All three Train Operating Companies are discounting fares heavily this week and over the weekend for travel between Birmingham and London and vice versa. Full details:
Chiltern Railways
£10 Go Further fare available 27th-30th December - voucher needed
LondonMidland
25% off ONLINE bookings from 27th December to 15th January
Virgin Trains
Super Off-peak fares available without restriction 28th December to 2nd January. Can be upgraded onboard to First Class for £10 each individual journey
Tuesday 27 December 2011
Wednesday 21 December 2011
Chiltern Railways' fares from 2nd January 2012 additional split fare information
Now that Chiltern have increased the Anytime Fares to £56 single and £85 return between Birmingham and London via High Wycombe, it is time to revisit the Split Fares scenarios for this route...
Travelling from Birmingham Moor Street on the 0619 or the 0733 Monday to Friday? If you are travelling one way OR you know you can return from London Marylebone before 4pm or after 7pm (or on a Saturday / Sunday) then SPLIT the single fare at Banbury: £50.30 (£16.60 + £33.70); for the return journey buy a Super Off-peak through single for £24.90 (making a total return fare of £75.20). Of course, the Super Off-Peak return from London is only 10p more than the single so, as it lasts a month, you might as well buy it and have an effectively free journey whilst saving almost £10...
Travelling from Birmingham Moor Street on the 0546 or the 0815 Monday to Friday?
If you are travelling one way OR you know you can return from London Marylebone before 4pm or after 7pm (or on a Saturday / Sunday) then SPLIT the single fare at Bicester North: £41.30 (£16.40 + £24.90); for the return journey buy a Super Off-peak through single for £24.90 (making a total return fare of £66.20). Of course, the Super Off-Peak return from London is only 10p more than the single so, as it lasts a month, you might as well buy it and have an effectively free journey whilst saving almost £20...
If you need to return from London Marylebone between 4pm and 7pm Monday to Friday and can use the 1607 or the 1737 or the 1840, then SPLIT the return fare at Bicester North: £72.10 (£22.50 + £49.60) - a saving of almost £13
Chiltern cannot refuse to sell you these tickets and you DO NOT have to get off the train at the intermediate split fare station!
Travelling from Birmingham Moor Street on the 0619 or the 0733 Monday to Friday? If you are travelling one way OR you know you can return from London Marylebone before 4pm or after 7pm (or on a Saturday / Sunday) then SPLIT the single fare at Banbury: £50.30 (£16.60 + £33.70); for the return journey buy a Super Off-peak through single for £24.90 (making a total return fare of £75.20). Of course, the Super Off-Peak return from London is only 10p more than the single so, as it lasts a month, you might as well buy it and have an effectively free journey whilst saving almost £10...
Travelling from Birmingham Moor Street on the 0546 or the 0815 Monday to Friday?
If you are travelling one way OR you know you can return from London Marylebone before 4pm or after 7pm (or on a Saturday / Sunday) then SPLIT the single fare at Bicester North: £41.30 (£16.40 + £24.90); for the return journey buy a Super Off-peak through single for £24.90 (making a total return fare of £66.20). Of course, the Super Off-Peak return from London is only 10p more than the single so, as it lasts a month, you might as well buy it and have an effectively free journey whilst saving almost £20...
If you need to return from London Marylebone between 4pm and 7pm Monday to Friday and can use the 1607 or the 1737 or the 1840, then SPLIT the return fare at Bicester North: £72.10 (£22.50 + £49.60) - a saving of almost £13
Chiltern cannot refuse to sell you these tickets and you DO NOT have to get off the train at the intermediate split fare station!
Virgin Train fares 28th Dec to 2nd January
UPDATE 27th December - Virgin's website is showing the Super Off-peak fares as being available on ALL Pendolino services between Birmingham and London and vice versa
Virgin Trains are offering a Super Off-peak fare of £22 return between London and Birmingham from Wednesday 28th December to Monday 2nd January. These are WALK-ON fares and are available after 2pm in both directions. Better still, the £10 First Class upgrade is possible on each leg if room is available once you have boarded the train. Thus, a First Class return is possible for £42.... NOTE that railcard reductions are also possible!
So, if travelling in the afternoon / evening both ways, it is cheaper NOT to book an advance fare...
Virgin Trains are offering a Super Off-peak fare of £22 return between London and Birmingham from Wednesday 28th December to Monday 2nd January. These are WALK-ON fares and are available after 2pm in both directions. Better still, the £10 First Class upgrade is possible on each leg if room is available once you have boarded the train. Thus, a First Class return is possible for £42.... NOTE that railcard reductions are also possible!
So, if travelling in the afternoon / evening both ways, it is cheaper NOT to book an advance fare...
Virgin Trains fares from January 2nd 2012 additional split fare information
Both First and Standard Class passengers can save money on walk-on fares between Birmingham and London by splitting fares at key stations en-route. You DO NOT have to get off the train, and Virgin cannot refuse to sell you the appropriate tickets... NOTE that some of these split fares are for Day Return journeys - do check if you want to be away for more than a day.
First Class OFF-PEAK return fares: £184.60 by splitting fare at Birmingham International - £6.60 + £89 + £89
Standard Class PEAK fares:
All services except 0730 from Birmingham New Street: £143 by splitting fare at Coventry - £5 + £138
If you can use the trains which call at Rugby: £130.20 - £7.20 + £123
If you can use the trains which call at Milton Keynes: £113 - £84 + £29
First Class OFF-PEAK return fares: £184.60 by splitting fare at Birmingham International - £6.60 + £89 + £89
Standard Class PEAK fares:
All services except 0730 from Birmingham New Street: £143 by splitting fare at Coventry - £5 + £138
If you can use the trains which call at Rugby: £130.20 - £7.20 + £123
If you can use the trains which call at Milton Keynes: £113 - £84 + £29
Tuesday 20 December 2011
Virgin Trains fares from January 2nd 2012
PLEASE NOTE the following is based on my analysis of the Virgin Trains online booking system and may not be entirely accurate. I will update as corrections are notified, BUT, as ever, always check with Virgin Trains before travelling. All fares are Birmingham to London / London to Birmingham and are Virgin Trains specific.
What can you say about Virgin? Unlike their rival TOCs, it appears that Virgin have increased fares across the board...
Virgin Business Returns - now £271 (BUT remember that Railcard holders, except Family & Friends and Two Together, get discounts)
First Anytime Returns - now £254 (BUT remember that Railcard holders, except 16-25, Family & Friends, and Two Together, get discounts). ONLY BUY if you are travelling on the 07.30 from New Street; otherwise split fare at Coventry*.
Standard Anytime Returns: now £158 (BUT remember that Railcard holders, except Two Together, travel at Off-peak fares at anytime)
First Off-peak SINGLE - now £92.70 by splitting fare at Birmingham International £3.70 + £89 (available from New Street 0529, 0550, 1010 onwards; from Euston 0943 to 1443 and 1903 onwards).
Standard Off-peak Return - now £47 (available from New Street 0529, 0550, 1010 onwards; from Euston 0943 to 1443 and 1903 onwards).
* Split fares for First Class (all return). NB Elements of these split fares are for Day Returns only - do check if you are planning to be away for more than a day...
At Coventry: all services except 0730 from New Street - £235.40 (£7.40 + £228)
At Rugby: xx.50 services from New Street / xx.03 services from Euston - £210.80 (£16.80 + £194)
At Milton Keynes: xx.30 services from New Street / xx.43 services from Euston - £192 (£144 + £48)
Virgin cannot refuse to sell you these tickets - you don't need to leave the train...
What can you say about Virgin? Unlike their rival TOCs, it appears that Virgin have increased fares across the board...
Virgin Business Returns - now £271 (BUT remember that Railcard holders, except Family & Friends and Two Together, get discounts)
First Anytime Returns - now £254 (BUT remember that Railcard holders, except 16-25, Family & Friends, and Two Together, get discounts). ONLY BUY if you are travelling on the 07.30 from New Street; otherwise split fare at Coventry*.
Standard Anytime Returns: now £158 (BUT remember that Railcard holders, except Two Together, travel at Off-peak fares at anytime)
First Off-peak SINGLE - now £92.70 by splitting fare at Birmingham International £3.70 + £89 (available from New Street 0529, 0550, 1010 onwards; from Euston 0943 to 1443 and 1903 onwards).
Standard Off-peak Return - now £47 (available from New Street 0529, 0550, 1010 onwards; from Euston 0943 to 1443 and 1903 onwards).
* Split fares for First Class (all return). NB Elements of these split fares are for Day Returns only - do check if you are planning to be away for more than a day...
At Coventry: all services except 0730 from New Street - £235.40 (£7.40 + £228)
At Rugby: xx.50 services from New Street / xx.03 services from Euston - £210.80 (£16.80 + £194)
At Milton Keynes: xx.30 services from New Street / xx.43 services from Euston - £192 (£144 + £48)
Virgin cannot refuse to sell you these tickets - you don't need to leave the train...
LondonMidland fares from 2nd January 2012
PLEASE NOTE the following is based on my analysis of the LondonMidland online booking system and may not be entirely accurate. I will update as corrections are notified, BUT, as ever, always check with LondonMidland before travelling. All fares are Birmingham to London / London to Birmingham and are LondonMidland specific.
First the good news... the Standard Anytime Return remains at £65 and the First Anytime Return remains at £90
Now for the not so good news... the Standard Day return has been abolished; the Standard Off peak return is increased to £27; and the Standard Super Off-peak is increased to £20.
Restrictions are as before:
from Birmingham New Street: Off-peak returns out 0753 onwards, back 0846 onwards; Super Off-peak returns out 1053 to 1554 and 1953 to 2133, return 1046 to 1554 and 1946 to 2146.
From London Euston: Off-peak returns out 0846 onwards, back 0753 onwards; Super Off-peak returns out 1046 to 1554 and 1946 to 2146, return 1053 to 1554 and 1953 to 2133.
First the good news... the Standard Anytime Return remains at £65 and the First Anytime Return remains at £90
Now for the not so good news... the Standard Day return has been abolished; the Standard Off peak return is increased to £27; and the Standard Super Off-peak is increased to £20.
Restrictions are as before:
from Birmingham New Street: Off-peak returns out 0753 onwards, back 0846 onwards; Super Off-peak returns out 1053 to 1554 and 1953 to 2133, return 1046 to 1554 and 1946 to 2146.
From London Euston: Off-peak returns out 0846 onwards, back 0753 onwards; Super Off-peak returns out 1046 to 1554 and 1946 to 2146, return 1053 to 1554 and 1953 to 2133.
Chiltern Railways' fares from 2nd January 2012
PLEASE NOTE the following is based on my analysis of the Chiltern online booking system and may not be entirely accurate. I will update as corrections are notified, BUT, as ever, always check with Chiltern before travelling. All fares are Birmingham to London / London to Birmingham and are Chiltern specific.
The key change from Birmingham Moor Street is that the Anytime Return increases from £75 to £85. As the Anytime Single is £56, we're back to the days of checking if two singles are cheaper (ie by returning on a Super Off-Peak Single £24.90), and / or checking the split fares option... for instance, Banbury looks a likely possibility except for the two Silver train departures
Interestingly, the Business Zone Return Package remains at £115 but is only available on the 0619 / 0655 Silver trains from Moor Street and the 1646 / 1807 return workings from Marylebone.
Of course, the above is academic for those travelling from London Marylebone UNLESS a return from Moor Street is planned before the 0825 departure.
The Off Peak Return stays at £50 (Single £49) and the Super Off-Peak remains £25 (Single £24.90). Restrictions appear to be as before: from Moor Street, Off-peak starts with the 0825 and Super Off-peak with the 0955; from Marylebone, Super Off-peak is available until the 1537 and then restarts with the 1915 departure (in between it is Off-Peak).
The key change from Birmingham Moor Street is that the Anytime Return increases from £75 to £85. As the Anytime Single is £56, we're back to the days of checking if two singles are cheaper (ie by returning on a Super Off-Peak Single £24.90), and / or checking the split fares option... for instance, Banbury looks a likely possibility except for the two Silver train departures
Interestingly, the Business Zone Return Package remains at £115 but is only available on the 0619 / 0655 Silver trains from Moor Street and the 1646 / 1807 return workings from Marylebone.
Of course, the above is academic for those travelling from London Marylebone UNLESS a return from Moor Street is planned before the 0825 departure.
The Off Peak Return stays at £50 (Single £49) and the Super Off-Peak remains £25 (Single £24.90). Restrictions appear to be as before: from Moor Street, Off-peak starts with the 0825 and Super Off-peak with the 0955; from Marylebone, Super Off-peak is available until the 1537 and then restarts with the 1915 departure (in between it is Off-Peak).
Tuesday 13 December 2011
OK Virgin you can delight - but can I afford the experience?
Regular readers of my blog will know that I have a soft spot for Chiltern and that I can be critical of Virgin. The cause in both cases is my perception of the 'value for money' of each company's offering.
However, yesterday, I can genuinely report on being delighted by Virgin's service to and from London, though, as ever, there is a sting in the tail...
Let's start with the price of the fares. Thanks to Virgin's First Class sale in November, I was able to book the two journeys for £17 each way, using the 11.10 out of Birmingham New Street and the 20.23 return from London Euston.
Moving onto the running... both trains departed and arrived on time, and, of course, the journey time was only 84 minutes out and 82 minutes back.
Now onto ambience / facilities / staff... There is no doubt that travelling First Class on Virgin is SO much better than the Standard Class offering of the company. At New Street - such a depressing station - one can escape to the First Class Lounge before joining the train, whilst at Euston, the equivalent lounge is spacious and comfortable. On board, you can actually see out of the windows in First Class; there are power points, tables, and free WiFi for every passenger, and, of course, complimentary refreshments served to the seat.
Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a bacon roll on the journey down. On the way back, the sandwich choice was Beef and Horseradish or White Stilton and Chutney... The staff were attentive and friendly.
Even better, two of my regular bugbears with Virgin didn't occur. First, there was not the unnecessary litany of ticket restrictions on departure from New Street. Secondly, there was actually a ticket check on board upon departure from New Street, and a barrier check (!) before departure from Euston.
So Virgin definitely added to the pleasure of my trip yesterday - where's the sting? Well, naturally, it comes in the cost of travelling in such comfort on a walk-up basis... If I had not booked ahead, I would have had to pay £87.50 each way (and that's knowing to split the fare at Birmingham International!) - four times what the standard off-peak return would cost me on a walk-up basis.
