Last Wednesday found me waiting at Birmingham Snow Hill for the 8.12 Chiltern Clubman service to London Marylebone It was running around 15 minutes late, but my wait was enlivened by the antics of the depature screens which seemed convinced that Chiltern was going to run a service to London at 8.22 as well...
There is no printed reference at Snow Hill to this service, and no announcements were made about it. Of course, Chiltern has been running an empty stock train from Snow Hill to return the 8.10 arrival from High Wycombe. Looking at the Chiltern's electronic train planner, it looks as if this working now picks up the timing of the 915 from Banbury for arrival in Marylebone is down as 10.38.
However, on Wednesday, I couldn't investigate further as a text alert arrived saying the train was cancelled so I stuck my orginal plan... As there is so much slack in the current timetable, I suspected that the 812 would make up time, and in the event it did; arriving virtually on time (although the arrival board at Marylebone remained convinced that it was going to be 15 mins late even after arrival!).
As ever, the 812 was a pleasure to use: table with sockets, trolley service; friendy staff; cheap fares... I am definitely a happy Chiltern customer.
I had booked back on the 21.03 Virgin Pendolino from London Euston as the £22 Advance First Class fare on this journey is such a bargain. Regular readers of this blog will know that Virgin have been slack on tickets checks of late on this service. Not tonight... barrier check at the platform entrance (very friendly staff) and an on-board check as well.
Quiet Coach H lived up to its billing, being virtually empty. Still, this meant that the WiFi had reasonable download speeds. Tea / coffee offered on departure, then sandwiches / fruit / soft or alcoholic drink after the Milton Keynes stop. Arrival on time at Birmingham New Street completed an very pleasant journey. Pity Virgin can't offer off-peak walk-on First Class fares to encourage usage of these empty coaches!
Monday, 18 April 2011
Thursday, 7 April 2011
LondonMidland out / Chiltern back
On Monday I was booked onto the 0753 LondonMidland service out of Birmingham New Street as the LM web site assured me it would be running. Even on Sunday afternoon, there was a £16 advance first class single fare available to Euston on it...
As ever, the train rolled into Platform 1A from Crewe on time (7.48) and, as ever, the automated announcement was determined that 'this train terminates here' despite the fact that it was clearly forming the 7.53 service. Why can't the announcements be programmed correctly?
The First Class compartment was relatively quiet so had no problem getting to a table with a power point for my laptop. An advantage that LM First Class has over the very good Standard Class Chiltern provision is the availability of curtains. Certainly needed on Monday as the sun was shining brightly in the East!
Another advantage on the morning run from New Street is the trolley service which offers free tea / coffee and a biscuit in First Class (no hot rolls though - a Chiltern strength...). The trolley appeared soon after departure from New Street with a very friendly hostess. No ticket inspection however...
All went well until Northampton. Due to a technical fault, coupling up with another unit wasn't possible so we had to leave our train and hurry along to catch the 905 departure. Not a real hassle but still a nuisance when you're settled into a through journey routine.
Clearly the 905 from Northampton was busier but ticket checks meant the First Class stayed relatively quiet. On time arrival at Euston where, as usual, the barrier gates at Platform 8 refused to recognise my ticket...
Had hoped to book on the 1813 LM train back from Euston but no advance First tckets had been available. So onto Marylebone for the 1800 Clubman back to Snow Hill. As usual, this was busy to Banbury and then gradually quietening down as Birmingham was approached so access to a table on which to work was possible. Good run back too. As ever, Chiltern delivers.
As ever, the train rolled into Platform 1A from Crewe on time (7.48) and, as ever, the automated announcement was determined that 'this train terminates here' despite the fact that it was clearly forming the 7.53 service. Why can't the announcements be programmed correctly?
The First Class compartment was relatively quiet so had no problem getting to a table with a power point for my laptop. An advantage that LM First Class has over the very good Standard Class Chiltern provision is the availability of curtains. Certainly needed on Monday as the sun was shining brightly in the East!
Another advantage on the morning run from New Street is the trolley service which offers free tea / coffee and a biscuit in First Class (no hot rolls though - a Chiltern strength...). The trolley appeared soon after departure from New Street with a very friendly hostess. No ticket inspection however...
All went well until Northampton. Due to a technical fault, coupling up with another unit wasn't possible so we had to leave our train and hurry along to catch the 905 departure. Not a real hassle but still a nuisance when you're settled into a through journey routine.
Clearly the 905 from Northampton was busier but ticket checks meant the First Class stayed relatively quiet. On time arrival at Euston where, as usual, the barrier gates at Platform 8 refused to recognise my ticket...
