Farewell East Coast. Hello Virgin Trains East Coast.

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Today is the last day of operation for the publicly owned TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) East Coast.

From tomorrow, 1st March 2015, inter-city services between London King's Cross and Yorkshire/North East/Scotland will be operated by Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC).

VTEC is a joint venture between Stagecoach (90%) and Virgin (10%). Although Stagecoach are the majority partner in the TOC, the service (trains, stations, online presence) will use the 'Virgin' brand.



New website: http://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/

The first timetabled train service operated by VTEC will be the 0755 Newcastle-King's Cross. There are, however, Rail Replacement Buses from Doncaster-Peterborough at 0655 and 0745 which are being operated on behalf of VTEC. So these are technically the first services of the new franchise. Perils of handing over on a Sunday!

There will be a launch service on Monday 2nd March 2015 from King's Cross to Edinburgh. One '225' set (Class 91, 9xMk4, DVT^‡(resolve)) is currently being re-liveried and it will form the 1100 KGX-EDB.

From the Herald Scotland:

New East Coast livery to be unveiled in Edinburgh as Stagecoach-Virgin group take over rail franchise

PASSENGERS travelling on the East Coast Main Line will get their first glimpse of the franchise's new livery on Monday when a Virgin branded train completes its inaugural journey from London to Scotland.

The East Coast franchise makes its controversial move back to the private sector tomorrow when Inter-City Rail (ICR), a Stagecoach-Virgin consortium, will begin running services on the route.

Although Stagecoach is the majority stakeholder, the fleet will carry the Virgin brand and the eight-year franchise will operate as Virgin Trains East Coast.

Customers boarding trains north and south tomorrow, however, are unlikely to notice any visible difference in the rolling stock.

As a short-term fix, the new franchise holders plan to decorate the front and sides of as many East Coast trains as possible with the Virgin logo and distinctive red stripe as a "nod" to the new owners.

Wholescale rebranding of the fleet, inside and out, will be carried out gradually over the coming months.

However, train-spotters and passengers will get first sight of the design on Monday when the only fully liveried Virgin East Coast train pulls into Edinburgh Waverley after completing its inaugural journey from London.

The train is scheduled to depart King's Cross at 11am, calling at York, Darlington, Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed before arriving in Scottish capital at 3.20pm.

David Horne, the managing director of Virgin Trains East Coast, will be among those on board, along with colleagues from the new operator's senior leadership team.

The Department for Transport has faced criticism over the decision to re-privatise the franchise. East Coast has been in state ownership since November 2009 after the then operator National Express attempted to buy itself out of the franchise, which was losing money and passengers.

Opponents say it has generated ^1 billion for the exchequer over the last five years and should remain in public hands.

The new franchise-holders have already run into trouble with the industry's competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned there was a "realistic prospect" of higher fares or reduced service quality on sections of the route which overlap with existing Stagecoach-run services, such as the Edinburgh to Aberdeen tranche which is also covered by Citylink buses.

There has also been mounting disquiet from campaigners over the decision to replace the generous East Coast Rewards loyalty club with a Nectar points scheme that offers customers poorer value for money.

For its part, the Stagecoach-Virgin consortium have promised to cut journey times between London and Edinburgh to four hours from 2019 and invest ^140m in improving the service.

During the first two years, the group has pledged to spend ^13.4m revamping the existing train fleet, including a "deep clean" of the entire rolling stock, refurbished toilets, new carpets and seat covers, and new on-train signage.

Extra weekday services between Edinburgh and London are planned from May 2016, with half-hourly frequency for most of the day and an additional Sunday service

From 2018, it will introduce 65 new Super Express trains with free on-board WiFi and at seat meals for all passengers, along with an app that allows passengers to order a meal to their seat before or during the journey.

New timetables in May 2019 will see the launch of an express Edinburgh to London service on weekdays, calling only at Newcastle. At four hours, it will be 20 minutes quicker than the current fastest service between the two cities.

There will also be a 50 per cent increase in capacity across the franchise by 2020, taking the total number of seats to 12,200, along with the addition of 500 extra car parking spaces and 50 per cent more cycle storage along the route.

