Virgin_Trains

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Virgin Trains Virgin Trains Code A B C D E F Route London to the West Midlands London to Manchester via Stoke-on-Trent or Crewe London to Liverpool London to Chester and North Wales London to the North West of England and Scotland Birmingham to Glasgow and Edinburgh National Rail abbreviation: Parent company: Web site: VT Virgin Group / Stagecoach Group www.virgintrains.co.uk Rolling stock Pendolinos Pendolinos Pendolinos Super Voyagers Pendolino Super Voyagers Franchise(s): InterCity West Coast 9 March 1997 – 31 March 2012 Cross-Country 5 January 1997 – 10 November 2007 (originally 2012) London - Scotland, London - West Midlands, London - North West London-North Wales, West Midlands - Scotland 52 Pendolino sets 21 Super Voyager sets 16 British Rail Class 57/3 diesel locomotives 42 17 Main route(s): Other route(s): Fleet size: Stations called at: Stations operated: Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom, which currently provides services from London Euston to the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland, and from Birmingham New Street to North West England and Scotland, on the West Coast Main Line. Although it is branded as part of the Virgin Group, the group’s share in the company is only 51%, with the remaining 49% held by Stagecoach Group. Between 1997 and 2007 the company included Virgin CrossCountry, which provided services linking the south east and southwest of England with the north of England and Scotland via Birmingham. The majority of these services were transferred in 2007 to the new CrossCountry franchise owned by Arriva. Virgin Trains was formed to take advantage of the privatisation of British Rail in the mid 1990s, and was initially successful in winning two: InterCity West Coast and InterCity Cross Country.[1] The two franchises, although separate companies (in common ownership)[2] both legally and operationally, were marketed as a single brand. Current routes 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Virgin Trains Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street. A handful of Birmingham terminators are operated by Super Voyagers (used for the few West Midlands-North Wales trains). Euston-Manchester 3 trains per hour an XX:00 calling at Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly an XX:20 calling at Milton Keynes, Stoke, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly and an XX:40 calling at Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly. The 3 trains an hour plan had a knock-on effect on local services in the Manchester area; a number of peak-period local trains were axed, a matter which caused some controversy.[3] Euston-Liverpool 1 train per hour XX:07 calling at Stafford, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street. Average travel time for the whole journey was reduced from 2 hours 30 minutes to less than 2 hours 15 minutes. Euston-Preston/Glasgow 1 train per hour - XX:30 calling at Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston and Lancaster with most continuing to Oxenholme Lake District/Penrith(alternating), Carlisle and Glasgow Central. Some also call at Motherwell. A handful of Lancaster terminators are operated by Super Voyagers (the other half of a single unit split at Crewe, with the other half running towards Chester). Services Virgin Trains run nine trains per hour in and out of London’s Euston station. This is noticeably busier than both National Express East Coast in and out of Kings Cross (four trains per hour), and East Midlands Trains, (five per hour) in and out of St Pancras. Virgin West Coast Pendolino and Virgin Cross Country Voyager at Glasgow Central station in 2006. This timetable was introduced on 14 December 2008 as a result of the West Coast Main Line (WCML) route modernisation works. The Monday - Friday timetable’s general service pattern is shown below. Other calls/timings occur, mainly during peak times. There are also "non/limited stop" trains running to justify the claimed fastest journey times (on adverts for example). Most trains are run by Pendolinos with exceptions shown below: Euston-West Midlands 3 trains per hour - an XX:03 calling at Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street - an XX:23 calling at Watford Junction, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley and Wolverhampton and an XX:43 calling at Milton Keynes Central, Coventry, A Virgin Voyager train, seen near Edinburgh. Birmingham-Scotland 1 train per hour XX:20 from Birmingham New Street running alternately to Glasgow or Edinburgh. This service is provided with Super Voyagers only (in single formation), despite the fully electrified line. Euston/West Midlands-Chester/North Wales 1 train per hour XX:10 calling at Milton Keynes, Crewe and Chester with 7 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia trains continuing to Flint, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Bangor (2 terminating here) and Holyhead, and another terminating at Wrexham General[4]. One service goes to and from Birmingham New Street. This service is provided with Super Voyagers only (they are in double formation until Crewe or Chester and single formation after that, with one unit terminating at Chester or going to Lancaster, and the other