Quite honestly Virgin, that is too huge a premium for First Class delights (especially when Chiltern offer much of the above in their Standard Class fares)...
However, yesterday, I can genuinely report on being delighted by Virgin's service to and from London, though, as ever, there is a sting in the tail...
Let's start with the price of the fares. Thanks to Virgin's First Class sale in November, I was able to book the two journeys for £17 each way, using the 11.10 out of Birmingham New Street and the 20.23 return from London Euston.
Moving onto the running... both trains departed and arrived on time, and, of course, the journey time was only 84 minutes out and 82 minutes back.
Now onto ambience / facilities / staff... There is no doubt that travelling First Class on Virgin is SO much better than the Standard Class offering of the company. At New Street - such a depressing station - one can escape to the First Class Lounge before joining the train, whilst at Euston, the equivalent lounge is spacious and comfortable. On board, you can actually see out of the windows in First Class; there are power points, tables, and free WiFi for every passenger, and, of course, complimentary refreshments served to the seat.
Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a bacon roll on the journey down. On the way back, the sandwich choice was Beef and Horseradish or White Stilton and Chutney... The staff were attentive and friendly.
Even better, two of my regular bugbears with Virgin didn't occur. First, there was not the unnecessary litany of ticket restrictions on departure from New Street. Secondly, there was actually a ticket check on board upon departure from New Street, and a barrier check (!) before departure from Euston.
So Virgin definitely added to the pleasure of my trip yesterday - where's the sting? Well, naturally, it comes in the cost of travelling in such comfort on a walk-up basis... If I had not booked ahead, I would have had to pay £87.50 each way (and that's knowing to split the fare at Birmingham International!) - four times what the standard off-peak return would cost me on a walk-up basis.
Quite honestly Virgin, that is too huge a premium for First Class delights (especially when Chiltern offer much of the above in their Standard Class fares)...
Tuesday 6 December 2011
December catch-up
Chiltern Railways
The new timetable - starts Sunday December 11th - can be downloaded here Very little has changed BUT note that the 16.50 Silver service will now depart at 16.46
There is an opportunity to Tweet questions on the new timetable to Bevis Thomas, Head of Train Planning from 0830 - 0930 on Thursday 8th December #ttmbev
There is a 'Meet the Managers' session at London Marylelone on Wednesday 14th December from 4pm to 7pm.
On Thursday 15th December, Malcolm Holmes (General Manager Mainline) will be answering Tweets on catering from 5pm to 6pm #ttmmal
LondonMidland
The new timetable - starts Sunday December 11th - can be downloaded here (and a mobile version here) The new timetable will be integrated into the iPhone App on 12th December. No major changes BUT remember that most of the xx.13 off-peak departures from London Euston do the run to Birmingham New Street in 2hours 3mins.
Congratulations to the company on receipt of the Golden Spanner award for the reliability of the Class 350/2 EMUs which run the Birmingham to London services
Virgin Trains
The new timetable - starts Sunday December 11th - can be downloaded here No major changes BUT it does show the planned additional trains over the Olympics / ParaOlympics period.
The new, much improved, version of the iPhone App can be downloaded here Now able to book multiple passengers in one transaction, and to see live running updates.
The new timetable - starts Sunday December 11th - can be downloaded here Very little has changed BUT note that the 16.50 Silver service will now depart at 16.46
There is an opportunity to Tweet questions on the new timetable to Bevis Thomas, Head of Train Planning from 0830 - 0930 on Thursday 8th December #ttmbev
There is a 'Meet the Managers' session at London Marylelone on Wednesday 14th December from 4pm to 7pm.
On Thursday 15th December, Malcolm Holmes (General Manager Mainline) will be answering Tweets on catering from 5pm to 6pm #ttmmal
LondonMidland
The new timetable - starts Sunday December 11th - can be downloaded here (and a mobile version here) The new timetable will be integrated into the iPhone App on 12th December. No major changes BUT remember that most of the xx.13 off-peak departures from London Euston do the run to Birmingham New Street in 2hours 3mins.
Congratulations to the company on receipt of the Golden Spanner award for the reliability of the Class 350/2 EMUs which run the Birmingham to London services
Virgin Trains
The new timetable - starts Sunday December 11th - can be downloaded here No major changes BUT it does show the planned additional trains over the Olympics / ParaOlympics period.
The new, much improved, version of the iPhone App can be downloaded here Now able to book multiple passengers in one transaction, and to see live running updates.
In praise of Chiltern
The Winter 2011 issue of the Chiltern Railways' onboard newsletter notes that in the period 21 August to 12 November the company received 8,254 letters / emails / phone calls of which 17 were 'praise only' (that many? I can hear disgruntled commuters muttering...).
Now I know that Chiltern aren't perfect but for me - a self-employed businessman who wants to work on his journeys and also wants to watch the pennies - the company does get many aspects of its offering right. Take yesterday's journeys as an example.
First, the fares. Travelling super off-peak, my 'turn up and walk-on' return ticket (valid for a month) from Birmingham to London cost £25.
Secondly, comfort and space. For my £25, I travelled south in the de-classified Business Zone on the 10.55 from Moor Street, and returned in a Clubman on the 20.10 from Marylebone. On both journeys, I enjoyed free WiFi and plenty of table space. On the journey south, I had a sausage bap and tea for £3.50. On the journey back, I had access to working power points...
Thirdly, the staff. Undoubtedly, the on train staff are a superb advertisement for Chiltern: friendly, helpful, and visible. They are backed up by Chiltern's wonderful Twitter team...
Of course, Chiltern don't get everything right. There appears to be an ongoing problem with power sockets in the Business Zone tripping out - glad I don't pay the supplement - and, more importantly, the services don't seem to be able to keep to time. Both journeys yesterday lost around 5 minutes for no noticeable reason.
Nevertheless, if you want to work on the journey to / from London and you are watching the pennies, then Chiltern is the way to go!
Now I know that Chiltern aren't perfect but for me - a self-employed businessman who wants to work on his journeys and also wants to watch the pennies - the company does get many aspects of its offering right. Take yesterday's journeys as an example.
First, the fares. Travelling super off-peak, my 'turn up and walk-on' return ticket (valid for a month) from Birmingham to London cost £25.
Secondly, comfort and space. For my £25, I travelled south in the de-classified Business Zone on the 10.55 from Moor Street, and returned in a Clubman on the 20.10 from Marylebone. On both journeys, I enjoyed free WiFi and plenty of table space. On the journey south, I had a sausage bap and tea for £3.50. On the journey back, I had access to working power points...
Thirdly, the staff. Undoubtedly, the on train staff are a superb advertisement for Chiltern: friendly, helpful, and visible. They are backed up by Chiltern's wonderful Twitter team...
Of course, Chiltern don't get everything right. There appears to be an ongoing problem with power sockets in the Business Zone tripping out - glad I don't pay the supplement - and, more importantly, the services don't seem to be able to keep to time. Both journeys yesterday lost around 5 minutes for no noticeable reason.
Nevertheless, if you want to work on the journey to / from London and you are watching the pennies, then Chiltern is the way to go!
Wednesday 30 November 2011
Chiltern Mainline Standard Business Package
Chiltern continue to promote the Business Zone: on the Silver Sets used over the past two days, Feedback forms were available along with a flyer entitled 'Your office, but on the move' which promotes the 'Chiltern Mainline Standard Business Package' for £115 return...
According to the flyer, the package includes tube travel along with free Wi-Fi, at-seat catering service, complimentary hot drinks, and newspapers.It seems to suggest that the services available are the 0619 / 0655 / 1555 from Birmingham and the 0837 / 1650 / 1807 from Marylebone and gives the web address as www.chilternrailways.co.uk/mainline
Going to this address will give no further details nor will it indicate how to book the package. If you're really persistent, you can find the package as a fare on the booking system BUT tucked away in the more expensive fares sections and available ONLY on the 0619 / 0650 and 1650 / 1807 services (as of course the 0837 & 1555 require a £10 not £20 supplement). To be fair, the seat reservations are then made for you (though from my experience I don't see there being a problem getting a seat...).
Finally, the ghost of the Wrexham & Shropshire lives on as the fares system describes the package as WSMR Family 1st - and there's me thinking that Mainline was the brand!
According to the flyer, the package includes tube travel along with free Wi-Fi, at-seat catering service, complimentary hot drinks, and newspapers.It seems to suggest that the services available are the 0619 / 0655 / 1555 from Birmingham and the 0837 / 1650 / 1807 from Marylebone and gives the web address as www.chilternrailways.co.uk/mainline
Going to this address will give no further details nor will it indicate how to book the package. If you're really persistent, you can find the package as a fare on the booking system BUT tucked away in the more expensive fares sections and available ONLY on the 0619 / 0650 and 1650 / 1807 services (as of course the 0837 & 1555 require a £10 not £20 supplement). To be fair, the seat reservations are then made for you (though from my experience I don't see there being a problem getting a seat...).
Finally, the ghost of the Wrexham & Shropshire lives on as the fares system describes the package as WSMR Family 1st - and there's me thinking that Mainline was the brand!
A double dose of Chiltern... day 2
Declaration of interest: this second of the two set of journeys covered in these postings was courtesy of a Chiltern Railways Free Travel Pass (food, however, was purchased by me).
On Tuesday, I was surprised to find the 10.55 service from Moor Street in reverse formation: ie loco at the back and the Business Zone carriage at the London end. No-one seemed to know why... Of course, this made the carriage even quieter but at least there was a bustle in the Expresso Bar which indicated the arrival of staff. Even better, an ex-Wrexham & Shropshire staff member was rustling up bacon sandwiches which were being sold at £3.50 including tea. Now there's a delight!
Less of a delight was the discovery that the power points in the Business Zone were not working. The on-board crew tried everything they could to rectify the situation but had to admit defeat - one for the fault book. Still Wi-Fi was working and there were copies of the Financial Times available so I settled back to enjoy my bacon roll, use laptop until the battery ran down, and then simply enjoy the ride.
As I mentioned in the previous post, departure was delayed due to a LondonMidland train getting priority but at least the loss of time was not accentuated further down the line so arrival into Marylebone was only a few minutes late. Even still, one has to wonder when Chiltern will persuade the Network Rail signallers that they are actually handling Express trains once more from Moor Street as I'm sure that Virgin's Pendolinos are treated with more respect...
Returning from London, I was expecting to pay my supplement to use the Business Zone once more on the 1807. Alas, it was the same set as worked the 10.55 and the power point issue had not been resolved. So I left the other three people in the Zone in peace and went in search of a standard table with power.
The 1807 is relatively busy in Standard but by no means crowded so finding a table further along the train proved not to be a problem. As power and WiFi was available, and the seats are the comfortable ex-W&S, one has to wonder again what I would have gained for my £20. Well there is the free tea served by a friendly host (Ex-W&S), it is quieter, and there is more room but overall I still can't see the package offering true value.
Good job I had the bacon roll on the way down as there was no hot food available on the 1807 - the paninis hadn't turned up! Still, the tea is reasonable value at £1.60.
Departure was slightly late due to earlier problems and of course we immediately ran into the pathing problems as we caught up delayed locals at Gerards Cross and High Wycombe. So despite taking Anyho Junction at line speed (first time I had experienced this benefit of Evergreen 3), we failed to keep to time to Warwick Parkway, and then lost further time post Solihull trying to get into Moor Street and Snow Hill. Things were so bad that the 1810 Stourbridge Junction service caught us up at Snow Hill despite supposedly being timed to arrive 17 minutes after us.
So Chiltern, you provide a good service from Birmingham to London at very competitive fares with stock which is a pleasure to use. BUT coming back from London is not such a happy story. Can you try harder please.
On Tuesday, I was surprised to find the 10.55 service from Moor Street in reverse formation: ie loco at the back and the Business Zone carriage at the London end. No-one seemed to know why... Of course, this made the carriage even quieter but at least there was a bustle in the Expresso Bar which indicated the arrival of staff. Even better, an ex-Wrexham & Shropshire staff member was rustling up bacon sandwiches which were being sold at £3.50 including tea. Now there's a delight!
Less of a delight was the discovery that the power points in the Business Zone were not working. The on-board crew tried everything they could to rectify the situation but had to admit defeat - one for the fault book. Still Wi-Fi was working and there were copies of the Financial Times available so I settled back to enjoy my bacon roll, use laptop until the battery ran down, and then simply enjoy the ride.
As I mentioned in the previous post, departure was delayed due to a LondonMidland train getting priority but at least the loss of time was not accentuated further down the line so arrival into Marylebone was only a few minutes late. Even still, one has to wonder when Chiltern will persuade the Network Rail signallers that they are actually handling Express trains once more from Moor Street as I'm sure that Virgin's Pendolinos are treated with more respect...
Returning from London, I was expecting to pay my supplement to use the Business Zone once more on the 1807. Alas, it was the same set as worked the 10.55 and the power point issue had not been resolved. So I left the other three people in the Zone in peace and went in search of a standard table with power.
The 1807 is relatively busy in Standard but by no means crowded so finding a table further along the train proved not to be a problem. As power and WiFi was available, and the seats are the comfortable ex-W&S, one has to wonder again what I would have gained for my £20. Well there is the free tea served by a friendly host (Ex-W&S), it is quieter, and there is more room but overall I still can't see the package offering true value.
Good job I had the bacon roll on the way down as there was no hot food available on the 1807 - the paninis hadn't turned up! Still, the tea is reasonable value at £1.60.
Departure was slightly late due to earlier problems and of course we immediately ran into the pathing problems as we caught up delayed locals at Gerards Cross and High Wycombe. So despite taking Anyho Junction at line speed (first time I had experienced this benefit of Evergreen 3), we failed to keep to time to Warwick Parkway, and then lost further time post Solihull trying to get into Moor Street and Snow Hill. Things were so bad that the 1810 Stourbridge Junction service caught us up at Snow Hill despite supposedly being timed to arrive 17 minutes after us.
So Chiltern, you provide a good service from Birmingham to London at very competitive fares with stock which is a pleasure to use. BUT coming back from London is not such a happy story. Can you try harder please.
A double dose of Chiltern... day 1
Two days of journeys to London Monday / Tuesday with timings that suited the use of my favourite train, the 10.55 Mainline Silver service from Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone.
One of the nice things about the Mainline timetable is that the xx.55 departures from Moor Street are formed of the xx.17 arrivals from Marylebone which means that the train is waiting to be boarded for up to half-an-hour before departure. So it was that I rolled up at 10.40 on Monday, bought my £25 Super Off-Peak return (what a bargain), and boarded the Business Zone of the Silver Set waiting in Platform 4.