[Adelante_CCT]

New timetables in May 2019 will see the launch of an express Edinburgh to London service on weekdays, calling only at Newcastle. At four hours, it will be 20 minutes quicker than the current fastest service between the two cities.

So the 05:40 off Edinburgh isn't currently 4 hours?!

[thetrout]

Just punched in for a 1ST Advance for the 11:00 KGX - EDG @ ^83.15 which is the same price as Newcastle also.

So was thinking for a day out I might do this trip and come back on the Sleeper. However if I was looking at a flexible ticket such as the FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) @ ^225.05 FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s booking page suggests I need 2 singles and cannot simply pay a supplement for the Sleeper?!

Have I got this right? If so, how can this be?

[JayMac]

Some Class 91 locos have already got a temporary 'Virgin' vinyl:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardholmesphotography/16677498975/in/photostream/

[Cynthia]

I was reading only yesterday about East Coast Main Line TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) having earned certification to become one of the 'Top Employers UK^▸ (United Kingdom) 2015'.  (All excel in terms of employee benefits, training and development, career development and culture management).  Interestingly, Virgin is NOT on the list.  I hope they don't exert a negative influence on East coast.  More information at www.top-employers.com

I don't understand why all the livery has to change to reflect Virgins 10% investment.  It seems to me like a company winning investment in the Dragons' Den having to rename their business 'Peter Jones' Sausage Machine' or whatever.   I hope Virgin is funding the new graphics. 

[grahame]

I was reading only yesterday about East Coast Main Line TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) having earned certification to become one of the 'Top Employers UK^▸ (United Kingdom) 2015'.  (All excel in terms of employee benefits, training and development, career development and culture management).  Interestingly, Virgin is NOT on the list.  I hope they don't exert a negative influence on East coast.  More information at www.top-employers.com

That's an interesting link, Cynthia.

"Top Employers" is something companies need to apply to join, and have costs to pay in order to be audited prior to membership being granted. And it's all very much employee related, with nothing at all about customers of the business - though in general the ethos of good staff relationships and good customer care can go hand in hand / pull in the same direction. I find it interesting that a TOC run by the taxpayer bought into membership of this organisation with what were (in essence) public funds.

[Cynthia]

Grahame, I don't see East Coast Trains applying for certification for this scheme as a problem, even if they are using public funds to apply.  Any company is only as good as the employees who run it, and as I'm sure any psychologist would agree, happy, contented, secure, well-catered for and properly trained staff with good promotion prospects will provide a better service and be more loyal to their employer.  This in turn costs the company less in terms of the amount of sick leave they have to fund, attracts even more motivated people to join the company, again, reducing costs through smaller staff turn-over.  I could go on.... 

[ellendune]

My understanding is that on this occasion DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) sold the operating company they owned to Stagecoach/Virgin.  So unlike other TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) transfers it is in legal terms the same company. So if they were certified before, then unless there is something in the T&Cs about change of ownership, I assume they still are - at least for the moment.

[chrisr_75]

I don't understand why all the livery has to change to reflect Virgins 10% investment.  It seems to me like a company winning investment in the Dragons' Den having to rename their business 'Peter Jones' Sausage Machine' or whatever.   I hope Virgin is funding the new graphics. 

This is exactly how Branson does his business - minimum financial exposure to ensure maximum exposure for his brand. It's all about the brand. Most of the other Virgin branded businesses are joint ventures with a controlling share, by a small percentage margin, in Virgins favour.

[Super Guard]

As reported before, Virgin Trains itself is 51% Branson and 49% Stagecoach, making the true "Virgin" exposure of East Coast 5.1% overall.

The flip side being, there is a large percentage of his businesses outside of his control that could harm the whole Virgin image.

[Rhydgaled]

Some Class 91 locos have already got a temporary 'Virgin' vinyl:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardholmesphotography/16677498975/in/photostream/

Looks a bit odd with the red extending quite a way behind the logo but not in front of it, meaning the logo is off-centre on the red band (can't move the logo to the centre of the red because of the bodyside grills).

[Timmer]

Been a lot of unhappy East Coast customers, myself included, who were members of the excellent East Coast Rewards which has been replaced by Nectar.  I'm a realist enough to know that a private company was never going to be as generous as DOR was, but going from spending ^255 got you a free std ticket anywhere on the East Coast eg: London-Inverness! TO ^2.50 off Advance Virgin East Coast tickets is quite a come down.

Not only this, where you earned reward points on ANY TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s tickets bought on the East Coast site, you only get Nectar on Virgin East Coast tickets so I'm going back to using the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site to buy all non Virgin East Coast tickets in future.

East Coast weren't perfect but I shall miss them.

[thetrout]

All in all I am bitterly disappointed at the Governments decision to re-franchise... They claim to have learned lessons. But were hellbent and desperate to get it off the public books back to private sector.

Secretly I think the Government are rather red faced and embarrassed that DOR was a clear success. Eastcoast was far from perfect. But whenever I used their services the service I received from Start to Finish was exemplary.

I now have big concerns for the future for ICEC and ICWC^▸ (InterCity West Coast). Both currently operated by Virgin... Where is the incentive for competition? Not to mention Megabus and Stagecoach' Scottish Coach Services...

So if you are boycotting Virgin for whatever reason... You become immediately screwed.


In my opinion, I have found Virgin Trains to be quite bullish and arrogant from a customer facing point of view. For example. Buy a First Class Ticket from Birmingham New Street - Stoke-on-Trent and try and use the First Class Lounge at Birmingham New Street... You'll be told that's a CrossCountry Journey and therefore not valid... Err... No... That ticket is not Train Operator Specific and is also valid via Crewe - using Virgin Trains

Try and argue that point you'll get one of 5 probable responses:

1) But that route takes ages > And your point is?
2) That only applies if you're using that route sir > I am though > Of course you are > Oh don't worry, I know about the 51 minute wait at Crewe, I can use the First Class Lounge there too. Even get a London Midland Desiro out of the journey too
3) Good God, No-one goes that way > Well I am thetrout... I'm not no-one and I like trains
4) It's not valid sir so I cannot allow admission > Please look at this twitter conversation with Virgin Trains where I had this issue before and they confirmed it is valid for lounge entry. If still in disagreement please contact the Station Manager
5) That's correct sir. But you and I both know you are not going that way > Err... I know I'm taking a Virgin Pendolino Object to Crewe to wait 51 minutes for a London Midland Class 350... You can walk me to the train and see me off if you don't believe me

I have had all 5 of those conversations with VT^▸ (Virgin Trains - former franchises) staff at Birmingham New Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe Lounges all with tickets that were valid on Virgin Trains services at some point or other. Quite ironically one of the tickets I was using for a full Virgin Trains journey and entry into the First Class Lounge without objection is priced and set by Northern Rail... Who don't even have First Class on their trains

So at this point... I remain unconvinced that this new franchise will be of benefit to the ICECs principle users... But the idea of ordering a hot meal to your seat from a mobile app... Nice idea and something FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could have thought of for their Travelling Chef

Oh that's me being optimistic and not realistic... I'll believe it all when I see it

[Richard Fairhurst]

Virgin Trains East Coast is now part of the Virgin family, alongside our sister company, over on the West Coast, Virgin Trains. The two will run as separate operations, but they^ll have the same Virgin sparkle.

Virgin Trains East Coast runs services to and from London King^s Cross (on the East Coast Main Line) to Leeds, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh and more. Virgin Trains goes to and from London Euston (along the West Coast Main Line). Easy huh?

Keep in mind that the normal ticket restrictions still apply. That means tickets identified as Virgin Trains East Coast are valid on Virgin Trains East Coast services on the East Coast Main Line only (so no cheeky hopping on Virgin Trains services and vice versa - nice try!). Please check before you buy and if needed, take a peep at our usual terms and conditions.

This is bona fide nuts. If you're going to distinguish between the two franchises, call one "Virgin Trains East Coast" and one "Virgin Trains West Coast". Not "Virgin Trains East Coast" and "Virgin Trains".

"Sorry, you say my ticket isn't valid? It says Virgin Trains Only."

"No, sir, despite the big red Virgin logo on the outside of this train, 'Virgin Trains Only' tickets are not valid on this train."

[thetrout]