continuing to North Wales/Chester). At peak times, calls at Rugby, Milton Keynes and Watford Junction are reduced or restricted (with London Midland providing commuter services instead), while trains make additional calls at Trent Valley stations: Lichfield Trent Valley (2),Tamworth (2) and Nuneaton (3). These changes caused anger among commuters at places like Milton Keynes, who argued that they were being shifted onto less comfortable trains which were slower, made more stops, and were therefore more crowded. Sources for the new Virgin timetable: • Department for Transport • Virgin Trains Country services and West are as follows: The financial year 2001-2 2002: West Coast 68.7%, 62.5% [6]. The financial year 2002-3 2003: West Coast 73.5%, 61.7% [7]. The financial year 2003-4 2004: West Coast 74.8%, 72.2% [8]. The financial year 2004-5 2005: West Coast 72.1%, 77.8% [9]. The financial year 2005-6 2006: West Coast 83.5%, 80.9% [10]. The financial year 2006-7 2007: West Coast 86.0%, 83.9% [11]. Virgin Trains Coast services) up to 31 March Cross Country up to 31 March Cross Country up to 31 March Cross Country up to 31 March Cross Country up to 31 March Cross Country up to 31 March Cross Country Cross Country Prior to 11 November 2007, Virgin Trains ran the CrossCountry franchise, which operated long-distance services from the south and south-west of England, via the Midlands to the north of England and Scotland. These services have now been transferred to a new franchise, CrossCountry, which was awarded to the Arriva Group, along with some former Central Trains services. However, the former Virgin Cross Country services between Manchester and Scotland were transferred to First TransPennine Express & CrossCountry services between Birmingham and Glasgow have been transferred to Virgin West Coast. Class 87 electric locomotive and Mark 3 coaches. The financial year 2007-8 up to 31 March 2008: West Coast 86.2%, Cross Country N/A [12]. The final figures published for the CrossCountry franchise were 83.4% (PPM) for the first half of the third quarter of the financial year of 2007/8 and 85.3% (MAA) for the final 12 months of the franchise. [13] The latest figures published for the West Coast franchise were 82.2% (PPM) for the third quarter of 2008/9 and 82.7% (MAA) up to 31 December 2008. [14] Problems with punctuality had been widely attributed by Virgin to the ageing and outdated infrastructure on which it ran. The introduction of the Pendolino stock on the West Coast Main Line and more modern diesel-electric trains on the Cross Country route helped to improve reliability and punctuality. Performance Virgin Trains has had a poor reputation for punctuality compared with some other transport operators. The company has now improved its punctuality and the figures published on Virgin Trains’ website are consistent with this view. [5] The PPM MAA (Public Performance Measure Moving Annual Average - % of trains arriving within 10 minutes of the scheduled times) figures for Virgin Trains (Cross 3 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Virgin Trains West Coast Main Line network. These stateof-the-art units are based on technology developed by state corporation British Rail for their prototype APT tilting train of the early 1980s; the technology was subsequently licensed to the Italian manufacturers. The Pendolino trains have a nominal top speed of 140 mph (230 km/h), but are limited to 125 mph (200 km/h) on the West Coast Main Line; there have been proposals for 135 mph (217 km/h) running on certain sections of the West Coast Main Line, namely the remodelled Trent Valley area but these are yet to be considered by Network Rail. The crosscountry routes were served by new dieselelectric four-carriage Class 220 Voyager and five-carriage Class 221 SuperVoyager trains. The SuperVoyager trains have tilting ability like the Pendolino and were used for services operating on the West Coast Main Line, and the Cherwell Valley line. By December 2004 Virgin Trains had replaced all of the rolling stock inherited from British Rail. Although the new trains offer many features not available on the older stock they also operate at higher densities, with some seats having reduced leg-room and fewer seats overall, meaning passengers often having to stand, sometimes for hundreds of miles. The cramped conditions are attributable to the inward leaning walls of the carriages that facilitate tilting. The trains were intended to work at much higher frequencies than under British Rail, and so each train has fewer seats than the ones it replaced. However the extremities of the network did not get a higher frequency,[16] and key trains remain busy.