Had hoped to book on the 1813 LM train back from Euston but no advance First tckets had been available. So onto Marylebone for the 1800 Clubman back to Snow Hill. As usual, this was busy to Banbury and then gradually quietening down as Birmingham was approached so access to a table on which to work was possible. Good run back too. As ever, Chiltern delivers.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Evening Pendolino to Euston
Today I am in Cambridge. Last week, I tried the latest rail booking site http://www.takethetrain.co.uk/ * to check on times and fares and was rewarded with an overall fare of £44.50 by using the 1930 from New Street and returning directly on the 1700 from Cambridge (both legs Advance Single tickets).
So it was that I joined the 1930 Pendolino from Birmingham New Street. My £11.50 Advance Standard ticket included a seat reservation at a table by the power socket, (not that the reservation signs on that side of Coach A were working...) but in fact the train was very quiet so unreserved table seats were available anyway.
No problems connecting to the Wi-Fi and for this journey at least it worked perfectly well (perhaps a reflection of the lack of demand being made upon the bandwidth?). Departure and arrival were on time, Coach A's toilet was clean, and there was even a ticket check before arrival in Euston.
Overall, Virgin continue to deliver, and, if you can book in advance and travel off-peak, at no too high a price...
* An advantage of http://www.takethetrain.co.uk/ over my usual booking site of http://www.londonmidland.com/ is that it presents the combination of fares for a return journey starting with the cheapest.
So it was that I joined the 1930 Pendolino from Birmingham New Street. My £11.50 Advance Standard ticket included a seat reservation at a table by the power socket, (not that the reservation signs on that side of Coach A were working...) but in fact the train was very quiet so unreserved table seats were available anyway.
No problems connecting to the Wi-Fi and for this journey at least it worked perfectly well (perhaps a reflection of the lack of demand being made upon the bandwidth?). Departure and arrival were on time, Coach A's toilet was clean, and there was even a ticket check before arrival in Euston.
Overall, Virgin continue to deliver, and, if you can book in advance and travel off-peak, at no too high a price...
* An advantage of http://www.takethetrain.co.uk/ over my usual booking site of http://www.londonmidland.com/ is that it presents the combination of fares for a return journey starting with the cheapest.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Chiltern there and back...
Slightly later than normal run down to London Marylebone on Wednesday: using the 0852 from Birmingham Snow Hill rather than my usual 0812 train.
Both trains are of course commuter-heavy on arrival at Snow Hill. As with the 812, there is no problem getting a table seat after Moor Street and from there on it was a reasonably quiet environment in which to work. Bacon rolls offered from the catering trolley straight away, and another opportunity to buy refreshments after Leamington. Good run too meant a slighty early arrival into Marylebone (just over two hours from Snow Hill).
Coming back, I joined the 1700 Clubman just in time to get one of the last seats (to be fair to Chiltern, there had been a Twitter alert that the train would have only three rather than four coaches). So, lots of muttering around me from those whose later arrival meant standing to Banbury (the first stop). Once past Banbury of course, seats were to be had, and after Warwick Parkway, the train was relatively quiet...
Another good run meant arrival in Snow Hill in just over two hours once more. Another good value Chiltern experience (£33 return); funny, however, how the return journey always feels longer!
Both trains are of course commuter-heavy on arrival at Snow Hill. As with the 812, there is no problem getting a table seat after Moor Street and from there on it was a reasonably quiet environment in which to work. Bacon rolls offered from the catering trolley straight away, and another opportunity to buy refreshments after Leamington. Good run too meant a slighty early arrival into Marylebone (just over two hours from Snow Hill).
Coming back, I joined the 1700 Clubman just in time to get one of the last seats (to be fair to Chiltern, there had been a Twitter alert that the train would have only three rather than four coaches). So, lots of muttering around me from those whose later arrival meant standing to Banbury (the first stop). Once past Banbury of course, seats were to be had, and after Warwick Parkway, the train was relatively quiet...
Another good run meant arrival in Snow Hill in just over two hours once more. Another good value Chiltern experience (£33 return); funny, however, how the return journey always feels longer!
Monday, 14 March 2011
Not using LondonMidland!
Last Friday, I had a meeting for which I could plan ahead so decided to book ahead.
My outward journey was to be a £16 Advance First on the 7.53 LondonMidland service to Euston but alas it fell victim to the ongoing drivers' dispute. So it was a case of putting in a claim form for a refund, then a quick trot to Moor Street for the 8.15 Chiltern Clubman.
This train was delayed due to the knock-on effects of a dispute at LondonMidland's Tyseley depot so left 20 minutes. As ever, busy to Solihull and then a lessening of numbers through to Banbury but no problem getting to a table. Due to the delay, the bacon rolls were being offered on leaving Moor Street, and the trolley managed anothe two visits during the remainder of the journey.