As ever all was quiet in this carriage as most passengers passed by in search of 'standard' accommodation. However, it seemed too quiet with no sign of activity in the Expresso bar. The Train Manager didn't know if it was to be staffed so I patronised the excellent Expresso cabin before settling into my seat and getting out the laptop (Memo to Chiltern: do get your buffet car staff on board earlier!).
There is no doubt that the Business Zone is an excellent environment in which to work - power and wifi on tap and plenty of space - and is even better when free as on the 10.55 and you're not in any rush... and to be quite honest, currently the Mainline timetable is not delivering in terms of 'sharp' timing. Some of this is not Chiltern's fault - on both Monday and Tuesday, LondonMidland late running locals were allowed out in front of the 10.55 departure which naturally led to delays en-route and late arrivals into Marylebone - and some of it is (both my return journeys suffered from poor pathing!)
So let's move onto the so-called Mainline service that is the 20.37 departure from Marylebone... On Monday, this was formed of a three-car 165 set. There is no way that this set of commuter carriages, running to appalling semi-fast timings (122 minutes), can be described as Mainline and it was an insult for the departure board to suggest that it was. No tables, no wifi, no power points, no 100mph running... but at least it did eventually arrive into Moor Street - late! Chiltern, shame on you.
One of the nice things about the Mainline timetable is that the xx.55 departures from Moor Street are formed of the xx.17 arrivals from Marylebone which means that the train is waiting to be boarded for up to half-an-hour before departure. So it was that I rolled up at 10.40 on Monday, bought my £25 Super Off-Peak return (what a bargain), and boarded the Business Zone of the Silver Set waiting in Platform 4.
As ever all was quiet in this carriage as most passengers passed by in search of 'standard' accommodation. However, it seemed too quiet with no sign of activity in the Expresso bar. The Train Manager didn't know if it was to be staffed so I patronised the excellent Expresso cabin before settling into my seat and getting out the laptop (Memo to Chiltern: do get your buffet car staff on board earlier!).
There is no doubt that the Business Zone is an excellent environment in which to work - power and wifi on tap and plenty of space - and is even better when free as on the 10.55 and you're not in any rush... and to be quite honest, currently the Mainline timetable is not delivering in terms of 'sharp' timing. Some of this is not Chiltern's fault - on both Monday and Tuesday, LondonMidland late running locals were allowed out in front of the 10.55 departure which naturally led to delays en-route and late arrivals into Marylebone - and some of it is (both my return journeys suffered from poor pathing!)
So let's move onto the so-called Mainline service that is the 20.37 departure from Marylebone... On Monday, this was formed of a three-car 165 set. There is no way that this set of commuter carriages, running to appalling semi-fast timings (122 minutes), can be described as Mainline and it was an insult for the departure board to suggest that it was. No tables, no wifi, no power points, no 100mph running... but at least it did eventually arrive into Moor Street - late! Chiltern, shame on you.
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Virgin Atlantic do delight... at a price
Travelling from Heathrow on Virgin Atlantic? Then make sure that your agent - should you be able to afford it - takes advantage of the Upper Class fare offer in conjunction with Virgin Trains. To quote:
Book selected Upper Class fares from London to anywhere in the world,
and Virgin Atlantic will pick up the tab for a single or return First Class ticket anywhere on the Virgin Trains network to London Euston absolutely free.
Then, when your passengers arrive in London, they’ll pick them up in a
complimentary chauffeur driven car and whizz them to Heathrow,
where they’ll go from their car to the
Clubhouse in just 10 minutes, thanks to the Upper Class Wing.
Once onboard, your passengers will enjoy superb, friendly service, excellent food and drink, and one of the longest fully flat beds in business class.
Now that does sound like true delight - wonder what the experience for the rest of us in like?
Book selected Upper Class fares from London to anywhere in the world,
and Virgin Atlantic will pick up the tab for a single or return First Class ticket anywhere on the Virgin Trains network to London Euston absolutely free.
Then, when your passengers arrive in London, they’ll pick them up in a
complimentary chauffeur driven car and whizz them to Heathrow,
where they’ll go from their car to the
Clubhouse in just 10 minutes, thanks to the Upper Class Wing.
Once onboard, your passengers will enjoy superb, friendly service, excellent food and drink, and one of the longest fully flat beds in business class.
Now that does sound like true delight - wonder what the experience for the rest of us in like?
Virgin Trains First Class Seat Sale
Virgin Trains are currently running a First Class Seat Sale, offering 50,000 tickets for the period Saturday 10th December 2011 to Sunday 22nd January 2012 if booked by Tuesday 29th November. Tickets between Birmingham and London (and vice-versa) are priced at £17
Based on three journeys that I need to make in this period, it would appear that the fares are available on trains roughly around the Super Off-Peak period that Virgin sometimes employs ie from around 11am to London from Birmingham (gaps at the evening peak), and at 6.03, then from around 9.30am to 3pm and then after 8pm back from Euston (Monday to Friday).
Undoubtedly the best value fares from Birmingham are on the 10.50, 11.10, 18.50, and 19.10 services from New Street when a Hot Snack is included. From London, there is availability on the 6.03 and 9.43 which gives breakfast, and on the 3 trains between 10am and 11am which include hot snacks.
Buying the tickets online is slightly fiddly as the link from the Sale Page takes you to Virgin's Best Value Fare Finder. Here you can skip directly to the main booking engine which is far easier to use - the fares are shown as First Class Promo when available. Don't forget these are SINGLE fares so book both ways!
Having not been delighted by Virgin's Standard Class offering recently, I look forward to seeing if First Class can delight!
Based on three journeys that I need to make in this period, it would appear that the fares are available on trains roughly around the Super Off-Peak period that Virgin sometimes employs ie from around 11am to London from Birmingham (gaps at the evening peak), and at 6.03, then from around 9.30am to 3pm and then after 8pm back from Euston (Monday to Friday).
Undoubtedly the best value fares from Birmingham are on the 10.50, 11.10, 18.50, and 19.10 services from New Street when a Hot Snack is included. From London, there is availability on the 6.03 and 9.43 which gives breakfast, and on the 3 trains between 10am and 11am which include hot snacks.
Buying the tickets online is slightly fiddly as the link from the Sale Page takes you to Virgin's Best Value Fare Finder. Here you can skip directly to the main booking engine which is far easier to use - the fares are shown as First Class Promo when available. Don't forget these are SINGLE fares so book both ways!
Having not been delighted by Virgin's Standard Class offering recently, I look forward to seeing if First Class can delight!
Friday 18 November 2011
Rail: Value for Money (Investment, Efficiency and Reform)
No, not the magazine, but an event organised by Public Service Events at the Barbican yesterday which I attended as it featured Sir Roy McNulty, Anna Walker (ORR), and Tom Smith (ATOC) as key speakers - but not politicians, the DfT, or Network Rail...
A flavour of the event as it unfolded can be had from the tweets at #rail11 and from the presentations
First up, Sir Roy McNulty who gave what presumably is his standard spiel about his eponymous Report His keys points were the existence of the 'efficiency' gap (30%?) which is 'not a cause for despair'; Rebalancing the roles of Government and Industry; and trusting the Rail Delivery Group to deliver... Naturally he denied that he had been 'nobbled' by ministers to take out anything contentious about privatisation.
The key slide from his presentation is Slide 28 - How will we know it is happening? - which takes me neatly onto Anna Walker, Chair, Office of Rail Regulation. Her surprisingly combative presentation focussed on the timetable for PR13 and the need to save £1 billion + per annum by setting the right 'incentive framework'... Interestingly, she kept referring to the need for a 'Greater transparency of information' from Network Rail and the TOCs. In the meantime, she promises three consultation documents:
* ORR’s role in relation to TOCS
* Fares and ticketing
* Localism
Wish her luck...
Perhaps the best presentation of the morning came from Douglas McCormick, MD Rail of the main sponsors Atkins. Basically he warned that companies such as his can deliver but NOT if they are seen as the easy touch in the drive to reduce costs.
After Masterclasses and lunch, Tom Smith of ATOC gave us his presentation Alas, he failed to rise to the bait dangled by Chair Paul Clifton in his introduction to the afternoon session and stuck doggedly to his brief... which was, of course, to say that Privatisation was a great success story / everything was fine when the SRA had been in charge before the Government decided it knew better / private investors were hungry to invest - they just needed to know the long-term prognosis for the industry etc etc.
His most interesting slide (6) was entitled The Initial Industry Plan response - Costs, revenue and subsidy requirement, England & Wales to 2019 which seems to show how the industry is going to drive down the subsidy requirement to £1 billion at 2011/2012 prices by 2019...
Unfortunately he couldn't stay for the Panel session, leaving it to Edward Welsh (his Director of Corporate Affairs) to continue the positive spin in the face of some doubting questioners.
Overall, a mixed bag of a day, the value of which partly diminished due to the absence of key players in the process. One final point. Innovation (along with efficiency and transparency) seemed to be a favourite word of the speakers. Funnily enough, at an evening event which moved onto, innovation was also much to the fore in the speeches. However, here, it was innovation as practised by the late Steve Jobs at Apple: ranging widely for inspiration and refusing to be siloed.
Is there anyone in the UK rail industry who can fill the Steve Jobs role and lead the industry to providing real value for money through innovative thinking? One can only hope so...
A flavour of the event as it unfolded can be had from the tweets at #rail11 and from the presentations
First up, Sir Roy McNulty who gave what presumably is his standard spiel about his eponymous Report His keys points were the existence of the 'efficiency' gap (30%?) which is 'not a cause for despair'; Rebalancing the roles of Government and Industry; and trusting the Rail Delivery Group to deliver... Naturally he denied that he had been 'nobbled' by ministers to take out anything contentious about privatisation.
The key slide from his presentation is Slide 28 - How will we know it is happening? - which takes me neatly onto Anna Walker, Chair, Office of Rail Regulation. Her surprisingly combative presentation focussed on the timetable for PR13 and the need to save £1 billion + per annum by setting the right 'incentive framework'... Interestingly, she kept referring to the need for a 'Greater transparency of information' from Network Rail and the TOCs. In the meantime, she promises three consultation documents:
* ORR’s role in relation to TOCS
* Fares and ticketing
* Localism
Wish her luck...
Perhaps the best presentation of the morning came from Douglas McCormick, MD Rail of the main sponsors Atkins. Basically he warned that companies such as his can deliver but NOT if they are seen as the easy touch in the drive to reduce costs.
After Masterclasses and lunch, Tom Smith of ATOC gave us his presentation Alas, he failed to rise to the bait dangled by Chair Paul Clifton in his introduction to the afternoon session and stuck doggedly to his brief... which was, of course, to say that Privatisation was a great success story / everything was fine when the SRA had been in charge before the Government decided it knew better / private investors were hungry to invest - they just needed to know the long-term prognosis for the industry etc etc.
His most interesting slide (6) was entitled The Initial Industry Plan response - Costs, revenue and subsidy requirement, England & Wales to 2019 which seems to show how the industry is going to drive down the subsidy requirement to £1 billion at 2011/2012 prices by 2019...
Unfortunately he couldn't stay for the Panel session, leaving it to Edward Welsh (his Director of Corporate Affairs) to continue the positive spin in the face of some doubting questioners.
Overall, a mixed bag of a day, the value of which partly diminished due to the absence of key players in the process. One final point. Innovation (along with efficiency and transparency) seemed to be a favourite word of the speakers. Funnily enough, at an evening event which moved onto, innovation was also much to the fore in the speeches. However, here, it was innovation as practised by the late Steve Jobs at Apple: ranging widely for inspiration and refusing to be siloed.
Is there anyone in the UK rail industry who can fill the Steve Jobs role and lead the industry to providing real value for money through innovative thinking? One can only hope so...
Virgin Miscellany
Virgin Trains: First Class Seat Sale - booking opens next Wednesday (23rd) and lasts until the 29th (or until the 50,000 seats are sold). Travel dates are between Saturday 10th December 2011 and Sunday 22nd January 2012. Birmingham-London travel will cost £17 each way - child discounts available but NOT railcard discounts.
Virgin Trains: First Class refreshments - breakfast on the 23rd December will be the last First Class meal served before the Christmas break. Full First Class Meal service will resume on Tuesday 3rd January 2012.
Virgin Trains: railcard ticket validity - Barry Doe in Rail issues 681 and 683 has explained the changes that Virgin have introduced on Railcard off-peak validity on Peak period trains. The off-peak price availability remains BUT the tickets must only be for the Virgin part of the journey. So for example, a railcard holder can still travel from Euston to Wolverhampton at peak times for an off-peak fare but must re-book from Wolverhampton if s/he wants to travel say to Shrewsbury
Also from Rail issue 683 is a news piece explaining the 36 week extension to the Virgin WCML franchise...
Virgin Trains: First Class refreshments - breakfast on the 23rd December will be the last First Class meal served before the Christmas break. Full First Class Meal service will resume on Tuesday 3rd January 2012.
Virgin Trains: railcard ticket validity - Barry Doe in Rail issues 681 and 683 has explained the changes that Virgin have introduced on Railcard off-peak validity on Peak period trains. The off-peak price availability remains BUT the tickets must only be for the Virgin part of the journey. So for example, a railcard holder can still travel from Euston to Wolverhampton at peak times for an off-peak fare but must re-book from Wolverhampton if s/he wants to travel say to Shrewsbury
Also from Rail issue 683 is a news piece explaining the 36 week extension to the Virgin WCML franchise...
Virgin Trains do deliver but the company doesn't always delight
Back in the heyday of customer service, certain brands would delight in 'delighting' their customers - KwikFit is one that springs to mind. The problem that I have with Virgin Trains is that the company delivers but doesn't always delight, at least not on the Birmingham to London runs.
However, let's start with the positives. An advance single to St Alban's Abbey via Watford Junction on Wednesday using the 14.10 out of New Street set me back the princely sum of £11.50. Coming back last night on the 20.43 from London Euston cost me another £10.50. If you can book in Advance, then Virgin do delight if you can travel off-peak...
The 14.10 Pendolino arrived from Wolverhampton in good time and left promptly. My table seat was reserved in the Quiet Coach, and indeed the Quiet Coach was quiet. Usual run of announcements about tickets but as ever no attempt to check prior to Coventry (to be fair, there was then a ticket check on the run to Watford). No shop announcement but one presumes it was open. Slight delay around Milton Keynes meant arrival into Watford was around 5 mins late. Apologies given. Overall, a routine standard class Pendolino experience.
