Adding units during journey

[shakey1961]

Hi. Two of my mates are meeting up at Sandwell and Dudley this coming Saturday. One will leave Wigan North Western in a 5 car Super Voyager, but at Wolverhampton (ironically one stop before SAD) Virgin are adding another 5 car unit. I need my mate at SAD to meet my friend in carriage D.

When adding unit's are they added at the front or rear or is it just what they decide on the day?

Will Carriage D from Wigan stay D or will it be changed to carriage K.

Nightmare as they need to meet each other and if my mate at SAD gets in the wrong unit, there's no way to get to the other unit, and he's only going one stop to BHM.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

What service?

 

[shakey1961]

9M51 down as a Super Voyager from Wigan North Western departing at 10:27 arriving at Sandwell and Dudley at 11:55. Adding another 5 car set at Wolverhampton, so I was told by the person I was talking to on Live Chat earlier.

 

[voyagerdude220]

The 5-car Super Voyager which runs between Glasgow and Wolverhampton, stopping at Wigan along the way, will be lettered with coaches E-A. Normally E (First Class) is at the front, followed by Standard Class carriages D-C-B-A, but it's by no means unknown for them to be in reverse formation.

 

[shakey1961]

The 5-car Super Voyager which runs between Glasgow and Wolverhampton, stopping at Wigan along the way, will be lettered with coaches E-A. Normally E (First Class) is at the front, followed by Standard Class carriages D-C-B-A, but it's by no means unknown for them to be in reverse formation.

Great - so it's going to be a lottery. Just need him to get on the correct set. If I can do that, he can at least walk up and down the train so they meet each other. If he's in the wrong set they're both knackered.

I think my mate who gets on at Wigan will have to call me and tell me where on the set she is, then try and find out at Wolverhampton if she's in the front or rear set. Nightmare!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

As far as I can see, the portion ex-Wigan arrives second at Wolves, so your mate joining there should wait for it to arrive at 1133 and board that, as opposed to the set arriving at 1122, which is the 'additional', empty portion.

Edit - basically, board to the rear at Wolves!

 

[shakey1961]

He's boarding at SAD, but board at the rear still applies.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

He's boarding at SAD, but board at the rear still applies.

Ah sorry, but yes, as you say, board the rear set and you should be fine. The portion ex-Wolves sits in the sidings there for an hour beforehand so it's very unlikely that it would not be leading.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

5-car Holyhead to Euston Voyagers are often strengthened by the addition of a second set at Chester. One set carries the letters A-E and the other F-K so there isn't a problem with reservations.

 

[shakey1961]

This is what Virgin Trains said in the Live Chat right now...

"I don't seem to see any notification that this is a 5 car set converting to a 10 car set at Wolverhampton.

Regardless, the carriage lettering will be kept the same with the existing carriages if it does couple up to make a 10 car set. Therefore the carriage she travels in will remain as carriage D."

Oh Boy!!! So is it 5 or 10 now?

 

[CosherB]

This is what Virgin Trains said in the Live Chat right now...

"I don't seem to see any notification that this is a 5 car set converting to a 10 car set at Wolverhampton.

Regardless, the carriage lettering will be kept the same with the existing carriages if it does couple up to make a 10 car set. Therefore the carriage she travels in will remain as carriage D."

Oh Boy!!! So is it 5 or 10 now?

Deep breath, calm down ..... it's only a train.

 

[HowardGWR]

If they are joining two units, are there not eons of time on the platform to meet up?

 

[shakey1961]

I know, but they've never met and this is a perfect chance. Mate getting on at SAD is only going one stop to BHM and my other mate is continuing to MKC.

It'll be ok. Just want it to work out.

 

[CosherB]

I know, but they've never met and this is a perfect chance. Mate getting on at SAD is only going one stop to BHM and my other mate is continuing to MKC.

It'll be ok. Just want it to work out.

I hope this isn't been planned as some king of 'life-changing' event, or it could be a very interesting 16 minutes!

 

[voyagerdude220]

This is what Virgin Trains said in the Live Chat right now...

"I don't seem to see any notification that this is a 5 car set converting to a 10 car set at Wolverhampton.

Regardless, the carriage lettering will be kept the same with the existing carriages if it does couple up to make a 10 car set. Therefore the carriage she travels in will remain as carriage D."

Oh Boy!!! So is it 5 or 10 now?

5-car Between Glasgow and Wolverhampton, then 10-car from there through to Euston.

The Super Voyager from Glasgow will be lettered coaches E-A. There will be another Super Voyager already at the far end of the platform when this train arrives at Wolverhampton, lettered coaches L-G.

Coach D will 99% certainly be part of the rear set. If both sets are in correct formation. Lettering from Wolverhampton will be L-K-J-H-G-E-D-C-B-A. Therefore coach D should be 7th out of 10- towards the rear.

 

[Tractor37]

Would the easiest not be to get your mate who is boarding at Wigan to make a note of the unit number then for him to ring your other mate and pass this info on. Or alternatively get your mate to stand in the doorway at S&D so your other mate can see him. Wouldn't think that many people would be boarding at S&D.

 

[shakey1961]

Well, it's not such a life changing event. However, the guy in West Bromwich is a bit of a lonely guy and can get a little anxious doing new things. I just want it to run smooth for him.

My lady friend here needs to go to a party in Suffolk and MKC is the nearest station allowing for her sister to pick her up AND she doesn't want to change at all, so the only no change train was via Birmingham. As I knew it stopped at SAD we took the opportunity to have my mate in West Brom meet her on the train.

So its just a little 10 min ride for him and her to say hi. Hopefully it'll get him used to riding trains again. Then he can get the Metro home, which he's used to.

He's not daft, so I'm sure he'll find the right carriage.

 

[TimboM]

I know, but they've never met and this is a perfect chance. Mate getting on at SAD is only going one stop to BHM and my other mate is continuing to MKC.

It'll be ok. Just want it to work out.

5-car better surely if you're trying to encourage a close-proximity meeting?

 

[Darandio]

So he could get used to riding trains again and get a new girlfriend, all in 10 minutes?

This seems a prime candidate for a new Channel 5 show!

I wish him the best of luck on both fronts, even if i've found the whole thread a bit surreal so far.

 

[shakey1961]

It is a bit surreal, but it's all done with good intentions.

He's not likely to be getting a new girlfriend, it's just the fact that my lady friend happens to be stopping at his local station that it can happen. It probably wouldn't happen otherwise.

Just a bit of a laugh.

 

[shakey1961]

Now, according to Realtime Trains, there's two trains to Euston leaving SAD within minutes. 9M51 the one my mate's on then 1Z51 Wolverhampton to Euston a couple of minutes later.

I'm just going to have to call them both. It's getting really confusing.

 

[shakey1961]

I thought those of you who kindly replied to my thread, would like to know that my two friends managed to meet up on the said train. Success