A good run saw arrival at Marylebone only 7 minutes late, and all for a walk-on return fare of £33...
Coming back, I needed the speed of a Pendolino so had booked onto the 16.23 service from Euston. Being a peak train, the walk-on single fare would have been £74.50 so I had booked an Advance Standard at £49. Despite these fares, the train was virtually full, but then Virgin do give railcard holders 'off-peak' fares with discounts on all their trains...
One advantage of booking ahead is the guarantee of a table seat with a power socket. Another 'benefit' of travelling on Virgin is access to Wi-Fi though it does now cost £4 in standard. Wi-Fi provision continues to be not brilliant: it took 3 attempts for my payment to be accepted, and the speed of connection was barely adequate to download email...
Still, the service ran to time (saving me a necessary 30 minutes in my journey) and there was even a ticket check on board... BUT why do non-railcard holders use Virgin at peak times except when the 30 minute saving over Chiltern is all-important? Roll on Chiltern Mainline!
My outward journey was to be a £16 Advance First on the 7.53 LondonMidland service to Euston but alas it fell victim to the ongoing drivers' dispute. So it was a case of putting in a claim form for a refund, then a quick trot to Moor Street for the 8.15 Chiltern Clubman.
This train was delayed due to the knock-on effects of a dispute at LondonMidland's Tyseley depot so left 20 minutes. As ever, busy to Solihull and then a lessening of numbers through to Banbury but no problem getting to a table. Due to the delay, the bacon rolls were being offered on leaving Moor Street, and the trolley managed anothe two visits during the remainder of the journey.
A good run saw arrival at Marylebone only 7 minutes late, and all for a walk-on return fare of £33...
Coming back, I needed the speed of a Pendolino so had booked onto the 16.23 service from Euston. Being a peak train, the walk-on single fare would have been £74.50 so I had booked an Advance Standard at £49. Despite these fares, the train was virtually full, but then Virgin do give railcard holders 'off-peak' fares with discounts on all their trains...
One advantage of booking ahead is the guarantee of a table seat with a power socket. Another 'benefit' of travelling on Virgin is access to Wi-Fi though it does now cost £4 in standard. Wi-Fi provision continues to be not brilliant: it took 3 attempts for my payment to be accepted, and the speed of connection was barely adequate to download email...
Still, the service ran to time (saving me a necessary 30 minutes in my journey) and there was even a ticket check on board... BUT why do non-railcard holders use Virgin at peak times except when the 30 minute saving over Chiltern is all-important? Roll on Chiltern Mainline!
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Virgin out / Chiltern back
Another chance to use Virgin's bargain First Class Advance Single fare of £22 yesterday by taking the 11.50 Pendolino to London Euston.
Birmingham's First Class lounge was quiet when I arrived at 11.30 despite the fact that the 11.30 Pendolino to London had been cancelled due to problems at Watford. Clearly, this wasn't inconveniencing many First Class passengers... Plenty of Independents and Financial Times available, along with coffee / tea, soft drinks, and snacks such as crisps and shortbreads.
The quietness was reflected on the actual train, though it was clear that Standard was going to be pretty busy. Plenty of tables in quiet coach H to chose from... and working sockets this time! Wi-Fi seemed to be working fine too. However, it has to be said that the antimacassars were looking rather limp and tired.
Tea/coffee offered after Birmingham International, with a snack served after Rugby. The Ham and Picallily roll was very tasty, accompanied by an apple, orange juice and another coffee.
Despite an additional stop at Milton Keynes, arrival was on time in Euston. So another good run at a very good price BUT yet again no ticket checks either on the train or at the stations. Don't Virgin care?
Returned on the 17.00 Clubman from London Marylebone. The walk-on fare for this service is £33 return compared to £149 for Virgin's 17.03 from Euston and £30 for LondonMidland's 17.13 from that station. By paying Virgin an extra £116 pounds, you save half-an-hour on the journey time, have an apportunity to pay £5 to use the Wi-Fi, and can get refreshments at the shop BUT you are not guaranteed a table or power socket. Saving £3 on LondonMidland means only a slightly longer journey time BUT in commuter style seating with no tables or power socckets and no Wi-Fi or catering.
So the Clubman offers best value for money: tables, power sockets, and proper seating (pity about the lack of Wi-Fi and catering, through the AMT bar is by the barriers). YET Chiltern still seem to have a problem getting this message across to Birmingham bound passengers on the evidence of last night: busy train to Banbury, relatively busy to Warwick Parkway, then quiet after Solihull.
One hopes that the news of Network Rail's takeover of Evergreen 3 doesn't presage the beginning of the end of the Chiltern story...