Coming back, the reservation system had failed on the 20.43 but in fact my table seat in the Quiet Coach was available. Relatively busy due to Milton Keynes commuters using the service but after MK relatively quiet. Announcements were automated which meant that the needless 'security' warning was repeated seemingly ad nauseum. No ticket checks but the train manager did appear after MK to challenge a tourist who had placed his bike in the vestibule. Apparently there were no platform staff to put the bike in the front compartment as should have occurred. Again, no shop announcement. Slightly delayed around Birmingham International so another 5 min late arrival... Nevertheless, another reasonable Pendolino journey.
So what would delight me as a Pendolino passenger? A more human touch from the train managers and perhaps more visibility? Free WiFi obviously. More (leg)room in Standard and less of a 'crowd everyone in' feeling about the carriages. Overall, Virgin just giving the feeling that the company was actually pleased that I was actually using their services...
However, let's start with the positives. An advance single to St Alban's Abbey via Watford Junction on Wednesday using the 14.10 out of New Street set me back the princely sum of £11.50. Coming back last night on the 20.43 from London Euston cost me another £10.50. If you can book in Advance, then Virgin do delight if you can travel off-peak...
The 14.10 Pendolino arrived from Wolverhampton in good time and left promptly. My table seat was reserved in the Quiet Coach, and indeed the Quiet Coach was quiet. Usual run of announcements about tickets but as ever no attempt to check prior to Coventry (to be fair, there was then a ticket check on the run to Watford). No shop announcement but one presumes it was open. Slight delay around Milton Keynes meant arrival into Watford was around 5 mins late. Apologies given. Overall, a routine standard class Pendolino experience.
Coming back, the reservation system had failed on the 20.43 but in fact my table seat in the Quiet Coach was available. Relatively busy due to Milton Keynes commuters using the service but after MK relatively quiet. Announcements were automated which meant that the needless 'security' warning was repeated seemingly ad nauseum. No ticket checks but the train manager did appear after MK to challenge a tourist who had placed his bike in the vestibule. Apparently there were no platform staff to put the bike in the front compartment as should have occurred. Again, no shop announcement. Slightly delayed around Birmingham International so another 5 min late arrival... Nevertheless, another reasonable Pendolino journey.
So what would delight me as a Pendolino passenger? A more human touch from the train managers and perhaps more visibility? Free WiFi obviously. More (leg)room in Standard and less of a 'crowd everyone in' feeling about the carriages. Overall, Virgin just giving the feeling that the company was actually pleased that I was actually using their services...
Tuesday 8 November 2011
Thank goodness for Chiltern
Every so often, to quote Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun', I feel the need for speed - especially when I am returning to Birmingham after an evening meeting and I can book ahead... Of course, Tom Cruise had the infrastructure of the US Navy behind his craving; I, alas, have to rely Virgin Trains and Network Rail for my fix...
So let us start with the good things. Virgin's First Class Lounge at Birmingham New Street is not as palatial as that at Euston but for a mid-morning's hour's office space for £3.50 (the cost of a First Class Virgin Only single to Birmingham International) it can't really be bettered. Tables at which to work, free hi-speed wi-fi, coffee and snacks on tap, the FT and Independent to take away, and, of course, a free toilet!
I had booked onto the 12.10 Pendolino yesterday for the princely single fare of £10.50 to London. (Regular readers of my blog will know that I like to travel First Class when booking in advance but Virgin have upped the minimum price to £37.50 - shame). The 12.10 starts in Wolverhampton so there was the usual scrum down to get on board, not helped by Network Rail running it into Platform 4 which was already crowded with passengers waiting for a late running CrossCountry train. Can't the Platform staff get messages to the signallers?
Of course, a large part of the problem is the local flows to Birmingham International and Coventry - once past Coventry the train was relatively quiet. Ironic that Chiltern should have crowding problems in London whilst Virgin suffer them in Birmingham. Doubly ironic that due to lack of ticket checks at New Street / Birmingham International / Coventry many of this flow could well be travelling for free... (at least Chiltern have gates at Marylebone).
Yesterday, Virgin had reserved a table seat for me in the quiet zone as I has requested so I was able to settle down to work on my laptop. Power point and WiFi working too. Usual guff on departure about the type of tickets not valid on the service. As yet again no ticket check took place why does the train manager bother? Presumably, lost revenue from people travelling free or on invaild tickets is built into Virgin's business plan to the end of the franchise - what a joke!
Having had my rant, I'll grant that the Pendolinos do do a great job in getting people from Birmingham to London in round 84 minutes - most of the time.
Arriving back at Euston in good time for the 20.23 return Pendolino, I discovered the news about the disruption so dashed over to Marylebone (thank you Tfl!) and arrived in time for the 20.10 Mainline to Kidderminster. Fortunately, Chiltern were accepting Virgin tickets so had no problem getting on the train (thank you Chiltern). The 20.10 is a four-carriage Clubman but wasn't full as I had expected so I was able to settle at a table, plug in my laptop, and use the FREE wifi. Aren't Clubmans spacious compared to Pendolinos Standard Class!!!
Running to time got me back by 10pm.Now if Chiltern would only delete the Bicester stops on their evening Mainline services and re-introduce the trolley service, I would never be tempted by speed alone again (well hardly ever)
So let us start with the good things. Virgin's First Class Lounge at Birmingham New Street is not as palatial as that at Euston but for a mid-morning's hour's office space for £3.50 (the cost of a First Class Virgin Only single to Birmingham International) it can't really be bettered. Tables at which to work, free hi-speed wi-fi, coffee and snacks on tap, the FT and Independent to take away, and, of course, a free toilet!
I had booked onto the 12.10 Pendolino yesterday for the princely single fare of £10.50 to London. (Regular readers of my blog will know that I like to travel First Class when booking in advance but Virgin have upped the minimum price to £37.50 - shame). The 12.10 starts in Wolverhampton so there was the usual scrum down to get on board, not helped by Network Rail running it into Platform 4 which was already crowded with passengers waiting for a late running CrossCountry train. Can't the Platform staff get messages to the signallers?
Of course, a large part of the problem is the local flows to Birmingham International and Coventry - once past Coventry the train was relatively quiet. Ironic that Chiltern should have crowding problems in London whilst Virgin suffer them in Birmingham. Doubly ironic that due to lack of ticket checks at New Street / Birmingham International / Coventry many of this flow could well be travelling for free... (at least Chiltern have gates at Marylebone).
Yesterday, Virgin had reserved a table seat for me in the quiet zone as I has requested so I was able to settle down to work on my laptop. Power point and WiFi working too. Usual guff on departure about the type of tickets not valid on the service. As yet again no ticket check took place why does the train manager bother? Presumably, lost revenue from people travelling free or on invaild tickets is built into Virgin's business plan to the end of the franchise - what a joke!
Having had my rant, I'll grant that the Pendolinos do do a great job in getting people from Birmingham to London in round 84 minutes - most of the time.
Arriving back at Euston in good time for the 20.23 return Pendolino, I discovered the news about the disruption so dashed over to Marylebone (thank you Tfl!) and arrived in time for the 20.10 Mainline to Kidderminster. Fortunately, Chiltern were accepting Virgin tickets so had no problem getting on the train (thank you Chiltern). The 20.10 is a four-carriage Clubman but wasn't full as I had expected so I was able to settle at a table, plug in my laptop, and use the FREE wifi. Aren't Clubmans spacious compared to Pendolinos Standard Class!!!
Running to time got me back by 10pm.Now if Chiltern would only delete the Bicester stops on their evening Mainline services and re-introduce the trolley service, I would never be tempted by speed alone again (well hardly ever)
Saturday 5 November 2011
Magazine miscellany
Regular readers of my blog will already know that November's issue of Modern Railways carries the text of the speech by Adrian Shooter to September's 4th Friday Club. Also in the issue is:
- news of LondonMidland's test runs of the Class 350 Desiros at 110mph and the planned changes that the company will seek in its WCML timetables starting in December 2012...
- Roger Ford's despair at the 'procurement follies' of LondonMidland in relation to the Class 350/3 Desiro order
- news on the December 2011 timetable changes which sees only tweaks in the three companies timings... Chiltern's here; LondonMidland and Virgin not yet formally published...
- trackwatch details the work commissioned for Chiltern's Evergreen 3 project
Issue 682 of Rail (November 2-15) has The Fare Dealer (Barry Doe) still insisting that Chiltern's Business Zone is 'First Class' in all but name. Also noted is the impressive reliability of LondonMidland's Class 350/2 Desiros which work the Birmingham New Street - London Euston services intensively.
Finally, readers of my blog on Adrian Shooter's valedictory speech in September may have noted his admiration of the (LMS) Derby engineers. In fact, he lauded diesels 10000 and 10001 in particular. Thus I was intrigued today to come across this article by O S Nock in June 1961's issue of The Railway Magazine which shows that Adrian's praise was well-founded. Pity we lost the plot as an engineering country so badly subsequently...
Chiltern Railways / Virgin Trains / LondonMidland iPhone Apps comparison
Comparison chart loaded http://bit.ly/snXAy2
LondonMidland's App would be the best for information if the decision hadn't been taken to impose a LondonMidland restriction on the Journey Planner and on the Live Departures and Arrivals - apparently this was a deliberate decision.
As it is, Chiltern's is the must download as it has many good information features AND allows tickets to be booked.
As for Virgin... let's hope that the Olympics extension to their franchise will sput them on to improve their App!
Best action, as all 3 are free, download them all to take advantage of their various strengths
LondonMidland's App would be the best for information if the decision hadn't been taken to impose a LondonMidland restriction on the Journey Planner and on the Live Departures and Arrivals - apparently this was a deliberate decision.
As it is, Chiltern's is the must download as it has many good information features AND allows tickets to be booked.
As for Virgin... let's hope that the Olympics extension to their franchise will sput them on to improve their App!
Best action, as all 3 are free, download them all to take advantage of their various strengths
iPhone Apps: Virgin Trains
Virgin's App is very similar to that of Chiltern's (not surprisingly as they have developers in common) but for some reason has failed to develop beyond its basic functionality.
The App page on the Virgin web site states:
Buy tickets on your iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Nokia or Sony Ericsson anytime, anywhere, with just a few taps. Thanks to our free app. Search times and fares or buy tickets for any UK route up to 10 minutes before departure - without card charges or booking fees. Then collect them from a FastTicket machine at the station. That's what we call handy.
So the good things....
The not so good...
Just look at what LondonMidland and Chiltern have managed to offer on their Apps!
The App page on the Virgin web site states:
Buy tickets on your iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Nokia or Sony Ericsson anytime, anywhere, with just a few taps. Thanks to our free app. Search times and fares or buy tickets for any UK route up to 10 minutes before departure - without card charges or booking fees. Then collect them from a FastTicket machine at the station. That's what we call handy.
So the good things....
- Very clear train times finder with the ability to buy tickets easily
The not so good...
- Support is via a 0844 number
- External links are all web based
- Times for Birmingham to London show only Virgin and Chiltern services (though some LondonMidland services are shown by searching for Birmingham New Street to London Euston)
- Cannot add Virgin Flying Club number to purchase account
Just look at what LondonMidland and Chiltern have managed to offer on their Apps!
Friday 4 November 2011
iPhone Apps: Chiltern Railways
The iPhone App from Chiltern Railways has been available for a year now, and has developed into an online ticket buying and real-time information application. Indeed, the App won Most Effective ticketing solution at the Mobile Marketing Awards held on 3 November.
The Chiltern information page on the App states:
The Chiltern information page on the App states:
- Quick tickets sent to your phone
- No account login required
- No booking or card fees
- Save favourite journeys
- View train times
- Buy tickets to anywhere in the UK
What it doesn't mention (tut tut Chiltern - how about keeping your web site bang up-to-date?) is that the latest iteration, V1.07.62, also offers live train arrival / departure times for any station in the UK.
So, the good things...
- Very clear train times finder with the ability to buy tickets easily
- mTickets available for certain Chiltern journeys making it easy to travel without hassle
- Live departure and arrivals
The not so good...
- Support is via a 0845 number
- External links are all web based
- mTickets availability very limited a present
And the missing..
- Just look at what LondonMidland have managed to offer on their App!
iPhone Apps: LondonMidland
So now we have a full set of iPhone Apps from the Birmingham to London route operators. How do they compare.
LondonMidland
This is the new kid on the block, having been launched on Tuesday (1 November). Naturally it is free and its description page claims it offers:
LondonMidland
This is the new kid on the block, having been launched on Tuesday (1 November). Naturally it is free and its description page claims it offers:
- Plan your London Midland journey with the journey planner
- Add multiple station favourites, making it easier to plan frequent journeys
- Email, SMS or print your journey plan details
- Disruption information giving you alternative journey options if required
- One touch access to live departures and arrival at all London Midland stations, with platform information (where available) and live train progress
- ‘Next Train Home’ feature automatically finds the nearest train station and searches trains times to get you home
- View timetables even without an Internet connection, specifically designed to fit your mobile screen
- View our @LondonMidland Twitter feed without leaving the app, whether you follow us or not
- Purchase car parking directly from the app via SMS or phone (where available)
- Submit your ‘Delay Repay’ form directly from the app
- Contact Customer Services directly from the app
As with most iPhone Apps, it works best with either 3G or WiFi enabled. It's opening screen displays a top banner, a Live Departures and arrivals panel, the Journey Planner, an Info panel, a Contact us panel, and a Settings panel.This last panel allows a 'home station' to be set, features in the Journey Planner to be changed, the Interface to be set at 'Start at home screen', distance to be set in either miles or kilometres, and Help and Support to be contacted.
All the panels seem to work fine.
- The Live Departures and arrivals, and the journey planner are not LondonMidland specific though the 'Nearest' / Favourite / Recent buttons will presumably have that effect for regular LM travellers.
- The Info panel as a 'Disruption information' live feed as well as live feeds from London Underground (actually TfL) and the @londonmidland Twitter feed. Alas, the TfL feed takes you out of the App and into Safari. Timetables can be downloaded. Car parking can be purchased through a web link (a nice feature is to show which stations offer FREE parking), and a Delay Repay form can be completed and sent to LM via email (again, a nice touch is the ability to add a photo of the ticket).
