Well if you missed the last train through your own fault that's nothing to do with Virgin is it?
Um no they didn't. Super Voyagers (operated by Virgin) tilt. Voyagers don't
There is bike space, there's space for 4 bikes, like I said earlier.
Virgin pendolino trains - awful things
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Bernie Gunther
Fundamentalist Druid
I don't recall saying that ... why did you feel the need to make it up?
Um you did..as good as. You said Virgin asked you to make your own way home. It's pretty obvious that this is because the trains had stopped for the day as train companies are obligated to get you to your destination in the event disruption preventing you. It's simple logic.
Bernie Gunther
Fundamentalist Druid
The train was scheduled to go to Liverpool, it stopped at Crewe, and the passengers were left to fend for themselves.
If you are trying to say, 'If you trusted Virgin's last train to Liverpool on xmas eve to actually arrive in Liverpool or if prevented from doing so by a combination of technical issues and lack of staff, provide alternatives like a promise to re-imburse taxis, then it's your own fault' then you'd be correct, but I'd never had any trouble like that with BR's last train on xmas eve, so this was my opportunity to discover the difference ...
The Virgin bloke did not make any such commitment, instead he threatened the angry mob of passengers (mostly asking for a promise to reimburse cab fares) with the police.
If you are trying to say, 'If you trusted Virgin's last train to Liverpool on xmas eve to actually arrive in Liverpool or if prevented from doing so by a combination of technical issues and lack of staff, provide alternatives like a promise to re-imburse taxis, then it's your own fault' then you'd be correct, but I'd never had any trouble like that with BR's last train on xmas eve, so this was my opportunity to discover the difference ...
The Virgin bloke did not make any such commitment, instead he threatened the angry mob of passengers (mostly asking for a promise to reimburse cab fares) with the police.
If it happened the way you say it did, did you put in a complaint to Virgin, and request reimbursement for travel expenses making clear them their obligations under Section 43 of the NRCoC and ask why this was not followed?
_angel_
.
It was the virgin train of horror that put me off ever travelling alone with my boys again.
Seven hours to get from Oxford to Leeds. Two of those stationery with no clue what was going on. Train couldn't be arsed stopping at Leeds. Had to be chucked off at Sheffield and fend for myself. None of the assistance came I'd booked. The seats we'd booked also weren't there, as wasn't the carriage and we were packed like sardines.
Seven hours to get from Oxford to Leeds. Two of those stationery with no clue what was going on. Train couldn't be arsed stopping at Leeds. Had to be chucked off at Sheffield and fend for myself. None of the assistance came I'd booked. The seats we'd booked also weren't there, as wasn't the carriage and we were packed like sardines.
Bernie Gunther
Fundamentalist Druid
What I did is neither here nor there.
... and TBH if it wasn't for all the other shit things about Virgin Trains, then I'd probably have forgotten my first experience of them being such a nightmare by now.
I'm much more concerned that they've systematically made rail travel significantly worse for everybody who isn't either rich or on expense accounts generous enough to travel First Class.
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
Because the top of the train is narrower than other trains, because when it tilts, it has to fit inside the same overall envelope.
Some pendolinos are being upgraded to 11 cars now, mind.
pinkmonkey
2.4 hour party person
It's useless, only the thinnest bags will fit. If the train is packed it's a nightmare.
Bernie Gunther
Fundamentalist Druid
Seems like the new F and U cars are the ones with even smaller overhead storage. As small as that in the buffet car of the 9 car ones.
Tom A
Goat among sheep
Always found (Super) Voyagers just as cramped and uncomfortable as Pendolinos (but hey, they beat riding a Pacer), but Class 222s, which are part of the same family are quite nice, it could be argued that comfort wise that they are on a par with old-style HSTs, when I first rode on one I had to ask if I was actually in Standard Class 
Tom A
Goat among sheep
However thought it was a good idea to have Coaches F and U next to each other really was on another planet that day
Bernie Gunther
Fundamentalist Druid
However thought it was a good idea to have Coaches F and U next to each other really was on another planet that day
Perhaps it's a message to their customers, the ones who can't afford to upgrade to First anyway ...
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
With luggage racks in the middle of the carriage too
Can only have been designed by someone who has never been on a train. Not enough facepalms in the world.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
Even megabuses have better seats than pendolino trains these days.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
I don't need to do too much research, I've travelled a fair bit by train in several other countries in western Europe and the service has always been vastly better than ours. Italian long distance trains are enough to make a grown man weep; double decker carriages, really long trains with an entire carriage for bikes with actual proper bike stands so you don't have to stand there holding your bike up for the whole journey, staff milling about not to hassle you for a ticket but just to check that the trains are clean and tidy and the passengers are happy, no cunt with a trolley full of 4 pound tins of warm lager making sure you can't get up and go to the bog, air conditioning that actually works, utter bliss.
