Virgin Voyager Farce of the Week

There were already seating problems on HSTs/mk3, now they've put Voyagers (nicknamed shops) and SuperVoyagers (supermarkets) the problem is even worts, hope to see Midland Mainline's 9 car Meridians replace the crapostars very soon !!!
At least ML are keeping their HSTs, serves you right Virgin !!
Virgin still doesn't understand, and is replacing classes 86, 87 and 90 on the Euston Line by Pendolinos, how many people will be making quick trip on those once tilting is activated i do not know. Once you get problems on your italian trains, you'll see.

On 22 Feb 04 I finally took - in exhaustion and semi-despair - the last seat in Club Class on a Darlington to Birmingham Virgin Voyager that was so packed with people I suspect it would have failed EU tranport of livestock laws. I had reserved a seat a week before but not only was this taken the train manager said reservations were cancelled and he would not try to find me a seat. indeed so packed were the corridor spaces he couldn't have got out of Club Class. All others paid the supplement. i refused and persist in this. Have I any case? I am seeking help with appealing against the Revenue Protection Service who insist I pay. I an pay �15 but do not on principle feel i should.

On 12 August I was booked on the 09:15 Crewe to Exeter voyager train (Preston - Plymouth service). Virgin cancelled this because it was raining(!) and I had to go to Birmingham to join the Edinburgh - Plymouth service. Because these trains consist of only 4 coaches and cancellations occur apparently on a whim, the overcrowding is appalling.

Next time I'm travelling from the North West to the South West I'm taking the Arriva Trains Wales 158 that runs via Hereford.

when ever i used 2 go on trips to devon/cornwall
i always travelled from leicester then changed at birmingham, but seeing as virgin came up with the brilliant idea of changing a seven coach train with a four coach train iv decidied not to pay 40 quid just to hav the pleasure of standing in a packed train for three hours, am now paying extra to go via london paddington, it may cost more but at least i get an 8 car hst to london and an 8 car hst to devon and actually get a comfy seat.

I travel from Birmingham to Manchester on a daily basis and of course use the Virgin Voyager. I have never ever had a problem on one of these trains. They are comfortable and quick and I have found them very reliable. The staff have always been first class and are always willing to help with any problems. It is fair to say that this train does get busy but only as it approaches manchester and many business comuters get on at Congelton and Macclesfield. At this point I would suggest that there are local alternatives that people can use that would be far less busy and would get them to their places of work just as fast. Virgin should stop the service from these stations to allow the Voyager to be what it is, a high speed express service. In my experience the only reason why people get on the virgin train is because the conductor can not possiablly get around everyone and the majority of them never make any attempt to pay.

Where do I start. Virgin voyagers are the biggest pile of **** that has been introduced onto the railways of Britain since....err.... ever. I could list any number of nightmare journeys involving cancellations, faulty doors, wrong type of rain and so on. And its goes without saying that replacing 7 coach trains with 4 and 5 coach units that have less capacity per carriage is just utter stupidity.

But my biggest gripe is the huge list of design faults. Here goes

* They carraige bodies are narrower than the old HST's making standard class cramped even when only moderately full.
* Luggage racks in the center of the carriage (duh!).
* Insufficient luggage racks
* overhead luggage racks that cant handle much more than a thin briefcase.
* Massively oversized (and unreliable toilets) which waste space and have a badly designed door opening closing system. (Yes there should be provision for disable users, but not every carriage).
* Only 3 (yes three) toliets per 4 coach train. (Recently on a Glasgow to Plymouth only one was working)
* Stupid location for the shop, i.e. the end carriage.
* The shop itself.
* Connectning doors that require 2 button pushes to get through.
* Seats with really short bases. Barely reaches half way down the thighs of a 6ft person. Very uncomfortable after about 1 hr.
* Seat back tables that cannot accomodate laptops. (this is 2006!!)
* Smelly toilets

I actually look forward to travelling on every other train operator and the Birmingham-Manchester services that are loco hauled MkII/III stock.