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Post by celestine on Apr 25, 2008 15:16:26 GMT
I was in the Midlands this week on business. Virgin trains - big, comfy, clean train, arrived on time, got to destination slightly early. No fuss.
Why can't ours be like that?
(Actually, that's probably a rhetorical question, I don' really want to know WHY ours aren't like that, I just want them to be!)
Cel x
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Post by O.V.S.Bulleid on May 7, 2008 20:27:42 GMT
Dear Cel
Virgin only run a few trains each day compared to GoVex. They operate along tracks that have had billions spent on improvements but still do not operate at speeds that the actual trains were designed for.
South of Rugby Virgin operate along a route that is simply two parallel lines with only one other destination - Northampton served by trains sharing the tracks south of Leighton Buzzard and 100mph is possible at the same distance as New Cross is from London Bridge.
I will try and find a statistic but I think that London and the South East accounts for 80% of rail income for the whole country - and Virgin do not contribute much to that.
On the other hand the way that 375s are laid out is not conducive to any form of comfort. For example why have first class spread down a train when one coach with 48 seats would be more comfortable to those who pay more and provide better provision for the majority who don't wish to stand looking at any empty first class seats. In other words why provide 72 seats which are 80% occupied when those seats could give a return for the extra paid by spreading them out a bit (and GoVex could up the price differential).
In fact if GoVex have to have 3+2 then why not form a London bound train with a 3+2 standard class only set at the front, a 2+2 set with first class in the middle and a standard class only 2+2 at the rear. If anyone suggests that this would make rolling stock provision more difficult then my answer would be that it was perfectly possible with Ceps and Beps so why not now? This would supply seats for the most crowded part of a train and keep first class together for proper policing by the conductor.
Yours sincerely
O.V.S.Bulleid
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