- Contact us gives an email option BUT more usefully the landline number (0121 634 2040) for LM's Customer Relations Team (definite brownie point for NOT hiding behind a 0845 number).
So, all good stuff, but you can't book tickets! V2 beckons I reckon
Chiltern Mainline on a Clubman
In all the 'excitement' about the Business Zone provision and future Silver Set deployment, it is easy to forget that the bulk of the Chiltern Mainline timetable is run day-in day-out by the highly successful Class 168 Clubman DMUs. As regular readers of this blog will know, I am a fan of the Clubmans (see Thursday 18th Nov 2010 et passim...) but for various reasons I haven't actually used them for sometime. However, a trip to London on Wednesday allowed me to rectify this omission.
Thanks to the timings of my trip, I was able to buy a £25 super off-peak return from Birmingham Moor Street, and join the 11.55 Mainline service which was sitting waiting in Platform 4 having worked the 9.37 down from London Marylebone. This walk-on fare is a veritable bargain when you consider the timings now available (97 mins) along with the availability of tables, power points, and FREE WiFi. Just a pity that Chiltern can't make the timetable work to allow the service to start at Birmingham Snow Hill and tap the business market more effectively.
The loading of the train was only reasonable on departure from Moor Street but of course this meant that obtaining a table to myself and laptop proved no problem. In fact, I wasn't joined at my table until the final stop at Banbury, though the train had filled nicely at the previous stops.
As I have said many times, Chiltern simply deliver... the catering trolley came round, tickets were checked after Leamington, WiFi and power points worked, the toilets were clean and worked, and I had an hour-and-a-half of uninterrupted working time. What more could Chiltern offer me???
Well, an better return evening service would be a start. The first train back from London Marylebone for Super Off-Peak ticket holders is the 19.15 which for some reason has a stop at Bicester North with a consequent 109 minute scheduled journey time. Further, as has been detailed on Chiltern's Twitter feed ad nauseum it is a very busy train. On Wednesday, it left Marylebone full and standing to Bicester.
The problems above are compounded by the fact that the Mainline timetable NORTH doesn't work. As I had experienced before, a late running High Wycombe train brought the 19.15 to a dead halt at Gerrard's Cross and then slow running ensued until the train in front cleared at High Wycombe. The consequence: at Aynho Junction we lost our path to a FREIGHT train (Network Rail come on...), and then at Dorridge were looped to allow a CrossCountry to overtake. 'Mainline' - I don't think so as we limped into Moor Street 16 minutes late (would Virgin put up with such behaviour by Network Rail signallers?). AND, of course, Chiltern don't offer catering on Clubman evening services back to Birmingham...
So although the fare is amazing value and Clubman's are great trains on which to travel - WiFi etc all fine on the 19.15 - Chiltern clearly have a long way to go before they can convince the powers that be that they do actually offer a MAINLINE service to Birmingham. Pity...
Thanks to the timings of my trip, I was able to buy a £25 super off-peak return from Birmingham Moor Street, and join the 11.55 Mainline service which was sitting waiting in Platform 4 having worked the 9.37 down from London Marylebone. This walk-on fare is a veritable bargain when you consider the timings now available (97 mins) along with the availability of tables, power points, and FREE WiFi. Just a pity that Chiltern can't make the timetable work to allow the service to start at Birmingham Snow Hill and tap the business market more effectively.
The loading of the train was only reasonable on departure from Moor Street but of course this meant that obtaining a table to myself and laptop proved no problem. In fact, I wasn't joined at my table until the final stop at Banbury, though the train had filled nicely at the previous stops.
As I have said many times, Chiltern simply deliver... the catering trolley came round, tickets were checked after Leamington, WiFi and power points worked, the toilets were clean and worked, and I had an hour-and-a-half of uninterrupted working time. What more could Chiltern offer me???
Well, an better return evening service would be a start. The first train back from London Marylebone for Super Off-Peak ticket holders is the 19.15 which for some reason has a stop at Bicester North with a consequent 109 minute scheduled journey time. Further, as has been detailed on Chiltern's Twitter feed ad nauseum it is a very busy train. On Wednesday, it left Marylebone full and standing to Bicester.
The problems above are compounded by the fact that the Mainline timetable NORTH doesn't work. As I had experienced before, a late running High Wycombe train brought the 19.15 to a dead halt at Gerrard's Cross and then slow running ensued until the train in front cleared at High Wycombe. The consequence: at Aynho Junction we lost our path to a FREIGHT train (Network Rail come on...), and then at Dorridge were looped to allow a CrossCountry to overtake. 'Mainline' - I don't think so as we limped into Moor Street 16 minutes late (would Virgin put up with such behaviour by Network Rail signallers?). AND, of course, Chiltern don't offer catering on Clubman evening services back to Birmingham...
So although the fare is amazing value and Clubman's are great trains on which to travel - WiFi etc all fine on the 19.15 - Chiltern clearly have a long way to go before they can convince the powers that be that they do actually offer a MAINLINE service to Birmingham. Pity...
Saturday 29 October 2011
Lunch with Adrian Shooter (well, almost...)
Declaration of interest: I was a guest of Modern Railways at this 4th Friday Club meeting
I was lucky enough to be at September's 4th Friday Club lunch to hear Adrian Shooter give a valedictory speech on his time as a railwayman. Now, I am not a journalist and didn't take notes at the time so the following reportage is very much my impressions and interpretations of what he said. (The full text of Adrian's address can be found in the November 2011 issue of Modern Railways)
Adrian's speech was really a lesson in railway history and in what the present day companies can learn from the almost 200 years of railway development in the UK. Starting by claiming George Stephenson as a forebear (on his mother's side), his first point was that by the 1860s almost all of the core network of rail routes in this country had been laid down and that, by and large, they served traffic flows to and from London. (later on in his speech, he praised Beeching for wanting to par back the railways to this core network). Naturally, I wonder if he was being post-ironic in this assertion as of course a key element of the Chiltern Railways route was not laid down until the first decade of the last century - 40 years later than the 1860s 'core' point...
Moving onto the war years, First and Second, he drew out the obvious point that once politicians and civil servants get involved in a business, they are loath not to continue to meddle in that business... he also bemoaned the fact that no government was prepared to give the Railways a 'fair deal' in terms of regulation and tariffs despite the fact that the (road) competion was unfettered.
Post Second World War, he dismissed Nationalisation as being politically motivated, and the 1955 Rail Modernisation plan as a shambles. As noted above, he loved the Beeching Report, not only for the paring back but also for the vision of how the railways could be (container trains, inter-city etc). Indeed, it was the Beeching Report which inspired him to join the railways as a career.
As an engineer, he clearly has a soft spot for the (LMS) Derby engineers from whom he seems to have learnt much. Also praised were British Rail Chairmen Sir Peter Parker and Sir Bob Reid, the latter especially lauded for letting his Sector Managers get on with it prior to privatisation...
Ah yes, privatisation: John Major was given credit for the vision of the privatised railway (something that famously even Mrs T. couldn't face doing) but 'bottled out' (my phrase) of the correct implementation. The Bill itself was a hodge-podge of inserts from interested parties which could have been made to work if the BR Board had engaged in the process. As it turned out, Adrian proved to be one of the drafters of the legalisation along with other senior BR managers working in cahoots with the Dept. of Transport's civil servants....
The story of M40 Trains and Chiltern Railways is well covered in Hugh Jones' book (The Chiltern Railways Story). What I hadn't realised fully was the risk that Adrian and his fellow-directors took with their own money when the 22 year franchise was offered by Sir Alistair Morton of the SRA. No wonder he has been so passionate about making Chiltern work.
Skipping to the present day, it seems clear that he has little time for those who do not add 'net value' to the railways (fill in your own blanks), and that he has an especial dislike of the lawyers used by civil servants to cover their backsides...
Finally, he ended with this pithy summary of the McNulty Report. The accountant in McNulty discovered that Railways have largely fixed costs. Passenger usage has almost doubled therefore unit costs should have halved... oh s**t. The conclusion that this led McNulty to has mysteriously not seen the light of day!
Passionate, opinionated, involved - will we see his like again in the modern rail industry?
I was lucky enough to be at September's 4th Friday Club lunch to hear Adrian Shooter give a valedictory speech on his time as a railwayman. Now, I am not a journalist and didn't take notes at the time so the following reportage is very much my impressions and interpretations of what he said. (The full text of Adrian's address can be found in the November 2011 issue of Modern Railways)
Adrian's speech was really a lesson in railway history and in what the present day companies can learn from the almost 200 years of railway development in the UK. Starting by claiming George Stephenson as a forebear (on his mother's side), his first point was that by the 1860s almost all of the core network of rail routes in this country had been laid down and that, by and large, they served traffic flows to and from London. (later on in his speech, he praised Beeching for wanting to par back the railways to this core network). Naturally, I wonder if he was being post-ironic in this assertion as of course a key element of the Chiltern Railways route was not laid down until the first decade of the last century - 40 years later than the 1860s 'core' point...
Moving onto the war years, First and Second, he drew out the obvious point that once politicians and civil servants get involved in a business, they are loath not to continue to meddle in that business... he also bemoaned the fact that no government was prepared to give the Railways a 'fair deal' in terms of regulation and tariffs despite the fact that the (road) competion was unfettered.
Post Second World War, he dismissed Nationalisation as being politically motivated, and the 1955 Rail Modernisation plan as a shambles. As noted above, he loved the Beeching Report, not only for the paring back but also for the vision of how the railways could be (container trains, inter-city etc). Indeed, it was the Beeching Report which inspired him to join the railways as a career.
As an engineer, he clearly has a soft spot for the (LMS) Derby engineers from whom he seems to have learnt much. Also praised were British Rail Chairmen Sir Peter Parker and Sir Bob Reid, the latter especially lauded for letting his Sector Managers get on with it prior to privatisation...
Ah yes, privatisation: John Major was given credit for the vision of the privatised railway (something that famously even Mrs T. couldn't face doing) but 'bottled out' (my phrase) of the correct implementation. The Bill itself was a hodge-podge of inserts from interested parties which could have been made to work if the BR Board had engaged in the process. As it turned out, Adrian proved to be one of the drafters of the legalisation along with other senior BR managers working in cahoots with the Dept. of Transport's civil servants....
The story of M40 Trains and Chiltern Railways is well covered in Hugh Jones' book (The Chiltern Railways Story). What I hadn't realised fully was the risk that Adrian and his fellow-directors took with their own money when the 22 year franchise was offered by Sir Alistair Morton of the SRA. No wonder he has been so passionate about making Chiltern work.
Skipping to the present day, it seems clear that he has little time for those who do not add 'net value' to the railways (fill in your own blanks), and that he has an especial dislike of the lawyers used by civil servants to cover their backsides...
Finally, he ended with this pithy summary of the McNulty Report. The accountant in McNulty discovered that Railways have largely fixed costs. Passenger usage has almost doubled therefore unit costs should have halved... oh s**t. The conclusion that this led McNulty to has mysteriously not seen the light of day!
Passionate, opinionated, involved - will we see his like again in the modern rail industry?
Tuesday 25 October 2011
LondonMidland's Great Escape: good value but too successful (part 2)?
LondonMidland's Great Escape promotion has interesting set of restrictions out of Euston Monday to Friday. Basically, First Class is not restricted, whilst Standard Class can travel between 4pm and 7pm by buying an additional £5 easement before the journey back...
As it happened, I was joining the 1913 departure from Euston's Platform 17. This is an 8-car Desiro formation, the front four carriages of which go forward from Northampton to Birmingham - a fact that was clearly marked on each of the two 4-car sets. The timing of this service is good (2 hours 3 minutes), making it almost as fast as the equivalent Chiltern service. However, just as Chiltern are finding it difficult to manage off-peak demand back from Marylebone, so LondonMidland have produced a combination of circumstances which meant the train was completely full and standing when I arrived to join it 5 minutes before departure.
The situation was exacerbated by a lack of revenue control, and the non-appearance of the train manager whose only contribution was to urge passengers to move down the already full train in the hope of finding a seat. Clearly an own goal by LondonMidland who risk alienating their First Class commuters in the pursuit of the family off-peak market (it subsequently transpired that one family in the Birmingham First Class compartment were travelling on Standard Class Great Escape tickets, but it would take a brave train manager to ask a mother to make her children stand...).
Fortunately from my point of view I was able to get a First Class seat after the Leighton Buzzard stop, and, I have to say, that it is perfectly possible to work on a laptop in the airline style seats (at least there are power points). First Class remained full until Birmingham, though clearly not all were First Class ticket holders, and Standard Class did not become comfortable until Coventry.
No ticket checks (of course??) until after Birmingham International - LondonMidland really need to get their customer facing staff more focused. Mind you, one suspects that the staff feel dumped on in such situations.
Overall, would I use the Great Escape again? £20 walk-on with voucher compares to £25 walk-on Standard with Chiltern and £44.30 walk-on Standard for Virgin (admittedly, both would be more expensive for a 4pm to 7pm departure). For both companies, their standard fare offers so much more than LondonMidland's First Class fare - so, sorry LM, but you're only occasionally going to persuade me to use you after yesterday's experience.
As it happened, I was joining the 1913 departure from Euston's Platform 17. This is an 8-car Desiro formation, the front four carriages of which go forward from Northampton to Birmingham - a fact that was clearly marked on each of the two 4-car sets. The timing of this service is good (2 hours 3 minutes), making it almost as fast as the equivalent Chiltern service. However, just as Chiltern are finding it difficult to manage off-peak demand back from Marylebone, so LondonMidland have produced a combination of circumstances which meant the train was completely full and standing when I arrived to join it 5 minutes before departure.
The situation was exacerbated by a lack of revenue control, and the non-appearance of the train manager whose only contribution was to urge passengers to move down the already full train in the hope of finding a seat. Clearly an own goal by LondonMidland who risk alienating their First Class commuters in the pursuit of the family off-peak market (it subsequently transpired that one family in the Birmingham First Class compartment were travelling on Standard Class Great Escape tickets, but it would take a brave train manager to ask a mother to make her children stand...).
Fortunately from my point of view I was able to get a First Class seat after the Leighton Buzzard stop, and, I have to say, that it is perfectly possible to work on a laptop in the airline style seats (at least there are power points). First Class remained full until Birmingham, though clearly not all were First Class ticket holders, and Standard Class did not become comfortable until Coventry.
No ticket checks (of course??) until after Birmingham International - LondonMidland really need to get their customer facing staff more focused. Mind you, one suspects that the staff feel dumped on in such situations.
