CrossCountry Trains Cannot Be Saved | #Railnatter 318

Comments · 189

• GA

  @GarethDennis · 1 month ago · pinned

  would you miss XC? what do you think about the options for the new fleet? what about the wider intercity network?  LET US KNOW

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• TR

  @TrystyKat · 1 month ago

  The wheelchair space on a Voyager is a nightmare. You have to negotiate the narrow bendy corridor between the vestibule and the passenger carriage, replete with protuberances to trap one's knuckles between one's wheels and the wall. And then there's limited space to turn around!

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• RA

  @railquest · 1 month ago (edited)

  Really interesting analysis. I've never understood this obsession of the DfT with ordering five-car sets (and doubling up) and would love to see full-length units for XC. The current strategy seems to mean trains cost more per seat and have less capacity per metre, mainly due to the presence of the extra driving cabs. Would love to know how we can maximise capacity on a new fleet whilst enhancing the nice-to-haves to make the offering more appealing to people considering the car.

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• JA

  @JackMellor498 · 1 month ago

  I definitely wouldn’t miss XC<br>I have enough pain with them living in Burton on Trent.<br>The problem with a station like BoT is a monopoly over services, and that monopoly is owned by this, the TOC with the worst satisfaction, highest cancellation rates and overcrowding. Especially when most people don’t need it for intercity services, they use it to couple stops to get down to Birmingham or up to Nottingham or Derby.<br><br>And the station is run by EMR, who refuse to run services down to Burton from Derby or Nottingham, when I think people would appreciate having some choice and see some competition with XC. For the other direction, West Mids Trains running up from Birmingham to compete that way would be good, potentially through Lichfield with a new station at Alrewas and begin passenger services along that route to relive A38 congestion.<br><br>It’s just a real pain to live in a town with a station used by people to travel regionally, having to rely on a TOC doing intercity services.<br>If anything the situation with BoT is exactly why HS2’s east leg should be built.

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• DA

  @davidredgewell7415 · 1 month ago

  With 6 units off lease in Derby work &nbsp;because the Department for Transport will not fund the units

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• CH

  @Charlie-cr6gq · 1 month ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4wuuZHTtek&amp;t=2334">38:54</a> bloody hell impressive brummie

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• KI

  @kieranedmunds2936 · 1 month ago

  The Cross country trains should be MINIMUM 9 carriages<br><br>And the regional routes should be at least 5 like Birmingham - Leicester and Cambridge

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• TO

  @tomwatts703 · 1 month ago

  I think there is a bit of London-centricity in why XC isn&apos;t really thought of as &apos;intercity&apos; currently despite it absolutely being so. Consolidation into an Intercity brand/network would certainly be a step towards changing that perception.

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• FR

  @FranciT98 · 1 month ago

  This Sunday was my third time getting the XC service from Scotland down to Birmingham/Bristol, with the dubious honour of it also being the third time my XC train on that route has been cancelled. Of my three misadventures, this was by far the smoothest and I believe that was partially because XC not running any services meant the staff could shuttle me off to the next available train.

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• TE

  @teegee1973 · 1 month ago

  When using the train from Newcastle, I avoid any journey that uses Cross Country. I&apos;ve only ever had bad experiences on XC trains.

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• MA

  @Marks_Rail_Adventures · 1 month ago

  Back in the seventies, cross country BR services were Class 45 hauled rakes of Mk1 coaches that filled a platform at New Street. Of course, there were fewer local trains then.

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• MI

  @minijem1158 · 3 weeks ago

  XC &nbsp;was previously known as”other Provincial Seevices”.

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