The original machines are 9-car units, but greedy Virgin (who specified them) vastly over-ordered 1st class accommodation and under-ordered standard class, with the result that they're crammed to the gills at most times (while hauling around a lot of empty 1st class carriages).
The solution is to order two extra standard class carriages and insert them into each train (not quite all of them, but most), plus three new trains.
Virgin has pulled its usual stunt of offering to manage the introduction of all these new trains provided the government extends its franchise.
Government has said "no" to this blackmail, so Virgin has refused to take the new coaches. Nothing like being customer-friendly, eh, Virgin?
So we all get to ride around in over-packed Pendolinos for at least another 18 months, while the new carriages are delivered straight to the sidings. Spiffing, eh?
In a tragic attempt to salvage something from this debacle, DafT has decided to transfer at least one of the new trains to the East Coast Mainline to "test" and relieve some capacity issues there.
Alas, the solitary Pendolino in amongst all those Mk3 and Mk4 carriages will be shown up for the piss-poor affair that it is, cramped and uncomfortable seats, minimal views, and one of the most claustrophobic interiors anywhere.
God knows who thought these trains were state-of-the-art when they were first ordered. I suspect someone who never travels by train.
3 comments:
horrid things so small makes one feel quite trapped
As a frequent user of the Super Voyagers I wholly concur - I've never been on a coach but I guess they're less claustrophobic and might even give one room to read a paperback or a tabloid if one isn't lucky enough to have got a table. Those Pendlinos must have been designed for pixies and the sooner they're gone the better. Lucky South Wales to have the 125: those clamouring for electrification will regret it if Pendolino-clones are wished upon them.
It amuses me how Virgin are trying make out that by finally providing adequate seating capacity they are doing the government (sod the fare paying passengers) a favor. I guess there is no corporation of any size anywhere that is above a bit of bribery and corruption . I know they are purely in it for the money but that's just shameless.
It will be interesting to see how the ECML "test" goes. I'm guessing because that line is not TAS equipped they won't tilt? Making it just a very cramped not particularly comfortable non tilting EMU.
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