1) We can't have double decker trains as there isn't the space.
2) Having longer trains isn't just a case of bunging on a few extra carriages you know? There's platform lengths and all sorts of other stuff to consider as well.
3) Can you imagine the uproar if one carriage of every train was set aside for bicycles? That's space that's more effectively used for seats, and I doubt there is a demand for so much cycle space on every train. And they do have bike racks.
4) God forbid a member of staff might like to check that you've actually PAID for your journey......There's enough trouble round here with chavs who think they are entitled to a free ride. And we have people to pick the little up on trains (left by the PASSENGERS I might add). Why do you need more than that? Sounds like a waste of money to me.
5) I'm quite sure you'd be grateful of the "cunt with the trolley" if you wanted something to eat or drink. In any case they are not there the whole journey so you just wait a minute or two for them to pass through the carriage. It's not hard is it?
Do you think everything in Europe is "perfect"? It isn't. They have their delayed trains and other problems just like we do. The trouble is the UK is full of old moaners who always want to see the negative in everything here and never take into account the practicalities of what they're moaning about, and think that everything abroad is perfect.
Bernie Gunther
Fundamentalist Druid
Sounds like a programme of long-term investment with the public good in mind is required.
Oh wait, we have Richard fucking Branston instead ...
This is exactly what I was talking about: not taking into account the practicabilities. Don't you realise what you want would involve raising every single bridge and anything else that crosses the railway, re-digging every single tunnel and raising every single piece of cantenary. And you can't just extend stations just like that, what if there isn't the space? Basically it would be re-building the entire network. Would you prepared to put up with that disruption (no trains would be able to run through the tunnels while they were being re-dug) and cost?
And who the fuck is Richard Branston?
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
It does seem to be a particular trick of Virgin's to dump passengers out at random stations. They did this to be at Manchester years ago. I just went to ticket office, explained what had happened and asked them to get me back to Edinburgh. Only took an extra 4 hours, via Glasgow and two changes of train.
I hate virgin trains.
I hate virgin trains.
Bernie Gunther
Fundamentalist Druid
Some beardy twat with a space ship, and a private island, smells of pickles.
Bernie Gunther
Fundamentalist Druid
Yeah and they're useless at communicating with people about that kind of stuff, probably due to being understaffed as much as any actual policy of keeping customers in the dark about what's going on when things go amiss.
They dump you at Milton Keynes say, and tell you to get on another train, but don't give you coherent information about where and when that other train might be going.
So run around trying to find someone who can help, but they're all in hiding and by the time you find out what platform you're supposed to be on, you get there just in time to watch it go.
Or you catch it but find that it's some horrible stopping train and you'd have been much better off getting a different one slightly later that they didn't tell you anything about.
Dillinger4
Es gibt Zeit
richard branston the pickle billionaire
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
1) I know that, doesn't change the fact that double decker trains are better.
2) I know that as well.
3) This sort of attitude is the reason there is hardly any luggage space on British trains, because getting rid of luggage racks means you can squeeze in an extra seat or two. It's all about what's good for the train operators, never mind people who need to get somewhere and have paid through the nose for the privilege.
4) If the trains weren't so shit and overpriced I wouldn't feel motivated to try and scam a free journey wherever possible.
5) Selling food and drink on trains is fine, charging what they charge for it on British trains is not. If you offer me a can of carlsberg for £3.50 or whatever it is you're not actually trying to sell me anything, what you're doing is actively taking the piss out of me by suggesting I might be the sort of person stupid enough to pay £3.50 for a can of carlsberg.
I don't think everything abroad is perfect. I think in many places the trains are a lot better than in Britain, and cheaper to boot. The reason I think this is because it is true.
Miss-Shelf
I'll meet you further on up the road
oi oi!
Dillinger4
Es gibt Zeit
I was very impressed with the RER trains on the Paris metro. Double decker trains, underground! They were a bit scruffy inside though.
Miss-Shelf
I'll meet you further on up the road
you made me lookThe name makes me think of a virgin with really long dangly labia.
NSFW: http://honeyslusciouslabia.wordpress.com/zoominations/comment-page-1/
she loves her labia so much she removed all the hair
Miss-Shelf
I'll meet you further on up the road
they have less seats to make better space for people to hold on round the maypole in the middle