[17] History Virgin Trains 82114 Driving Van Trailer Platform 1 Glasgow Central Station, Scotland July 2000. A Class 220 Voyager at Bristol. On privatisation, Virgin West Coast inherited a mixture of Mark 2 and Mark 3 coaches, with electric locomotives of Classes 86, 87 and 90. Virgin Cross-Country also inherited several Class 43 High Speed Trains, and Mark 2 coaches which were hauled by Class 47 diesel locomotives and Class 86 locomotives on electrified routes. A drive was made to improve reliability and punctuality after much press criticism in 2001, and by 2006, due to improved reliability of trains and completion of major infrastructure projects, performance was better. Virgin have undertaken a number of project to increase punctuality, including radio controlled watches[15] A loco hauled set, and a new Pendolino sideby-side at Euston in 2003 The West Coast Main Line itself has been the subject of a massive £10bn refurbishment programme to accept the new trains, one that has been the subject of massive controversy, since it is now running three years late, has cost twice the original estimate, and New trains, tracks and timetable Virgin, in 1997 placed the largest rolling stock order (£1bn) in British history with new Class 390 Pendolino tilting trains for the 4 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has been cut back so that the Pendolinos’ 140mph potential speed is not fully used, with trains running at a maximum 125mph due to signalling constraints. (see West Coast Main Line page for full details). In May 2003, Virgin Trains introduced some new set-down only or pick-up only stops into its passenger timetable. The intention of the restricted stops is to stop short-distance passengers from overcrowding the long-distance trains. Additionally, some destinations, including Blackpool, Poole, Portsmouth, London Paddington and Swansea, were removed from the Virgin Trains network altogether, and some services pass through important junction stations, such as Didcot Parkway without stopping. As well as this, Milton Keynes Central is now sparsely served by peak time West Coast services in order to deter commuters from using Virgin’s services as an additional link to Euston. Virgin Trains completed by 2012 just before the franchise change in March 2012. Following the completion of the Trent Valley Line quadrupling and Rugby junction upgrades to allow 125 mph running (completed by 2008), West Coast journey times are expected to fall further; Glasgow-Euston 4hr 15mins, Euston-Birmingham 1hr 10 mins (fastest) or 1hr 20mins (off-peak). Virgin claim that 135 mph running may be possible in places,[23] although Network Rail remain sceptical - stating that significant signalling upgrades would be required. After much planning, an open-access operator, Wrexham & Shropshire submitted a plan to operate services between London and North Wales. This involves utilising a stretch of the WCML. Virgin Trains unsuccessfully objected to this proposal, which sees Wrexham & Shropshire having trains call at Wolverhampton. Due to the moderation of competition protection that is part of Virgin’s West Coast franchise agreement, Wrexham & Shropshire had to submit a modified proposal that will involve only limited use of Wolverhampton, with Tame Bridge Parkway railway station used as its main Midlands stop. Wrexham & Shropshire began their operations on 28 April 2008. In February 2008, Virgin announced that they would also begin services between London and Wrexham via Chester. Initially on a trial basis with one train per day on weekdays in each direction, should the service prove successful Virgin plan to introduce more services during the week and at weekends.[24] Grayrigg derailment On the evening of 23 February 2007, Pendilino 390033 doing a service from London Euston to Glasgow Central derailed near Oxenholme in North West England. The train was the 17:15 service, headcode 1S83, from Euston and was a Class 390 Pendolino.[18] The train was carrying about 180 people. Several carriages were left lying on the railway embankments. An 84-year-old woman, named as Margaret Masson, from Glasgow, died in the crash. Five seriously injured people were hospitalised suffering from back, neck and head injuries. One of those who was in a serious condition was the train driver, Iain Black, who was hailed as a hero by Virgin boss Richard Branson.[19] The accident was caused by a faulty set of points.[20] Rolling Stock Current fleet The majority of Virgin’s services along the WCML are operated by its fleet of 52 ninecar Class 390 Pendolino EMUs. 16 Class 57 diesel locomotives were operated by Virgin, although 2 of these are now operated by Arriva Trains Wales, leaving Virgin Trains with 14. These locomotives are primarily used for "Thunderbird" duties. Virgin also operates 21 five-car Class 221 Super Voyager DMUs; these primarily operate on the WCML north of Birmingham, and on the North Wales line. In addition the 1846 Euston to Preston service on Fridays is operated by a Class 90 locomotive and DVT on hire from EWS, with a rake of MK3 coaches on hire from cargo-d. The future Projected growth in passenger numbers on the West Coast routes has prompted discussions about increasing the length of Pendolino sets to 11 vehicles.