Overall, would I use the Great Escape again? £20 walk-on with voucher compares to £25 walk-on Standard with Chiltern and £44.30 walk-on Standard for Virgin (admittedly, both would be more expensive for a 4pm to 7pm departure). For both companies, their standard fare offers so much more than LondonMidland's First Class fare - so, sorry LM, but you're only occasionally going to persuade me to use you after yesterday's experience.
LondonMidland's Great Escape: good value but too successful (part 1)?
This week and next, LondonMidland are offering off-peak day ranger tickets at £10 standard class and £20 First Class through the Great Escape promotion. Effectively, these are walk-on fares but quota-limited through the need to download a voucher to qualify. Off-peak for this promotion starts at 9.30am Monday to Friday though there are easements (no restriction Saturday / Sunday), and returning from London Monday to Friday also has some restrictions (see part 2).
However, unlike previous promotions on these lines from LondonMidland, there is no easement on the Birmingham to London route so I duly rolled up with my voucher for the 9.33 Desiro to Euston. First indications seemed to indicate that the First Class compartment would be quiet as the ticket clerk at Victoria Square said that mine was the first one he had had to do. However, joining the train showed that many were also taking advantage of the promotion...
Secured a table with working power point for my laptop and settled down to work (one of the 'advantages' of LondonMidland could be said to be the lack of WiFi which means there is no temptation to do email...). Soon joined by a family - two adults and a young girl - who were off to the Tower for the day (using the 2 for 1 attraction vouchers). Clearly the 2 hour 16 minute journey time did not outweigh the promotional savings...
The 4 car Desiro left New Street fairly full (including in First Class), and continued to pick up passengers through to Coventry. Have to admit that I was still thinking that after Coventry matters would quieten but the crowds at Coventry and Rugby disabused me. By Northampton, despite the addition of a 4 car set from Crewe, it was standing room only in Standard, and full in First Class... Fortunately, the train calls only at Milton Keynes and Watford Junction after Northampton so matter got only marginally worse.
So, what was good and what was bad? Well, the Desiros ride well and given that the seating is commuter style are relatively comfortable. However, apparently the toilets were 'disgusting' in the set that left Birmingham - the description of the mother of the family - though to be fair the train manager did apologise and suggest that the 17 (17!) minute layover at Northampton would give ample time for a comfort stop... Time keeping was ok but that wait at Northampton.... LondonMidland could rival Chiltern times if there was more flexibility in the timetable pathing (I know, I know, that's why we need HS2 - but that won't answer the immediate need...). The usual bug bear: the train manager didn't appear aside from one ticket inspection nearing Coventry. I know it must be awful to be abused by standing passengers when there is little that you can do BUT train managers are the public face of the company so should at least show that they care...
Finally, a matter outside of LondonMidland's control... We were brought into Platform 17 at Euston which, alas, is one of the ones with relatively poor access and exit. Yesterday, the exit situation was worsened by the loading of a Virgin service for which Virgin staff were actually checking tickets before passengers could join the train. Much grumbling about the delays that this caused as one of the two narrow exit ramps was effectively blocked. Not good customer care by Network Rail.
However, unlike previous promotions on these lines from LondonMidland, there is no easement on the Birmingham to London route so I duly rolled up with my voucher for the 9.33 Desiro to Euston. First indications seemed to indicate that the First Class compartment would be quiet as the ticket clerk at Victoria Square said that mine was the first one he had had to do. However, joining the train showed that many were also taking advantage of the promotion...
Secured a table with working power point for my laptop and settled down to work (one of the 'advantages' of LondonMidland could be said to be the lack of WiFi which means there is no temptation to do email...). Soon joined by a family - two adults and a young girl - who were off to the Tower for the day (using the 2 for 1 attraction vouchers). Clearly the 2 hour 16 minute journey time did not outweigh the promotional savings...
The 4 car Desiro left New Street fairly full (including in First Class), and continued to pick up passengers through to Coventry. Have to admit that I was still thinking that after Coventry matters would quieten but the crowds at Coventry and Rugby disabused me. By Northampton, despite the addition of a 4 car set from Crewe, it was standing room only in Standard, and full in First Class... Fortunately, the train calls only at Milton Keynes and Watford Junction after Northampton so matter got only marginally worse.
So, what was good and what was bad? Well, the Desiros ride well and given that the seating is commuter style are relatively comfortable. However, apparently the toilets were 'disgusting' in the set that left Birmingham - the description of the mother of the family - though to be fair the train manager did apologise and suggest that the 17 (17!) minute layover at Northampton would give ample time for a comfort stop... Time keeping was ok but that wait at Northampton.... LondonMidland could rival Chiltern times if there was more flexibility in the timetable pathing (I know, I know, that's why we need HS2 - but that won't answer the immediate need...). The usual bug bear: the train manager didn't appear aside from one ticket inspection nearing Coventry. I know it must be awful to be abused by standing passengers when there is little that you can do BUT train managers are the public face of the company so should at least show that they care...
Finally, a matter outside of LondonMidland's control... We were brought into Platform 17 at Euston which, alas, is one of the ones with relatively poor access and exit. Yesterday, the exit situation was worsened by the loading of a Virgin service for which Virgin staff were actually checking tickets before passengers could join the train. Much grumbling about the delays that this caused as one of the two narrow exit ramps was effectively blocked. Not good customer care by Network Rail.
Thursday 13 October 2011
Adrian Shooter wins Lifetime Achievement Award
Declaration of interest: last night I attended the Birmingham Post Business Awards 2011 dinner as a guest of Chiltern Railways.
The Highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Chiltern Chairman Adrian Shooter 'for his services to the region for his part in developing Chiltern’s Birmingham to London rail link'. In his short acceptance speech, Adrian paid tribute to the support of his wife Barbara, to the dedication of the Chiltern Railways staff, and to the business people of Birmingham who had told him that they wanted an alternative route to London... A photo of Adrian and Barbara with the Award can be found here, his short acceptance speech can be heard here, and a short interview after the award here (starts at 3mins 40secs).
Chiltern Railways sponsored the Award for the Emerging Professional. A photo of the winner, Matt Taylor from Headline Communications with Chiltern MD Rob Brighouse can be found here.
Around the Chiltern table there was much talk of all that had been achieved and of all there is still to do. Chatham House rules prevent me from spilling all the beans but among the topics under discussion were
The Highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Chiltern Chairman Adrian Shooter 'for his services to the region for his part in developing Chiltern’s Birmingham to London rail link'. In his short acceptance speech, Adrian paid tribute to the support of his wife Barbara, to the dedication of the Chiltern Railways staff, and to the business people of Birmingham who had told him that they wanted an alternative route to London... A photo of Adrian and Barbara with the Award can be found here, his short acceptance speech can be heard here, and a short interview after the award here (starts at 3mins 40secs).
Chiltern Railways sponsored the Award for the Emerging Professional. A photo of the winner, Matt Taylor from Headline Communications with Chiltern MD Rob Brighouse can be found here.
Around the Chiltern table there was much talk of all that had been achieved and of all there is still to do. Chatham House rules prevent me from spilling all the beans but among the topics under discussion were
- the Business Zone
- Snow Hill station
- the difficulty of meeting passenger aspirations when the passengers then fail to take up the offering (WSMR, and last year's Stratford-London RSC trains spring to mind)
- focus groups - a tool for the young?
- tender loving care for the commuters at the southern end of the Mainline...
- simplified fares
- the use of social media (take a bow Emma, Nicola and Jo)
- the good and not so good points about the Virgin service
Not surprisingly, the Chiltern message continues to be: 'we are listening'. So continue to carp and praise, promote and criticise, using the tools available
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Miscellany
LondonMidland - Tickets for the 'Great Escape' offer are now on sale at www.londonmidland.com/greatescape Simply travel off-peak between 22 October - 6 November and you can enjoy a day's unlimited travel on London Midland trains for just £10 - or treat yourself to first class for just £20. VOUCHER req'd.
The Two Together Railcard is now recognised by the LondonMidland website...
Virgin Trains - the Standard Class Super Off-Peak promotion has now ended (though Virgin need to tell the Web site content managers). However, there is now a First Class off-peak single promotional fare between Birmingham International and London Euston. The price is £84 each way and availability follows the rules of the equivalent standard off-peak fare... EXCEPT that the validity waiver for railcards does not apply.
Don't forget that the 0540 and 0600 from International, and the 0603 from Euston provide breakfast as part of the fare, and that the tea-time trains from International include an evening meal.
Of course, Virgin won't tell you that the First Class fare from International to New Street is £3.50 making a significant saving (£32.50) on the quoted Euston - New Street single fare if you buy the two together. One day, TOCs will be forced to admit to split fare savings!
Chiltern Railways - The Two Together Railcard is now recognised by the Chiltern Railways website...
Chiltern are pondering the formation of their Silver Trains: specifically, whether the Business Zone should be at the Birmingham or London end of the train. Feedback through the usual channels
Finally, anyone know a non-0845 number for the Icomera support line?
Monday 10 October 2011
HS2 - a response from my Railway Professional friend...
A while ago, I blogged on why I didn't get HS2 following on from a lunchtime conversation with a professional railway operator (http://birmingham2london.blogspot.com/2011/09/sorry-i-still-dont-get-hs2.html). I can only apologise to him for my tardiness in failing to carry his follow-up arguments earlier...
Thank you Peter. I don't think I suggested that Birmingham itself was an irrelevance, that seemed to come more from you. It is only in the sense that the real WCML problem is Rugby and south, and Birmingham is one of the destinations thus served. Take out Birmingham and that problem is eased, but the same applies to Manchester or Liverpool or Glasgow. Too many trains for the line capacity available, not quite yet, but this sort of problem isn't going to go away.
I think that you perhaps underestimate what a high speed line can do.
He has suggested that the following two links will help my understanding:
http://www.ciltuk.org.uk/pages/downloadfile?d=176BCDE8-D15D-413F-B1F2-1094117D7D78&a=stream
http://tv.theiet.org/technology/transport/1350.cfm
Both are by Professor Andrew McNaughton.
Thank you Peter. I don't think I suggested that Birmingham itself was an irrelevance, that seemed to come more from you. It is only in the sense that the real WCML problem is Rugby and south, and Birmingham is one of the destinations thus served. Take out Birmingham and that problem is eased, but the same applies to Manchester or Liverpool or Glasgow. Too many trains for the line capacity available, not quite yet, but this sort of problem isn't going to go away.
I think that you perhaps underestimate what a high speed line can do.
He has suggested that the following two links will help my understanding:
http://www.ciltuk.org.uk/pages/downloadfile?d=176BCDE8-D15D-413F-B1F2-1094117D7D78&a=stream
http://tv.theiet.org/technology/transport/1350.cfm
Both are by Professor Andrew McNaughton.
Virgin Trains - responses to recent blog posts
Virgin Trains have given me permission to reproduce the responses to some of the issues that I have raised in recent blog posts. The following email has not been edited by me.
Dear Mr Chapman,
Thank you very much for your correspondence, which we received in this office on 29
September 2011. I am sorry that our response has been delayed.
I am very sorry that we were unable to reserve a seat in the area you requested. I
understand how disappointed you will have been, particularly as you had planned
ahead.
From what you have told us, it is likely there werent any seats available that matched
your request on that particular train when you made your reservation. I do hope that you
will accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused.
I can confirm that coach E is left as unreserved on our Pendolinos, with further
unreserved seating spread throughout the train on both our Voyagers and Pendolinos.
The number of reserved seats can vary from train to train, according to the anticipated
number of passengers for a service, but roughly 30-40% of seating will be left as
unreserved on any particular train, in order to accommodate passengers travelling on
open tickets without a reservation.
I also understand your comments about the on-board announcements. This is actually
an area we are looking closely at. The challenge is to strike a sensible balance between
keeping customers informed, and not intruding upon your travel time. I know how
frustrating it can be when that balance is not right.
Please accept my apologies for the way your journey was disturbed, and I will make sure
your comments are included as part of our review.
Thank you too for letting us know of your experience of our on-board WiFi.
Since we introduced WiFi on our trains we have seen usage more than double in terms
of numbers of user sessions per month. This is putting increasing pressure onto the
infrastructure and so to alleviate this we are rolling out an improvement programme
across the fleet to double the potential available bandwidth of the wifi.
The WiFi relies on the UK 3G infrastructure for the majority of journeys supplemented by
some WiMax connectivity. We have chosen to add 3G connections from the widest
possible range of carriers to ensure not only that we present the most bandwidth
available at any time, but that we also present the most consistent picture of connectivity
across our network. The system is completely different to the East Coast system, which
relies on a satellite dish on the train roof, for which we do not have the space.
The on board equipment is very reliable, and checked regularly by auditors. The system
provider, Nomad, also receives a lot of data about system performance by vehicle, and is
quick to spot any vehicles with problems, or even simply low wi fi usage. If there are
issues to do with system performance, these are external to the train in almost all cases,
and not something that can be cured by a system reset on board the train.
I do note the comments and we will consider how this can be improved.
I share your concern about there being no ticket inspections made during your journey.
This is something we place particular importance upon, and so your feedback is
especially useful.
I would add, however, that there are strict procedures to follow when making refunds on
tickets, and we will do our best to prevent false claims. The rules state that we will give
consideration to applications for refunds on unused or partly used tickets, which are
returned within 28 days of expiry validity. For any tickets, which are surrendered after the
date of outward travel shown, we will need to know the reasons why they were not used,
and may need to see supporting documentation.
I also understand your comments about the First Class accommodation being
particularly empty during your journey.
We do a lot of work to help spread passenger loadings between First and Standard
Class facilities. That is why there are, for example, some real bargains to be had for First
Class travel outside of peak times. We will also use the discounted Advance tickets to
encourage Standard Class travellers to use the quieter trains. We are having quite a lot
of success in doing this, but as your journey demonstrates there are still challenges for
us.
I will make sure the team responsible for the allocation of the cheaper tickets is aware of
your comments.
Finally, I am concerned that you found the wash basins out of use on your trains.
The main cause of this is normally either a technical failure, or lack of water on board.
Depending on the work involved, technical failures can often only be rectified at the
depot overnight. We will however make every effort to rectify the situation at the earliest
opportunity.
Thank you for your comments. Your feedback on our services is very much appreciated.
Yours sincerely
Jason Hood
Customer Relations
customer.relations@virgintrains.co.uk
Dear Mr Chapman,
Thank you very much for your correspondence, which we received in this office on 29
September 2011. I am sorry that our response has been delayed.
