Virgin on the Ridiculous

It's been reported that there's going to be a major press conference at 5pm toda by Virgin Trains, Stagecoach, and the SRA. Whether it's to be about the West Coast Modernisation, or the growing fiasco of 'Operation Princess' is left to speculation.

Hugh Dady posts this on the SWRG mailing list

As we approach the end of the week, a formal announcement is expected late tomorrow from Virgin, Stagecoach and the SRA. Mr Bow-wow, Ringmaster in charge at the now fully re-nationalised Strategic Rail Circus is reported to have said woof woof to Chris Green who is now relegated to try and salvage the growing mess looming on the West Coast. Industry insiders are now convinced that full squadron service for the Pendolinos could be 5 years away as like most new trains delivered under privatisation they don't actually work. With time running out for the 87s its all a bit of a muddle.

As ever the 'Railway Magazine' has the scoop picture on its front cover this month of Branson accepting the replacement traction for the Westcoast upgrade in the shape of 'Rocket' with the apparently generous gesture of donating the Pendolino to the National collection.

Meanwhile having completely stuffed Cross Country, Virgin won't actually be ordering the additional coaches which they have been kidding staff about. Unfortunately the 'business case' rather fell apart when Virgin were told that the UK taxpayer would not be picking up the bill for an extra coach. Since VT haven't so far put a penny into the new rolling stock - Voyagers/Pendolinos etc are actually owned by a complex consortium of finance houses and now the UK taxpayer, they are at least consistent in their strategy of getting someone else to pay for the rather expensive advertising billboard for the company to promote its name. The brand awareness is now very high among the travelling public but not actually for the right reasons leaving Branston in a bit of a pickle - the sandwich variety finally chopped with all the big lumps taken out.

There is no known cure as yet for the troubled Voyager fleet - well Bombustic transportation don't have one yet, but they are close according to a VT spokesperson - its all relative you know. Mars is close compared to some of the Planets which these senior railway managers seem to live on. The problem is that the roof mounted rheo.brake resistors double as smoothing chokes for the traction motors under power which is why they can't be isolated. Don't try explaining it to Mr G though - he was a management trainee with BR and engineering remains a mystery. At present it is likely that the Voyager fleet will leave the South West region by the end of the timetable on 11 January 2003 or maybe sooner so as I keep saying, grab those pictures while you can. Where possible, there is likely to be a return to an 'all new' type of pre-owned traction for the Westcountry with one careful previous owner (BR) and a mere 8 million miles under their belt . As for the Duffs - maybe - maybe not, but I remain confident that they will be back for another summer staring at the Atlantic Ocean as they pass but not actually falling into it as a certain railway manager once unkindly suggested.

For those that would like the performance characteristic of the new traction alias class 43 (but not the original NBL variety!) to compare with the late lamented Voyagers they are:

Class 43 with 7 MK III trailers: 0 - 60 mph in 79.2 sec achieved Old Dalby test track May 76. Note Virgin incorrectly quote the acceleration as 0 - 60 in 80 sec for a 5 car set. So far as I am aware the figure for 5 coaches has never actually been tested although both record braking attempts in May 77 for the Queen Silver Jubilee Pdn - Bristol and a year later with the Tees Tyne Pullman used specially prepared 5 coach sets.

Class 220 4 car set: 0 - 60 mph in under 60 sec.

Class 221 5 car set: 0-60 mph in under 70 sec.

Changes to the way that performance envelopes are now specified makes direct comparison difficult , but a 5 car HST has 42 more seats available than a 5 car Voyager and there is probably very little difference in actual acceleration time because the HST has 4500 h.p available to accelerate a weight of 310 tonnes against a 5 car 221 with 3750 h.p. for 304 tonnes.

So don't forget to watch the news over the next few days - the once respected family firm of Chipperfield Circus has given up, unable to compete with the railway big boys any longer who can put on a Circus the like of which you have never seen. So from the wall of death at Dawlish its Goodnight.
H.D.