Originally Posted by psychobabble

The vast majority of the long distance WCML services are 9 car Pendolino (soon to go up to 11 car) services. There a much smaller number Voyager services still however, and these are 4 or 5 car units that are often doubled to 8/10.

There are two classes of the Voyagers, Cross Country run all the 220s and half the 221s and Virgin have 20 or so 221s now since they lost the Cross Country Franchise.

ECML trains are 9 carriages if they're run by East Coast and whether electric or diesel.

According to my latest information Virgin Trains have re-organised all their previously 4-car units into 5-car units, giving them several "spare" or reserve power cars.

Originally Posted by fairy_nuff

They usually have 4 empty first class carriages during the week so why can't they upgrade forces personnel for free?

Why? For being forces personnel?

Originally Posted by Hector_Chavez_V

Why? For being forces personnel?

Don't you know that 1 days service means the world has to worship you and offer you things for free?

Westpoint, Kromeriz and Psychobabble I sense anoraks and thermos flasks!

Originally Posted by Horridlittleman

Westpoint, Kromeriz and Psychobabble I sense anoraks and thermos flasks!

Guilty as charged!!

Originally Posted by Westpoint

According to my latest information Virgin Trains have re-organised all their previously 4-car units into 5-car units, giving them several "spare" or reserve power cars.

They only had 3 four car units and these are now two 5 car units with 2 spare power cars. Lots of the XC Voyagers are still 4car.

Originally Posted by Horridlittleman

Westpoint, Kromeriz and Psychobabble I sense anoraks and thermos flasks!

Plus a Tupperware sandwich box with loads of SPAM butties.

Or we can buy bacon butties from the brief encounter tea rooms on many stations.

I spent 4 years commuting Up and Down (to use the correct railway 'enthusiast' terms) on the WCML using my railcard and only once was I ever upgraded (I was in DPMs and the train manager declassified a 1st carriage to ease overcrowding - he suggested I made my way forward before he made a Tannoy announcement).

However, two weeks ago I was back in the UK and travelled by train to/from my son's rather Sparten northern boarding school and on the return trip, the train manager, on seeing my rail card, quietly moved me forward (I was in civvies, btw). I was a bit slow on the uptake initially but thanked him profusely for doing so. There has clearly been a policy change for Virgin (who I rate pretty higly anyway in terms of customer care) and good on them!

For the uninformed on this site, the railcard is only issued to Regular personnel or Reservists undertaking permanent duties. it is not available to 'veterans' or reservists and can only be used for non-Duty travel. In other words, if you book a duty ticket and use your railcard to get a discount, if your JPA claim is audited, it will be refused, because of the agreement between the train operating companies and the MOD. Here's the link to the eligibility bit:

HM Forces Railcard

Originally Posted by Westpoint

Or we can buy bacon butties from the brief encounter tea rooms on many stations.

Do us a favour. Next time you're in there, order something that requires cutlery and use the blunt, grimey table knife to saw your fingers off before hurling yourself in front of an express train.

Originally Posted by Westpoint

Are you a Train spotter?

Rugby and Crewe platforms are probably long enough for 18 cars.

I did not refer to 18 car trains though.

Platform length is irrelevant! You can only have a train upto 12 carriages long - including the power cars in this instance.