I am very sorry that we were unable to reserve a seat in the area you requested. I
understand how disappointed you will have been, particularly as you had planned
ahead.
From what you have told us, it is likely there werent any seats available that matched
your request on that particular train when you made your reservation. I do hope that you
will accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused.
I can confirm that coach E is left as unreserved on our Pendolinos, with further
unreserved seating spread throughout the train on both our Voyagers and Pendolinos.
The number of reserved seats can vary from train to train, according to the anticipated
number of passengers for a service, but roughly 30-40% of seating will be left as
unreserved on any particular train, in order to accommodate passengers travelling on
open tickets without a reservation.
I also understand your comments about the on-board announcements. This is actually
an area we are looking closely at. The challenge is to strike a sensible balance between
keeping customers informed, and not intruding upon your travel time. I know how
frustrating it can be when that balance is not right.
Please accept my apologies for the way your journey was disturbed, and I will make sure
your comments are included as part of our review.
Thank you too for letting us know of your experience of our on-board WiFi.
Since we introduced WiFi on our trains we have seen usage more than double in terms
of numbers of user sessions per month. This is putting increasing pressure onto the
infrastructure and so to alleviate this we are rolling out an improvement programme
across the fleet to double the potential available bandwidth of the wifi.
The WiFi relies on the UK 3G infrastructure for the majority of journeys supplemented by
some WiMax connectivity. We have chosen to add 3G connections from the widest
possible range of carriers to ensure not only that we present the most bandwidth
available at any time, but that we also present the most consistent picture of connectivity
across our network. The system is completely different to the East Coast system, which
relies on a satellite dish on the train roof, for which we do not have the space.
The on board equipment is very reliable, and checked regularly by auditors. The system
provider, Nomad, also receives a lot of data about system performance by vehicle, and is
quick to spot any vehicles with problems, or even simply low wi fi usage. If there are
issues to do with system performance, these are external to the train in almost all cases,
and not something that can be cured by a system reset on board the train.
I do note the comments and we will consider how this can be improved.
I share your concern about there being no ticket inspections made during your journey.
This is something we place particular importance upon, and so your feedback is
especially useful.
I would add, however, that there are strict procedures to follow when making refunds on
tickets, and we will do our best to prevent false claims. The rules state that we will give
consideration to applications for refunds on unused or partly used tickets, which are
returned within 28 days of expiry validity. For any tickets, which are surrendered after the
date of outward travel shown, we will need to know the reasons why they were not used,
and may need to see supporting documentation.
I also understand your comments about the First Class accommodation being
particularly empty during your journey.
We do a lot of work to help spread passenger loadings between First and Standard
Class facilities. That is why there are, for example, some real bargains to be had for First
Class travel outside of peak times. We will also use the discounted Advance tickets to
encourage Standard Class travellers to use the quieter trains. We are having quite a lot
of success in doing this, but as your journey demonstrates there are still challenges for
us.
I will make sure the team responsible for the allocation of the cheaper tickets is aware of
your comments.
Finally, I am concerned that you found the wash basins out of use on your trains.
The main cause of this is normally either a technical failure, or lack of water on board.
Depending on the work involved, technical failures can often only be rectified at the
depot overnight. We will however make every effort to rectify the situation at the earliest
opportunity.
Thank you for your comments. Your feedback on our services is very much appreciated.
Yours sincerely
Jason Hood
Customer Relations
customer.relations@virgintrains.co.uk
Wednesday 5 October 2011
OK Chiltern - part 2
Repeated Declaration of Interest: the basic fares for today's journeys were covered by a Chitern Railways' Free Travel Pass. I paid for the Business Zone supplements on the 0655, 0837, and 1807 journeys, and for the food consumed...
Left Banbury on the 1430 Silver Set to Moor Street. Smiling catering host happily sold me a coffee and cookie - very nice. Declassified Business Zone virtually empty... Rather warm but still a good working environment. On time arrival into Moor Street.
This rather warm set formed the 1555 back to London. Only two taking advantage of the £10 upgrade, though 4 overseas visitors did cough up at Bicester North (perhaps Chiltern should do a special BZ ticket to Bicester Village???). Free tea served promptly, and top up offered during journey. What can one say: the experience is consistent but not sold... Business Zone as travelling office space anyone?
Final turn round at Marylebone. Two of us in the BZ to Moor Street. Offered tea again (and top up later) BUT only hot food was the bacon / sausage roll options. Sorry Phil Tonks, but these are morning offerings - a panini would have been welcome tonight! Set by now very warm, as shown by the melting KitKat that I bought from the 'Expresso Bar'. Still, running to time; quiet environment; reasonable food - what more could I ask for?
My fear is that Chiltern are locked into the WSMR syndrome. Great product but the message isn't getting across to the target audience... Barry Doe's points are well made.
OK Chiltern, why don't you publicise the Business Zone?
Declaration of Interest: the basic fares for today's journeys were covered by a Chitern Railways' Free Travel Pass. I paid for the Business Zone supplements on the 0655, 0837, and 1807 journeys, and for the food consumed...
In today's Rail magazine, Barry Doe lambasts Chiltern for the marketing effort put into the Business Zone, and more generally for the timetable publicity published for Chiltern Mainline. Seeing this article on Saturday, and having a personal reason to be travelling to / from Banbury over lunchtime, I decided that it was about time that I experienced Chiltern Mainline 'for real'...
The 0655 Silver train set was sitting in Platform 3 as I arrived in Moor Street at 0645; not that the main concourse departure board was showing it, though the one beyond the barriers was. No barrier staff and no announcement, either on the station or on the train prior to departure. Clearly, Chiltern staff are like the rest of us: slow to get going in the morning!
I had taken the trouble to buy my supplement the day before at the Moor Street ticket office and so expected to find my seat reserved. Alas not as no reservation tickets were in evidence. Not that this really mattered as there were two of us in the Business Zone upon departure... (a further person joined at Solihull, and 5 more at Warwick Parkway).
First pleasant surprise of the day: free tea / coffee offered on departure, along with a copy of the Birmingham Mail or Financial Times. So much for the 'no extras' policy - though of course Chiltern publicity hasn't caught up with this change. Bacon Roll at £3 was tasty and, as promised, freshly made, and, of course, the tea comes in a pot with real milk and large cups.
Working power points and free working wi-fi along with plenty of space made it an ideal laptop working environment; and, as ever, the Chiltern staff were a delight - a refill of the tea pot was no problem (Virgin Trains please note).
Minor niggles... why did the magazine rack have out-of-date Economists? And did I really hear the Train Manager refer to the Business Zone as First Class???
Straight back on the 0837 which was formed of the Silver Set which had worked the 0619 up from Moor Street. This time there were 8 of us taking advantage of the £10 supplementary fare (what a bargain Marylebone - Moor Street is at £45 Business Zone return - pity the timings aren't business friendly, and, of
course, the services terminate and start from Moor Street, not the Birmingham Business District station of Snow Hill).
Another friendly business zone host and attentive service. Sausage roll at £3 was enjoyable too. As above, working wi-fi and power points meant that the Zone was a hive of purposeful activity...
Time to stretch my legs at Moor Street before rejoining the set which was working back as the 1055. No supplement on this service as officially it doesn't have a business zone, but the on board catering crew still came round to see if anything was needed. Had to pay for my coffee! Very quiet however as of course most Chiltern Railway passengers think 'standard class' and Chiltern don't really explain when BZ carriages aren't (as it were). Point to Barry here...
Off at Banbury. All three journeys roughly to time though the 0655 did suffer an emergency brake application outside High Wycombe, and the 1055 lost time at Warwick Parkway due to signalling problems. Did I mention that the toilet was spotless?
To be continued
Sunday 25 September 2011
Two Together Railcard
Rail users in the West Midlands are being used to test a new Railcard - Two Together - which, for an annual fee of £28 gives 1/3rd off Standard and First Anytime, Off-Peak, and Advance tickets for the two over-16s named (and pictured) on the card.
To qualify, one of the two named individuals must have an address in the B, CV, DY, WS, or WW postcode districts. One key restriction: the discounted tickets bought with this railcard are NOT valid for travel between 04:30 and 09:30 Monday to Friday.
Using the railcard will allow Virgin passengers to travel together with a discount on the 0930 and 0950 Pendolinos Birmingham to London using Anytime tickets BUT NOT off-peak tickets. It seems that Virgin are not treating this railcard like the long-established ones which, of course, give off-peak travel on any Virgin service... However, at least you can apply the discount when booking online with Virgin which is more than can be done currently on both LondonMidland and Chiltern Railways sites. Come on guys, keep up!
Sorry, I still don't 'get' HS2...
On Friday, over a very enjoyable lunch, I had an illuminating conversation with a professional railway operator on the subject of HS2. I admitted that I failed to understand why the railway companies were so keen on HS2 when it was so costly, so distant in timescale, and seemed to me to offer so few tangible benefits.
Very kindly, he explained that the core of the railway's enthusiasm for HS2 was the fact that it provided an answer to the current and projected WCML congestion south of Rugby. There was, he avowed, no other way forward. Pressing him further, he seemed to suggest that the railways were still scarred by the WCML Route Modernisations of the 1960s and 70s and by the WCML Upgrade of the 'Noughties' and that noone wanted to go through that again. Finally, he suggested that Birmingham was an irrelevance as a destination and that the prize was capacity relief not end-to-end journey times.
Whilst the above reasons for HS2 (which are my interpretations of the conversation) are no doubt valid they still do not answer my key objections...
1) Why are we planning for 2026 using 2010 assumptions about growth in railway traffic when technological, especially communication, developments are now happening at such a pace that we can't foresee how then worlds of work and leisure will look in 2026.
2) Why are we assuming that these same technological and communication developments won't increase line capacity dramatically through better signalling control, route planning, and rolling stock capabilities
3) Why are billions to be spent when millions will bring immediate capacity enhancements at key pinch points on the WCML and on the alternative freight and passenger routes (Chiltern Mainline showing the way here).
4) Why the stubborn belief that the extra speed will benefit Birmingham rather than suck yet more jobs down to London as Birmingham becomes a dormitory city for the capital.
Sorry, HS2 seems to me to be simply one of those grandiose schemes dreamt up and supported by those who know that they won't have to pick up the bill as they will have all retired by 2026!
Very kindly, he explained that the core of the railway's enthusiasm for HS2 was the fact that it provided an answer to the current and projected WCML congestion south of Rugby. There was, he avowed, no other way forward. Pressing him further, he seemed to suggest that the railways were still scarred by the WCML Route Modernisations of the 1960s and 70s and by the WCML Upgrade of the 'Noughties' and that noone wanted to go through that again. Finally, he suggested that Birmingham was an irrelevance as a destination and that the prize was capacity relief not end-to-end journey times.
Whilst the above reasons for HS2 (which are my interpretations of the conversation) are no doubt valid they still do not answer my key objections...
1) Why are we planning for 2026 using 2010 assumptions about growth in railway traffic when technological, especially communication, developments are now happening at such a pace that we can't foresee how then worlds of work and leisure will look in 2026.
2) Why are we assuming that these same technological and communication developments won't increase line capacity dramatically through better signalling control, route planning, and rolling stock capabilities
3) Why are billions to be spent when millions will bring immediate capacity enhancements at key pinch points on the WCML and on the alternative freight and passenger routes (Chiltern Mainline showing the way here).
4) Why the stubborn belief that the extra speed will benefit Birmingham rather than suck yet more jobs down to London as Birmingham becomes a dormitory city for the capital.
Sorry, HS2 seems to me to be simply one of those grandiose schemes dreamt up and supported by those who know that they won't have to pick up the bill as they will have all retired by 2026!
Still a Virgin? Take two..
Friday saw more lunch / evening engagements in London so another chance to check out Virgin's Pendolino service from Birmingham New Street to London Euston and return.
Success this time in making the 10.10 train. This service starts at Wolverhampton so was fairly busy on arrival in Birmingham. Plenty of seats to be had however, even though it is the first 'off-peak' service of the day. I had a reserved seat in Coach A but it wasn't a table as I had requested... fortunately, a pair of fellow passengers who were seated at a table took pity on me and moved. Memo to Virgin - if the power point option is NOT checked on the reservation system, please do not allocate table seats when they are not needed!
Departure on time, this time without the complete litany of announcements that make Virgin journeys so annoying - still bad enough with just the automated ones however. Shop announcement made upon departure and cappuccino and flapjack secured once again.
The socket at the table was working BUT the WiFi wasn't (third time unlucky in my case). A tweet to @virgintrains gained the standard response of the 0845 number. When I asked for the landline number, it couldn't be provided (reminder, it is 0207 0966966 and choose Option 3) but then a response came that the service was down altogether. So at least the Twitter approach is worth pursuing.
Arrival into London Euston was on time BUT yet again no ticket check at any point on the journey. Revenue protection isn't one of Virgin's strong points...
However... on the way back, the barrier at Euston's platform 5 was actually manned and my ticket for the 20.23 properly checked. Amazing!
For what seemed to be a busy train, Coach E was surprisingly empty and I could have got a table seat if I had tried hard enough (was using Coach E as the reservation system claimed that I couldn't reserve a seat on this service - was it full or do Virgin not do reservations on Friday night services?). Even better, WiFi was working though it did take some coaxing into life. Of course, it cost me £4 for an hour but at least the download speed was good. Interestingly, I could only connect one device at a time - something that isn't the case on the equivalent free service on Chiltern.
Coach E sits next to First Class coach G in the Pendolino formation. Stretching my legs, I was surprised to find a completely empty Coach G. Clearly Virgin are not doing a particularly good job at selling off First Class seats. Alas, I am old enough to remember BR's experiment with 'Silver Standard' and wonder if Virgin aren't missing a trick here. Why not sell off the Coach G seats on the train to walk-on fare passengers as at the weekend on the basis of availability (using the reservation system to fill Coaches J-H)? I would happily have paid £10 extra for the use of a table and some light refreshments served at my seat...
Arrival into New Street on time, so another 'as it should happen' Virgin journey. I just wish they would do more to make the experience enjoyable but then the Company is very successful as it is so why bother, I suppose...
Finally, for both of my recent return trips, I have been using the web-based walk-on fares which allow mix and match between off-peak (out after 10am) and super off-peak (return after 8pm) fares, meaning have done both journeys for £34.40 each time. Alas, it is likely that Virgin will withdraw the super off-peak fare from the 9th October, so be quick if you want to take advantage of this saving.
