[SimonS1]

How Virgin’s fortunes have changed since the great West Coast balls up.

Good to see the old Tory dogma lives on though.

[transtraxman]

As I have said before now is the time to change the franchisee on the WCML and let DOR upgrade the services.

[MrMichael]

Now it is in effect Stagecoach on the East Coast mainline prepare for 5 abreast seating in 2nd class and 4 across in 1st. Stagecoach my ****. Just got off a ruddy Stagecoach train, Southampton Airport to Woking….it is like something North Korea’s Kim Jong Un or whatever he calls himself would dream up.

[PegasusAir]

I use the Virgin WCML quite a lot – weekdays in First, and I find them very good. I can’t compare them with the current ECML as I don’t use this line but the rolling stock certainly looks better. The fare structure seems to work well with big discounts for Advance booking. The service is good, food fine (particularly the breakfasts!)and the only delays tend to be Network Rail related. Compared with the pre- Virgin days they are excellent which is why 100,000 people signed a petition of support within days when they looked likely to lose it. I hope the award to Stagecoach of the ECML doesn’t mean we are likely to lose the Virgin WCML because they have 90% of one and 49% of the other. Hands off please!! There is enough to do with our railways without changing something that works.

[AMcWhirter]

Problem with Virgin Trains in my opinion is the pricing of flexible tickets.

Its fares are geared to those passengers who can either book in advance or, if you want to be flexible, take off-peak trains.

If you compare the flexible first and standard class return fares between London, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield you will see what I mean.

In the case of London-Manchester, the off-peak flexible Saver standard class fare is just £79.70 (and Virgin wonders why its trains are so crowded in the time change between peak/off-peak) but the flexible return rises to £321.

Virgin’s flexible first class fare is a costly £459. There is no first class Saver fare.

Flexible peak hour fares with rival operators between London, Manchester and Leeds are substantially cheaper.

[Author]

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