Birmingham's First Class lounge was quiet when I arrived at 11.30 despite the fact that the 11.30 Pendolino to London had been cancelled due to problems at Watford. Clearly, this wasn't inconveniencing many First Class passengers... Plenty of Independents and Financial Times available, along with coffee / tea, soft drinks, and snacks such as crisps and shortbreads.
The quietness was reflected on the actual train, though it was clear that Standard was going to be pretty busy. Plenty of tables in quiet coach H to chose from... and working sockets this time! Wi-Fi seemed to be working fine too. However, it has to be said that the antimacassars were looking rather limp and tired.
Tea/coffee offered after Birmingham International, with a snack served after Rugby. The Ham and Picallily roll was very tasty, accompanied by an apple, orange juice and another coffee.
Despite an additional stop at Milton Keynes, arrival was on time in Euston. So another good run at a very good price BUT yet again no ticket checks either on the train or at the stations. Don't Virgin care?
Returned on the 17.00 Clubman from London Marylebone. The walk-on fare for this service is £33 return compared to £149 for Virgin's 17.03 from Euston and £30 for LondonMidland's 17.13 from that station. By paying Virgin an extra £116 pounds, you save half-an-hour on the journey time, have an apportunity to pay £5 to use the Wi-Fi, and can get refreshments at the shop BUT you are not guaranteed a table or power socket. Saving £3 on LondonMidland means only a slightly longer journey time BUT in commuter style seating with no tables or power socckets and no Wi-Fi or catering.
So the Clubman offers best value for money: tables, power sockets, and proper seating (pity about the lack of Wi-Fi and catering, through the AMT bar is by the barriers). YET Chiltern still seem to have a problem getting this message across to Birmingham bound passengers on the evidence of last night: busy train to Banbury, relatively busy to Warwick Parkway, then quiet after Solihull.
One hopes that the news of Network Rail's takeover of Evergreen 3 doesn't presage the beginning of the end of the Chiltern story...
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Chiltern out / Virgin back
In the week that Chiltern was forced to assert its continuing oversight of Evergreen 3 and Virgin went on the record as saying "We can hit 140mph to London, we just need the right track" (Birmingham Post3 March 2011), I was able to sample both companies' current provision.
Chiltern's 0812 Clubman from Snow Hill was as ever busy with commuters upon arrival but as usual there was no problem getting a table upon which to work. Though this is the first off-peak service to London, the take-up of passengers for Marylebone never seems to be particularly strong from Birmingham, making the train a very pleasant and productive way to travel.
I haver written many times in praise of the Clubman and of Chiltern's service ethic and this journey didn't disappoint. My only grouse is that it took until after Leamington for the catering trolley to work its woay through the train...
Knowing that I was returning on the 2043 Pendolino from Euston allowed me to book a £22 First advance single ticket. These tickets are amazing value at only £7 more than the Advance Standard fare as they offer first class comfort (seating, tables, power sockets), free wi-fi, food and drink, and use of Euston's & Birmingham's First Class Lounge...
One or two niggles: the power sockets weren't working in quiet coach H, the wi-fi was slow and rather erractic, and, of course, as this train stops at Milton Keynes, only coffee / tea is served on departure. Nevertheless, the Stilton and Pear roll along with the Chocolate and Butterscotch slice were worth waiting for...
So, both companies are providing the services they promise and both are striving to build upon their successes over the next year or so (assuming that Evergreen 3 is not stalled by Network Rail, and the DfT overcome their antipathy towards Virgin Trains). Who needs, or wants, HS2?
Chiltern's 0812 Clubman from Snow Hill was as ever busy with commuters upon arrival but as usual there was no problem getting a table upon which to work. Though this is the first off-peak service to London, the take-up of passengers for Marylebone never seems to be particularly strong from Birmingham, making the train a very pleasant and productive way to travel.
I haver written many times in praise of the Clubman and of Chiltern's service ethic and this journey didn't disappoint. My only grouse is that it took until after Leamington for the catering trolley to work its woay through the train...
Knowing that I was returning on the 2043 Pendolino from Euston allowed me to book a £22 First advance single ticket. These tickets are amazing value at only £7 more than the Advance Standard fare as they offer first class comfort (seating, tables, power sockets), free wi-fi, food and drink, and use of Euston's & Birmingham's First Class Lounge...
One or two niggles: the power sockets weren't working in quiet coach H, the wi-fi was slow and rather erractic, and, of course, as this train stops at Milton Keynes, only coffee / tea is served on departure. Nevertheless, the Stilton and Pear roll along with the Chocolate and Butterscotch slice were worth waiting for...
So, both companies are providing the services they promise and both are striving to build upon their successes over the next year or so (assuming that Evergreen 3 is not stalled by Network Rail, and the DfT overcome their antipathy towards Virgin Trains). Who needs, or wants, HS2?
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