Success this time in making the 10.10 train. This service starts at Wolverhampton so was fairly busy on arrival in Birmingham. Plenty of seats to be had however, even though it is the first 'off-peak' service of the day. I had a reserved seat in Coach A but it wasn't a table as I had requested... fortunately, a pair of fellow passengers who were seated at a table took pity on me and moved. Memo to Virgin - if the power point option is NOT checked on the reservation system, please do not allocate table seats when they are not needed!
Departure on time, this time without the complete litany of announcements that make Virgin journeys so annoying - still bad enough with just the automated ones however. Shop announcement made upon departure and cappuccino and flapjack secured once again.
The socket at the table was working BUT the WiFi wasn't (third time unlucky in my case). A tweet to @virgintrains gained the standard response of the 0845 number. When I asked for the landline number, it couldn't be provided (reminder, it is 0207 0966966 and choose Option 3) but then a response came that the service was down altogether. So at least the Twitter approach is worth pursuing.
Arrival into London Euston was on time BUT yet again no ticket check at any point on the journey. Revenue protection isn't one of Virgin's strong points...
However... on the way back, the barrier at Euston's platform 5 was actually manned and my ticket for the 20.23 properly checked. Amazing!
For what seemed to be a busy train, Coach E was surprisingly empty and I could have got a table seat if I had tried hard enough (was using Coach E as the reservation system claimed that I couldn't reserve a seat on this service - was it full or do Virgin not do reservations on Friday night services?). Even better, WiFi was working though it did take some coaxing into life. Of course, it cost me £4 for an hour but at least the download speed was good. Interestingly, I could only connect one device at a time - something that isn't the case on the equivalent free service on Chiltern.
Coach E sits next to First Class coach G in the Pendolino formation. Stretching my legs, I was surprised to find a completely empty Coach G. Clearly Virgin are not doing a particularly good job at selling off First Class seats. Alas, I am old enough to remember BR's experiment with 'Silver Standard' and wonder if Virgin aren't missing a trick here. Why not sell off the Coach G seats on the train to walk-on fare passengers as at the weekend on the basis of availability (using the reservation system to fill Coaches J-H)? I would happily have paid £10 extra for the use of a table and some light refreshments served at my seat...
Arrival into New Street on time, so another 'as it should happen' Virgin journey. I just wish they would do more to make the experience enjoyable but then the Company is very successful as it is so why bother, I suppose...
Finally, for both of my recent return trips, I have been using the web-based walk-on fares which allow mix and match between off-peak (out after 10am) and super off-peak (return after 8pm) fares, meaning have done both journeys for £34.40 each time. Alas, it is likely that Virgin will withdraw the super off-peak fare from the 9th October, so be quick if you want to take advantage of this saving.
Thursday 15 September 2011
Still a Virgin? Taking the Pendolinos on the New Street to Euston run
Regular readers of my blog will know that I favour Chiltern for Birmingham to London travel as I find that the working environment is very pleasant. If I travel Virgin, I try to book in advance in First Class in an effort to replicate this Chiltern experience at not too great a cost.
Alas, however, there are days when both timing and cost win out and I have to travel Virgin Standard using walk-on fares. Yesterday was such a day.
I had hoped to catch the 10.10 Pendolino service from Birmingham New Street to London Euston, but, as I feared, was delayed by work and got away only in time for the 10.30. This didn't matter as I was using walk-on tickets, and, of course Virgin's VHF timetable and fast journey time gave me plenty of leeway.
The 10.30 was sitting in Platform 5 but was still downloading the reservation details when I turned up at 10.20. There followed a 5 minute wait until I could be sure of my table seat in Coach A - why can't Virgin download this information more quickly? Settled in my table and plugged my laptop in - power on! Tried to attach to the WiFi - not available... (see my post http://birmingham2london.blogspot.com/2011/09/virgin-trains-wifi-service.html). Quiet coach A quiet in terms of passengers too as was Coach B - amused to see the 'reservation' syndrome in Coach C however... you don't have to sit in the reserved seat if you're travelling on an Advance ticket!
Lots of announcements from both the automated voices and the train manager before and after the on-time departure - you certainly get information overload from Virgin - followed by a shop announcement. Went to the Shop for a cappuccino and flapjack - very nice and not too expensive... No water to wash hands in the Coach A toilet however.
Good journey and arrival in Euston on time. However, no ticket check at any point on my journey - don't Virgin care about revenue protection?
Coming back, I joined the fairly busy and slightly delayed 20.23. Coach A was relatively quiet and a table was free. Power BUT no WiFi again... Seemed to be fewer announcements but perhaps I was just inured to them... Train manager checked tickets after Milton Keynes but, of course, couldn't help with the non-working WiFi. No water to wash hands in the Coach A toilet again...
Arrival into New Street on time.
Overall, a typically efficient Virgin experience which could be better but which achieves in terms of timing what it promises. Compared to Chiltern and LondonMidland - see comparison chart for alternatives for yesterday's journeys - it is more expensive and lacks 'ambience' in Standard Class but sometimes speed will out! So, am I still a Virgin? Yes, when it suits me...
Alas, however, there are days when both timing and cost win out and I have to travel Virgin Standard using walk-on fares. Yesterday was such a day.
I had hoped to catch the 10.10 Pendolino service from Birmingham New Street to London Euston, but, as I feared, was delayed by work and got away only in time for the 10.30. This didn't matter as I was using walk-on tickets, and, of course Virgin's VHF timetable and fast journey time gave me plenty of leeway.
The 10.30 was sitting in Platform 5 but was still downloading the reservation details when I turned up at 10.20. There followed a 5 minute wait until I could be sure of my table seat in Coach A - why can't Virgin download this information more quickly? Settled in my table and plugged my laptop in - power on! Tried to attach to the WiFi - not available... (see my post http://birmingham2london.blogspot.com/2011/09/virgin-trains-wifi-service.html). Quiet coach A quiet in terms of passengers too as was Coach B - amused to see the 'reservation' syndrome in Coach C however... you don't have to sit in the reserved seat if you're travelling on an Advance ticket!
Lots of announcements from both the automated voices and the train manager before and after the on-time departure - you certainly get information overload from Virgin - followed by a shop announcement. Went to the Shop for a cappuccino and flapjack - very nice and not too expensive... No water to wash hands in the Coach A toilet however.
Good journey and arrival in Euston on time. However, no ticket check at any point on my journey - don't Virgin care about revenue protection?
Coming back, I joined the fairly busy and slightly delayed 20.23. Coach A was relatively quiet and a table was free. Power BUT no WiFi again... Seemed to be fewer announcements but perhaps I was just inured to them... Train manager checked tickets after Milton Keynes but, of course, couldn't help with the non-working WiFi. No water to wash hands in the Coach A toilet again...
Arrival into New Street on time.
Overall, a typically efficient Virgin experience which could be better but which achieves in terms of timing what it promises. Compared to Chiltern and LondonMidland - see comparison chart for alternatives for yesterday's journeys - it is more expensive and lacks 'ambience' in Standard Class but sometimes speed will out! So, am I still a Virgin? Yes, when it suits me...
Virgin Trains WiFi service
Yesterday, I travelled to & from London on the Virgin Pendolino service from Birmingham to London and return (of which more later).
In both directions, I was frustrated by the inability to connect to the WiFi whilst sitting in Standard Class Coach A. On the way down, I complained via Twitter and did get a response back from @virgintrains (on the way back, the team had gone home...) but alas it was pretty useless, suggesting that I contact an 0845 number (from a mobile phone in the Quiet Zone - I don't think so).
This morning, however, I have had a very useful conversation with the third-party company (Nomad) that provides the support desk for the T-Mobile WiFi provided on Virgin's trains... Apparently, yesterday, two Pendolino sets did have WiFi with problems (now rectified). More usefully, I have been given the more customer friendly way of contacting them...
Instead of ringing 0845 287 2149 - which on my Orange mobile business account would have cost me 12.4p / minute - ring 0207 0966966 and choose Option 3. The team will be able to check whether the WiFi is in fact available, and can provide the direct IP address of the server to enter into the browser URL bar.
Better still, if, like me, you travel in the Quiet Zone in order to be able to work, they will take your mobile number and provide support by text...
NOW, why can't Virgin Customer Support be this helpful AND, more importantly, why can't the Train Managers carry this information with them???
In both directions, I was frustrated by the inability to connect to the WiFi whilst sitting in Standard Class Coach A. On the way down, I complained via Twitter and did get a response back from @virgintrains (on the way back, the team had gone home...) but alas it was pretty useless, suggesting that I contact an 0845 number (from a mobile phone in the Quiet Zone - I don't think so).
This morning, however, I have had a very useful conversation with the third-party company (Nomad) that provides the support desk for the T-Mobile WiFi provided on Virgin's trains... Apparently, yesterday, two Pendolino sets did have WiFi with problems (now rectified). More usefully, I have been given the more customer friendly way of contacting them...
Instead of ringing 0845 287 2149 - which on my Orange mobile business account would have cost me 12.4p / minute - ring 0207 0966966 and choose Option 3. The team will be able to check whether the WiFi is in fact available, and can provide the direct IP address of the server to enter into the browser URL bar.
Better still, if, like me, you travel in the Quiet Zone in order to be able to work, they will take your mobile number and provide support by text...
NOW, why can't Virgin Customer Support be this helpful AND, more importantly, why can't the Train Managers carry this information with them???
Sunday 11 September 2011
Why I disagree with Adrian Shooter on HS2
Yesterday Phil Tonks broadcast his interview with Adrian Shooter. In it, he asked Adrian - a well-known supporter of HS2 - about his views on HS2. Not surprisingly, Adrian said he was in favour and gave two key reasons: first, Evergreen 3 had proved that Chiltern was running to line capacity; and secondly, that HS2 would spin-off economic benefits from London...
I am not a supporter of HS2 and I didn't find Adrian's arguments convincing. Take capacity... one of the weaknesses of Evergreen 3 is that it failed to reinstate the through tracks at stations such as Bicester North, Beaconsfield, and High Wycombe. Indeed, at Bicester North, the Up platform was actually moved rather than install points and a new line (for cost reasons apparently). Already, Chiltern are reaping what they have sown as Mainline trains are delayed by stopping trains failing to get to their refuge sidings as timetabled.
Further north, much of the four track infrastructure between Dorridge and Tyesley still exists, providing further opportunities for capacity improvements. And of course, more could be done at Wembley.
What surprises me most about the capacity argument is the seeming lack of faith in the development of signalling and train control infrastructure. HS2 is a long-term project YET it seems that the rail industry believes that the situation in 2026 will be that of 2011 when it is more than likely that capacity increases will come from leaps forward in signalling technology.
As for the economic argument... Chiltern's own fare structure gives lie to it. To even tempt people in London to travel to Birmingham, the company is forced to price its morning peak trains from Marylebone at £25 return whilst pricing the Birmingham London flow at £75. The reality is that work will flow from Birmingham to London at an even faster rate with HS2 as Birmingham becomes simply a dormitory city to London...
Clearly, I have not got Adrian's 41 year track record of success in the rail industry, but I have got 35 years' experience of working in the UK 'regions'. HS2 is an expensive white elephant of a project which will NOT benefit Birmingham.
I am not a supporter of HS2 and I didn't find Adrian's arguments convincing. Take capacity... one of the weaknesses of Evergreen 3 is that it failed to reinstate the through tracks at stations such as Bicester North, Beaconsfield, and High Wycombe. Indeed, at Bicester North, the Up platform was actually moved rather than install points and a new line (for cost reasons apparently). Already, Chiltern are reaping what they have sown as Mainline trains are delayed by stopping trains failing to get to their refuge sidings as timetabled.
Further north, much of the four track infrastructure between Dorridge and Tyesley still exists, providing further opportunities for capacity improvements. And of course, more could be done at Wembley.
What surprises me most about the capacity argument is the seeming lack of faith in the development of signalling and train control infrastructure. HS2 is a long-term project YET it seems that the rail industry believes that the situation in 2026 will be that of 2011 when it is more than likely that capacity increases will come from leaps forward in signalling technology.
As for the economic argument... Chiltern's own fare structure gives lie to it. To even tempt people in London to travel to Birmingham, the company is forced to price its morning peak trains from Marylebone at £25 return whilst pricing the Birmingham London flow at £75. The reality is that work will flow from Birmingham to London at an even faster rate with HS2 as Birmingham becomes simply a dormitory city to London...
Clearly, I have not got Adrian's 41 year track record of success in the rail industry, but I have got 35 years' experience of working in the UK 'regions'. HS2 is an expensive white elephant of a project which will NOT benefit Birmingham.
Friday 9 September 2011
Miscellany
Chiltern are seeking feedback on the Mainline timetable - complete the short survey at http://chilternrailways.co.uk/news/tell-us-what-you-think-about-our-timetable
Chiltern are also co-sponsoring the Style Birmingham Live weekend (24-26 September). Thursday's Birmingham Post has a Makeover competition which includes five Chiltern return tickets in the prize package. Hurry though as the closing date is Monday (12th). Don't forget the Birmingham Fun Day at Moor Street station on Sunday (11th).
Not to be outdone, LondonMidland is sponsoring the Birmingham Food Fest (14-23 October). Not clear what they will be offering though the Birmingham Post has suggested that canapés will be served to commuters (!). What seems to be clear is that it won't involve any on-board catering...
Finally, Virgin are busy reminding everyone that they are still the fastest between Birmingham and London with their 'Retro' campaign. The problem is: they may be the fastest but do they actually offer value for money to their non-railcard holding Standard Class passengers. Planning to find out next Wednesday...
Chiltern are also co-sponsoring the Style Birmingham Live weekend (24-26 September). Thursday's Birmingham Post has a Makeover competition which includes five Chiltern return tickets in the prize package. Hurry though as the closing date is Monday (12th). Don't forget the Birmingham Fun Day at Moor Street station on Sunday (11th).
Not to be outdone, LondonMidland is sponsoring the Birmingham Food Fest (14-23 October). Not clear what they will be offering though the Birmingham Post has suggested that canapés will be served to commuters (!). What seems to be clear is that it won't involve any on-board catering...
Finally, Virgin are busy reminding everyone that they are still the fastest between Birmingham and London with their 'Retro' campaign. The problem is: they may be the fastest but do they actually offer value for money to their non-railcard holding Standard Class passengers. Planning to find out next Wednesday...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)