Tatty XC Vomiters

[whole diary]

[southwest]

I emailed CrossCountry about this a while ago and got a shirty response back saying they would only do what the franchise agreement requires.  The voyagers are so poor, dirty, smell, noisy and rattling constantly.

[Celestial]

I emailed CrossCountry about this a while ago and got a shirty response back saying they would only do what the franchise agreement requires.  The voyagers are so poor, dirty, smell, noisy and rattling constantly.

They are on a very short direct award, which finishes later this year, so unless the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) pays for it, they aren't going to do anything.  Indeed, with the franchise now being on emergency arrangements until it ends, XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) doesn't even have any say so, as far as I understand it, to do any such work.

[southwest]

I emailed CrossCountry about this a while ago and got a shirty response back saying they would only do what the franchise agreement requires.  The voyagers are so poor, dirty, smell, noisy and rattling constantly.

They are on a very short direct award, which finishes later this year, so unless the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) pays for it, they aren't going to do anything.  Indeed, with the franchise now being on emergency arrangements until it ends, XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) doesn't even have any say so, as far as I understand it, to do any such work.

I sent the email back in 2014  Hence why I said a while ago.

[grahame]

I emailed CrossCountry about this a while ago and got a shirty response back saying they would only do what the franchise agreement requires.  The voyagers are so poor, dirty, smell, noisy and rattling constantly.

They are on a very short direct award, which finishes later this year, so unless the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) pays for it, they aren't going to do anything.  Indeed, with the franchise now being on emergency arrangements until it ends, XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) doesn't even have any say so, as far as I understand it, to do any such work.

I sent the email back in 2014  Hence why I said a while ago.

Hey - you used current tense saying the voyagers are ... suggesting your correspondence was much more of a current issue than it's turned out to be, and on a recent (less than 6 month old) thread.

It's all too easy to be accidentally misleading in posting, but if it happens, please take the clarification in good grace rather than snapping back at people ... thanks!

[infoman]

This is my two peneth.

Would prefer the interiors to get some attention than something(the train) that goes past in a flash saying I am the new TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company).

We sit in the train for much longer and can see (and smell)all the negative things about the interiors.

[paul7575]

IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) the Voyager interior looked old the day the trains entered service.  Looked a generally dated ambience, table tops are very old-fashioned looking, and the ceiling panels seem a dirty shade of beige, likened to tobacco staining... 

Paul

[Celestial]

IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) the Voyager interior looked old the day the trains entered service.  Looked a generally dated ambience, table tops are very old-fashioned looking, and the ceiling panels seem a dirty shade of beige, likened to tobacco staining... 

Paul

Agree completely, especially the tobacco staining likeness. I doubt younger members will remember the joys of the top deck of a bus where the ceiling appeared lined with nicotine.

[southwest]

Hey - you used current tense saying the voyagers are ... suggesting your correspondence was much more of a current issue than it's turned out to be, and on a recent (less than 6 month old) thread.

It's all too easy to be accidentally misleading in posting, but if it happens, please take the clarification in good grace rather than snapping back at people ... thanks!

Grahame I did not 'snap back' at anyone so please do not accuse me of something i didn't do, if it looked or sounded like that I apologise.  However, I find it interested following our email discussion recently that the item I raised with you was brushed off, yet something harmless leads me to get a telling off, double standards?  Let's say no more.

[grahame]

Grahame I did not 'snap back' at anyone so please do not accuse me of something i didn't do, if it looked or sounded like that I apologise.  However, I find it interested following our email discussion recently that the item I raised with you was brushed off, yet something harmless leads me to get a telling off, double standards?  Let's say no more.

You came across to me as snapping, I'm afraid - and it wasn't the first time either, which is why I mentioned it somewhat more directly this time.  I note that a number of members liked my comment,  I'm sure we're all relieved you didn't intent it to look the way it did - thank you.

The moderator team took a look your 'notify' complaint the other day about a post from another member, and I wrote you a considered response.  That system works by email, allowing a quick response to issues by whoever's around on the team.  I'm afraid we couldn't agree with your complaint, and I wrote to explain why (and not sidestep) in some detail, taking some time going into our reasoning.  I had wondered if my reply had actually reached you but clearly, as you have now referred to it, it did. With the question answered, we've all moved on.

Back to topic, Cross Country has always been a franchise that has neither any London services, nor been the dominant operator in any region, and as such has been one of the least cherised or community supported. As it, uniquely, does not operate a single station, it has zero local base.

[MVR S&T]

Cross country has in my opinion, has huge potential, with a 800 type bi mode train, say 7 coaches, running pretty much the present network, with perhaps some better service to the south east, say Brighton and possibly Margate. Could clean up quite nicly, operation princess take 2.
I live near Brockenhurst, that XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) serve, and while I am not keen on the voyagers, allway seemed to be packed north of Winchester, and it only takes one bad journey to put average public off. I have plenty of places on the route I do wish to visit between Reading and Wolverhampton, but not on a hot packed 4 coach voyager, even if I was seated.
If it was say a MK^▸ (Milton Keynes) 3 set ex LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) with a Class 88 on one end now I might reconsider, even with an old sock over my face.

[Celestial]

A long journey on a cramped Voyager is an endurance, particularly if they are overcrowded, as is too often the case.  I am sure that more people would be attracted to the type of journey that would present a modal shift from air if the passenger environment was more conducive to a journey of several hours. Fares would have to be cheaper too, but that second point is probably a digression.

[southwest]

A long journey on a cramped Voyager is an endurance, particularly if they are overcrowded, as is too often the case.  I am sure that more people would be attracted to the type of journey that would present a modal shift from air if the passenger environment was more conducive to a journey of several hours. Fares would have to be cheaper too, but that second point is probably a digression.

You would need more than passenger comfort to improve things, as you say cheaper fares is one way but most people who use XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) are either commuters or business workers, the later don't want to spent hour on a train from Plymouth to Newcastle when they can drive to Exeter, fly to Newcastle and be back before the kids go to bed. XC is never going to match what most people want which is speed which is probably why it has been struggling to make any decent profit in years.

[Celestial]

A long journey on a cramped Voyager is an endurance, particularly if they are overcrowded, as is too often the case.  I am sure that more people would be attracted to the type of journey that would present a modal shift from air if the passenger environment was more conducive to a journey of several hours. Fares would have to be cheaper too, but that second point is probably a digression.

You would need more than passenger comfort to improve things, as you say cheaper fares is one way but most people who use XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) are either commuters or business workers, the later don't want to spent hour on a train from Plymouth to Newcastle when they can drive to Exeter, fly to Newcastle and be back before the kids go to bed. XC is never going to match what most people want which is speed which is probably why it has been struggling to make any decent profit in years.

I agree re business passengers in terms of journeys taking more than 4 hours.

However, I notice a tendency to resurrect old threads, such as this one, where nothing has been posted for a few months, and I'm not sure of the merits of reopening a discussion on threads which appeared to have drawn to a natural conclusion, unless of course there has been some new information that would trigger it.   

[broadgage]

I prefer the revival of old threads to the starting of a new thread on the same or a very similar subject.
Keeps the discussion in one place.

If I have something to say, I search for an existing thread to which my comments could be added, rather than start a new one.

A good example being my recent comment on surfboards not being allowed on IETS. In the news recently, and worth adding to an existing thread IMO^▸ (in my opinion), but not worth starting a new thread.

[Richard Fairhurst]

You would need more than passenger comfort to improve things, as you say cheaper fares is one way but most people who use XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) are either commuters or business workers

Historically CrossCountry was the franchise with the greatest proportion of leisure travel. I don't know if this is still the case but I could believe it.