[21] The likelihood of 10 car formations was foreseen in the original WCML strategy, so minimal infrastructure improvements would be required. The DFT is now going to order two extra coaches for 31 of the 52 sets to start with. These will be supplemented by four 11 car trainsets that were ordered in 2008. [22] This will be 5 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Class Image Type Top speed mph Class 57/3 Diesel locomotive 95 km/ h 153 12 Number Routes operated Virgin Trains Built North Wales Coast Line Thunderbird Locomotive West Coast Main Line North Wales Coast Line West Coast Main Line 2002–04 Class 221 Super Voyager Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit 125 200 21 2001–02 Class 390 Pendolino Electric Multiple 140 Unit 200 52 2001–04 [4] Virgin Trains (2008-02-20). Wrexham set to join Virgin Trains network. Press release. http://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/ index.cfm?articleid=1109. Retrieved on 2008-02-21. [5] "Pendolino Performance". Virgin Trains. http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/ travelling_with_us/our_network/ our_performance/default.aspx. [6] "National Rail Trends 2001-2002 Quarter Four" (PDF). Strategic Rail Authority. http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ nrt0102-q4.pdf. [7] "National Rail Trends 2002-2003 Quarter Four" (PDF). Strategic Rail Authority. http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ nrt0203-q4.pdf. [8] "National Rail Trends 2003-2004 Quarter Four" (PDF). Strategic Rail Authority. http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ nrt0304-yr.pdf. [9] "National Rail Trends 2004-2005 Quarter Four" (PDF). Strategic Rail Authority. [1] "Passenger Rail Franchises - Virgin http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ Cross Country". Association of Train nrt0405-yr.pdf. Operating Companies. http://www.atoc[10] "National Rail Trends 2005-2006 Quarter comms.org/franchised-passengerFour" (PDF). Office of Rail Regulation. services-virgin-cross-country-trains.php. http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ [2] "Site Terms & Conditions". Virgin Trains. 294.pdf. http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/ [11] "National Rail Trends 2006-2007 Quarter termsandconditions/default.aspx. Four" (PDF). Office of Rail Regulation. [3] "Rush-hour trains may be scrapped". http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ Knutsford Guardian. 2008-03-10. 330-rev4.pdf. http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/ [12] "National Rail Trends 2007-2008 Quarter mostpopular.var.2095707.mostcommented.rushhour_trains_may_be_scrapped.php. Four" (PDF). Office of Rail Regulation. Retrieved on 2008-04-21. http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ 375.pdf. After a collision within Wembley depot on 30 March 2009 between 390006 & 390008, 390006 has been taken out of traffic with a Class 90 with DVT and Mk3 coaches operating a number of Euston-Birmingham services. It is expected to take upwards of 14 weeks to return 390006 back into traffic. The Pendolino fleet is allocated to the Alstom Traincare Centre at Longsight, with lighter maintenance and overnight stabling also carried out at Wembley (London), Oxley (Wolverhampton), Edge Hill (Liverpool) and Polmadie (Glasgow). Longsight is also ’home’ to the Class 57 ’Thunderbird’ fleet. Thunderbird locomotives are stationed at strategic points along the WCML such as Rugby, Stafford and Preston. The Class 221 Super Voyager fleet is allocated to Bombardier’s Central Rivers depot near Barton under Needwood, to the south of Burton upon Trent. References 6 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Preceded by InterCity As part of British Rail Virgin Trains Succeeded by CrossCountry Operator of Cross-Country franchise 1997 — 2007 Operator of InterCity West Coast Incumbent franchise 1997 — 2012 Preceded by First Transpennine Express Train Operator of the Year 2007 Succeeded by Incumbent [13] "National Rail Trends 2007-2008 Quarter [23] Virgin Trains (2006-04-24). "We’ve Three" (PDF). Office of Rail Regulation. started.....so we’ll finish," says Sir http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ Richard. Press release. 356.pdf. http://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/ [14] "National Rail Trends 2008-2009 Quarter index.cfm?articleid=870. Retrieved on Three" (PDF). Office of Rail Regulation. 2008-08-06. http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/ [24] "Wrexham to London rail link launch". rolling-c2-railperf-q3.pdf. Daily Post. 2008-02-21. [15] "Virgin Trains goes Atomic". Virgin http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/northTrains. 2006-02-28. wales-news/2008/02/21/wrexham-tohttp://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/ london-rail-linkindex.cfm?articleid=831. launch-55578-20501954/. [16] VT/XC timetables [17] In VT and XC timetables, these key trains were marked as such. • Megatrain [18] "Train crashes in Lake District". BBC • National Rail News Online. 2007-02-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/ 6391633.stm. Retrieved on 2007-02-23. [19] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ • Virgin Trains web site Grayrigg_derailment • Virgin Trains Pendolino Seat Plans from V[20] "Rail crash report blames points". BBC Flyer, customer created site. News Online. 2007-02-26. • Virgin Trains Voyager Seat Plans from Vhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/ Flyer, customer created site. 6398057.stm. • BBC News on Cross Country loss [21] http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/ pendolinolengthening/ [22] http://www.railwaygazette.com/ news_view/article/2008/ 05//west_coast_pendolino_contract_signed.html See also External links Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Trains" Categories: Virgin Group, Stagecoach Group rail services, Train operating companies This page was last modified on 21 May 2009, at 18:58 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers 7