Great Western Coffee Shop

Virgin FGW.

13/10/2007.

E-mail from an acquaintance working at the business front line.

FGW hiring 220009 from VXC this afternoon to work 2E22 16:28 BTM - Taunton and 2G24 17:38 Taunton - BTM due to a shortage of drivers on FGW.

Has Virgin XC got a safety case to operate scheduled services for FGW ??? aka the past summers Weymouth Saturdays only ???

Was thinking there might be a chance to travel from Bedminster to Parson Street on a Voyager but alas no, but one could do Yatton to Worle and return on a Voyager.

If NailseaMatt sees this post he'll be on it.

I think this is a slightly different senario to the operation of the Weymouth's by EW&S. In the past but I don't think of late FGW have loaned staff to Virgin Trains. This was done however when Virgin used HST's.


If a Voyager won't fit onto Worle platform I am sorry to say that it may not. be stopping there, Virgin Voyagers I don't think have selective door opening. I not entirely sure how many coaches Worle will take.

Well it did indeed run, as I saw it stop at Nailsea on the return trip. Bet the passengers were impressed, especially any that were savvy enough to sit in the first class section.

I can't imagine this would have happened under Queen Alison's reign. Maybe it's a sign that the new management recognise the need to think about passengers now and again.

Wonder whether they'll charge the hire costs to the crews who coincidentally are unavailable on such a big sporting day.

I saw it at Taunton ... wondered what was going on!  Stops announced did include Worle ...

A train named "Gatwick Airport" for a journey from Bridgwater to Burnham .... whatever next. Oh please can we have one of those for the TransWilts!

Last summer (2006) FGW hired Virgin Train managers to work a couple of services, Plymouth XC cres sign HST's for the Newquay services on summer saturdays.