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Title: Birmingham to Scotland enhancements Post by: John R on May 28, 2013, 21:28:35 Virgin have announced a significant enhancement to Birmingham to Scotland services today, with half of the services run by Pendolinos, and the others by doubled up Vogagers.
Great news, but how can they resource this, as there were several improvements last Dec with completion of the Pendolinos extension and new build completion. Also, they are looking to start services from Blackpool and Shrewsbury from Dec too. Is there so spare capacity in the existing timetable? Title: Re: Birmingham to Scotland enhancements Post by: Rhydgaled on May 28, 2013, 22:37:35 I can only guess they've paid the fleet maintainers extra to get higher availability out of the fleets (less stock out of service for maintenance), somebody on another fourm once told me ATW pay for an extra 175 from Alstom occasionally when extra capacity is needed.
Unless they are bringing the Pretendolino back into use... Only guesses I stress, I don't work on the railway or have any insider knowledge. Title: Re: Birmingham to Scotland enhancements Post by: trainer on May 28, 2013, 23:17:52 If I read the current edition of Todays Railways UK correctly, Virgin is now operating four extra Pendolinos recently received releasing, Voyagers to be strengthened to 10 car trains and 9 car units to be used on the Birmingham-Glasgow services. The coaching stock is not regularly used but on stand-by.
Title: Re: Birmingham to Scotland enhancements Post by: IndustryInsider on May 29, 2013, 11:18:28 The extra services are basically combinations of two existing hourly trains, one from Scotland to Birmingham and one from Birmingham to London. So that provides some of the capacity and by not having two trains most hours sat at Birmingham New Street for about 25 minutes waiting their next working also helps.
Makes sense as along with the increase in seats, and better use of platform capacity at Birmingham New Street, it also increases the Wolverhampton to Euston service to 2tph as well as much better flows from Birmingham International/Coventry up to the NW and Scotland. Title: Re: Birmingham to Scotland enhancements Post by: Southern Stag on May 29, 2013, 11:43:22 It might not increase Wolverhampton-Euston to 2tph. The few services which are combined to operate Euston-Scotland via Birmingham at the moment are extensions of Birmingham service Northbound, so providing an extra Wolverhampton service but extensions of the Wolverhampton services southbound.
Title: Re: Birmingham to Scotland enhancements Post by: IndustryInsider on May 29, 2013, 12:13:12 Yes, good point that. My other points are valid though.
Title: Re: Birmingham to Scotland enhancements Post by: grahame on June 01, 2013, 11:05:52 Another angle on the timetable change (and something I had wondered about)
http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/2013/05/decision-over-east-coast-is-pure-politics/ Quote Indeed, the announcement on the new timetable represents the most abject acceptance of the utter failure of the whole franchising concept since the system started in 1996. In fact, it seems to show that the rules are pretty much ^make them up as you go along^. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |