Virgin Trains

londonuk2008

Just came back from Preston with Virgin trains and it was a nightmare!Booked online a couple of weeks ago via there website and chose our train times etc - unable to reserve seats though but was not overly worried at the time.When we boarded at Euston it was a nightmare trying to find a seat - eventualy we did and then on our return yesterday afternoon we had to stand in the passage way all the way back to London squashed with other people,I know it was a bank holiday - but why not put extra trains and reserve seats?

Speaking to a couple of other passangers this is the 'norm'!No train staff about , ticket not even checked and aperantely as we had a open return(dunno why - as we chose our trains) its tough luck and you take your chance.

Travel a lot with National Express and the old GNER and never had this problem!

sweetstudent

As i understand, the WCML was closed for on the normal route until Coventry, so Virgin were running limited services using the Chiltern line. (2 voyagers coupled together - it was last year). Besides tickets were checked at Euston. Virgin could have opted to use rail replacement!

Diverting trains and using rail replacement is a very difficult task indeed, let alone sending trains down a completely different route

and no, i do not work for Virgin trains or any of its affiliates

londonuk2008

Our tickets were not checked at all either in Euston or Preston.We chose these days and trains as no alterations were listed - there was for Saturday and Sunday , so we avoided these days.

DCFC79

Why dont you ask virgin

londonuk2008

I have written a letter - but I was also wondering if anyone else had been had this happen to them .

Humphrey10

londonuk2008 wrote: »

but why not put extra trains and reserve seats?

What extra trains? There are none. In this country almost 100% of the legal rolling stock is being used.
Virgin etc aren't going to pay to build more trains as it will be wasted money as soon as their franchise ends. The train operating companies don't own any trains, they lease them.

If you have a proper ticket, not a limited Advance one, you can just wait for the next train, or the one after that, until you get a seat. I often do.

Humphrey10

Wait a minute, you said you got on at Euston. All the lines there terminate there. So when the train gets there, everyone gets off. So the trains always start empty at Euston. So how can you have a problem finding a seat? Unless you choose to get on a full train, but why would you do that?

londonuk2008

because I have never had this happen before - if it was obvious before I boarded the train and the doors shut I may have waited - but why when I pay 70 odd quid in advance , I would expext a seat - or have some warning that the train is going to be packed.

Humphrey10

I do agree with you, I believe everyone who buys a ticket should get a seat. Sadly that is not possible due to lack of rolling stock etc. Though that doesn't make it right that people have to stand.

For future reference, if it's a bank holiday, the train will be packed. The same as if it was rush hour, or a friday evening.

londonuk2008

Humphrey10 wrote: »

Wait a minute, you said you got on at Euston. All the lines there terminate there. So when the train gets there, everyone gets off. So the trains always start empty at Euston. So how can you have a problem finding a seat? Unless you choose to get on a full train, but why would you do that?

Because my ticket going out of Euston was timed - and unable to reserve a seat.

Look , I came here to ask if anyone else had , had this and if you find it acceptable fine , but I think when you pay for a journey like this this you should have a seat .

Simple as - if I had known it was going to be like this we would have looked at a different route.

Humphrey10

londonuk2008 wrote: »

Because my ticket going out of Euston was timed

I thought you said it was an Open Return (called 'Anytime' now)? Those aren't restricted, you can use them at any time, even rush hour, which is why they are so expensive.