When School trips go sour...

[trainlover123]

Hello,

Yesterday, about 200 Year 9 Students went to see the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre near Embankment Station. BUT, the transport cocked up when Lutterworth Coaches didn't deliver their 4 coaches, and a hired in one. So, it was 11:00, we had to leave at 09:15 to get there on time. That is where the train came in. We were called from the room, and got on the last coach left, which shuttled us to Rugby Station. I was apprehensive about Going by Virgin Trains, they've had a lot of stick, which now, looking back, was mostly unfair. We boarded a Virgin Penolino at 11:32, with the other coach just arriving in time, we left, and I didn't know we started off it was that smooth . We glided along, tilting as usual, getting into London Euston Platform 13 at 12:27, on-Time, despite we were late by 11 minutes at Rugby. We then took the Northern Line, to Embankment, and after the Play, spent an hour in Covent Garden while the coach people were already going. After an hour, we took the Northern Line back to Euston, where we boarded the tran back, and it rained at Milton keynes Central, meaning there was a lot of screeching as well arrived. We got into Rugby on-time, and a pair of coaches took us back.

Overall, Virgin gets 10/10, even though the track was poor in places (Not Virgin's fault of course).

Well done Virgin Trains, for clean, and fast trains.

[buffy500]

into London Euston Platform 13 at 12:27, on-Time, despite we were late by 11 minutes at Rugby.

Good old recovery time in the time table !

[trainlover123]

into London Euston Platform 13 at 12:27, on-Time, despite we were late by 11 minutes at Rugby.

Good old recovery time in the time table !

Yep Buffy, there was, brilliant run, tilting threw me off balance once! , pity I didn't fall onto a certain girl I fancy

[stephenwiseman]

Virgin Trains are almost like Ryanair. They expand the schedule time to get into each destination to make it look like they have a brilliant on time performance...Well okay thats only Ryanair, but still, well done Virgin for making up the time.

[Elojikal]

Virgin Trains are almost like Ryanair. They expand the schedule time to get into each destination to make it look like they have a brilliant on time performance...

In defence of Virgin, former more tightly scheduled timetables meant that when an intercity train was held up in one region and ran 5 minutes late, through loss of paths and so on it could end up being an hour late by the time it got to the other end of the country.

[centraltrains1987]

every company has recovery in the timetable

[buffy500]

I know Virgin have added significant amounts of recovery time on some services.
The number of times I've heard about trains getting in 20 minutes early is a good indication.
Personally I don't have a problem with recovery time.
To me the big issue is that if it says 10.00 am arrival then it gets there at or before 10.00.
So what if the journey *could* maybe get in at 09:45, but mostly is more like 10ish, I'd rather it get there early than late.

National Express vary the time table to reflect traffic conditions, this is only the same thing.

[allypally]

They tend to hold their trains at major stations like New Street so they depart on time, if they come in early from say, the South West. However, I have still known a lot trains off the West Coast to be at least 10 and quite often 20 minutes down there, and thats both Pendolinos and loco hauled stock

[buffy500]

They tend to hold their trains at major stations like New Street so they depart on time, if they come in early from say, the South West. However, I have still known a lot trains off the West Coast to be at least 10 and quite often 20 minutes down there, and thats both Pendolinos and loco hauled stock

Yes I don't think that they run 'early' from intermeadiate stations but the timings are a bit 'slack' which I think often leads to reasonably long station stops waiting for time.
But again, I dont think thats any worse than being late everywhere because you got held up somewhere 100 miles away.

They might leave 20 minutes down, but I bet by the time it reaches Euston its 'on time'

[allypally]

Nope, if the West Coast isn't a clear run, they actually tend to get even more delayed waiting for a path at Rugby and Weedon.

[mattvince]

quote "centraltrains1987":
"every company has recovery in the timetable"

Not the amounts found at the bottom end of the West Coast. Yes there are {adjustments} for junctions, typically 30 or 60 seconds, for junctions, crossovers and the like. There's also [engineering] allowances for the effect of TSRs and infrastructure faults, in reality this is nowhere near enough. Finally, the most numerous is (pathing), which is deliberate slowing of a train for the simple reason that you don't want trains to be timed to run into the back of the preceding service. It isn't really recovery time, it's about making a timetable which should, on paper at least, work.

Now things like dwell times at stations and turnaround allowances do provide recovery time, but in many cases they are on the limit of what is agreed anyway. And there are specific rules as to what values of all the above (and more) you can use. It's called 'Rules of the Plan'.

* The use of '{[(' brackets above is how these values are shown in the Working Timetable.

[johndibben]

Virgin have probably had to increase recovery time to reduce lateness and keep the SRA happy.

There are still a few loco-hauled workings, about two sets and allowance has to be made for substitutions.

[yorkie]

Virgin have probably had to increase recovery time to reduce lateness and keep the SRA happy.

There are still a few loco-hauled workings, about two sets and allowance has to be made for substitutions.

The SRA decides Virgin's timetable and makes most of the decisions.

If the train had originated from the West Midlands it was possibly on a 110mph non-tilt diagram, so would be expected to arrive early.

Northbound Virgin actually often leave Euston 2 minutes early (against the rules, but that doesn't stop them), yet are usually 2 minutes late at Watford or Milton Keynes. The timetable is unrealistic going north*. Yet southbound they usually leave Watford or MK late and end up arriving early into Euston due to huge slack time.

For example, I just looked at the live departure boards and the 1035 to Stockport left at 1033.

* Except when you get to the northern terminus, then several minutes slack time appears

[allypally]

Quite often there is a 20 minute delay on arrival at New Street.

[salopiangrowler]

so if your 30 minutes late on the Birmingham - Euston Pendolino your gonna be ontime in euston even though the journey is 1 hour and 21 minutes long according to the advert.