the likelyhood that Bristol/Taunton would eventually be wired up before the Berks and Hants.(Believe that when it happens)

[The SprinterMeister]

But not to worry there's a charming part of the Midlands called New Street where you can go almost anywhere.

Such an appealing place. NOT. 

[IndustryInsider]

I have to agree that it's far more enjoyable to go via London.

Off putting if you're elderly or have lots of luggage though. Even changing at New Street would mean some people don't make the trip by train. Here's a rough list of stations that are no longer served by direct trains from Dorset, Hampshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire stations that were under Virgin Trains:

Crewe
Wilmslow
Runcorn
Liverpool
Warrington
Wigan
Preston
Lancaster
Oxenholme
Penrith
Carlisle
Lockerbie
Motherwell
Glasgow
Tamworth
Burton-On-Trent
Northallerton
Inverkeithling
Kirkcaldy
Leuchars
Dundee
Arbroath
Stonehaven
Montrose
and Aberdeen

And from Bournemouth to Basingstoke stations you can add to that list:
Derby
Sheffield
Doncaster
Wakefield
Leeds
York
Darlington
Durham
Newcastle
Berwick-On-Tweed
and Edinburgh

From Berkshire and Oxfordshire stations, several other places such as Chesterfield, Wakefield, Leeds, Berwick and Edinburgh have fewer trains, or only ones that operate at inconvenient times for most people. It's true that if you want to get to Crewe for example, there's a train every 30 minutes from Reading, Oxford, Banbury and Leamington with one change and a reasonable journey time - but part of the benefit of the Cross Country network was that it allowed people (as I say, often elderly) to make that trip by direct train - something that is now not possible. It's a shame.

[Btline]

I suspect that more services re going to be cut, and in turn a few double voyagers will offer the additional capacity?

If I were to be synical and fast foreward 20 or so years I could easily imagine the Dft bean counters by then being tempted for financial and operational reasons to route all FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services to Devon and Cornwall via Bristol on an electrified GW^▸ (Great Western) main line with X country going no further west than Bristol.OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website)?maybe.
 Out of curiosity I wonder how a Paddington/Penzance  IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) running via Bristol(Limited or non stop Padd/Bristol) would fare time wise compared to todays HST^▸ (High Speed Train) times via the Berks & Hants given electrification and 125mph running between Bristol and Bridgewater and the likelyhood that Bristol/Taunton would eventually be wired up before the Berks and Hants.(Believe that when it happens)

Won't happen. (in a sensible world)

[The Grecian]

I believe the 'Great Way Round' via Bristol was faster for HST^▸ (High Speed Train) Devon & Cornwall services than the Berks & Hants when they were introduced in the late 70s or at least there was certainly little difference for fast services. I think the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) was upgraded quite a lot in the 80s. There were rumours in both the 60s and 80s I think that the B&H was going to be downgraded; it hasn't happened yet despite the bean counters.

Effectively Crosscountry has changed over the last 10 years from a service aimed entirely at the leisure market - direct trains to and from everywhere, but usually 1 or 2 a day, plenty of room but hopelessly unreliable - to one with a fixed interval service on the main routes, with more crowded but more reliable services. It's more aimed now at people who want to travel from say Birmingham to Bristol or Leeds to Newcastle (1-2 hours) than it is for really long-distance travellers.

Out of interest has anyone ever travelled by train from Aberdeen to Penzance - even by HST it must get a tad boring!

[JayMac]

I did Plymouth to Aberdeen on a Vomiter in 2007. Never again. To describe my derriere as numb after that journey would be an understatement. And I was in first class. At least in the 'old' days you could stick your head out of a MkIII droplight and get a lungful of Class 43 clag!

[devonian]

I did Exeter to Edinburgh - I had lost the will to live by about Leeds. THere were a lot of other long distance travellers though.

[woody]

For "maximise revenue" read "minimise losses" - the industry is rife
with suggestions that the franchise is seriously behind targets
offered in its franchise bid (in fact a while back it was expected
that CrossCountry would fail before East Coast). The ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender) for the
franchise was very specific about numbers of seats at certain times of
the day on certain routes.. as long as they meet this bit they don't
have to use all the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train).
  Regards my comments about "The Great Way Round" we are talking about the Daft/Post Global economic meltdown and not a "sensible world".

[Super Guard]

I did Exeter to Edinburgh - I had lost the will to live by about Leeds. THere were a lot of other long distance travellers though.

I think arriving in Leeds under any circumstances would be enough to lose the will the live...    (Sorry if that offends lol  )

[devon_metro]

I did Exeter to Edinburgh - I had lost the will to live by about Leeds. THere were a lot of other long distance travellers though.

I often see reservations from south of Exeter to Sheffield, not many other places however.