CrossCountry Holidaymaker HSTs

[hulltrains]

AXC's Summer HST diagrams have been finalised and can be found on AXCs website - http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/SiteImages/Assets/3/More_XC_seats_for_holidaymakers_27-03-08.pdf

Along with AXCs operational HST fleet (which is currently undergoing crew training at present), AXC are hiring 2 NXEC HSTs on Saturdays.

MORE CROSSCOUNTRY SEATS FOR HOLIDAYMAKERS
CrossCountry is providing Westcountry holidaymakers from Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, York, Leeds, Wakefield, Sheffield, Derby, Manchester, Crewe, Stafford, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Bristol with High Speed Trains (HST) for summer Saturday journeys to and from Newquay and
Paignton from May to September.
For the first time since 1986, two nine-coach HSTs, with buffet car catering and seating 544 passengers each, will run between Newcastle, Bristol and Paignton, and between Manchester and Newquay. Two further seven-coach HSTs with at-seat trolley catering and seating 445 passengers
each will link Newcastle and Newquay.
Providing spacious and comfortable travel for holidaymakers, the popular HSTs are also the only trains able to carry the many large surfboards which dominate the summer waves at Newquay and
have generous luggage accommodation at the front of each train. The expected high demand for this luggage space means that cycles are unable to be carried on these services.
Booking early, customers can take advantage of good value single fares such as from £21 from Manchester to Newquay and £24 from Newcastle to Newquay, all including complimentary seat reservations. The summer Saturday trains are now open for booking on 24 and 31 May and 7 and
14 June at www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk or by ‘phoning 08448 110 124.
The two nine-coach HSTs have been hired from National Express East Coast, with the other two being part of CrossCountry’s introduction of five HSTs from December 2008.
CrossCountry Managing Director Andy Cooper said: “We are delighted to be able to offer so much extra capacity this summer for holidaymakers to the Westcountry. With the region’s roads
expected to be extremely busy, our HSTs and great value fares are the perfect accompaniment to a summer holiday.”


CrossCountry summer Saturday HST services are as follows:
09:41 Newcastle – Newquay
09.40 Newquay – Newcastle
24 May to 6 September (inclusive)

07:24 Manchester – Newquay
15:22 Newquay – Manchester
24/31 May and from 5 July to 30 August (inclusive)
On other summer Saturdays, these trains will be formed of Voyagers.

07:35 Bristol Temple Meads – Paignton
10:32 Paignton – Newcastle
24/31 May and from 5 July to 22 August (inclusive)
On other summer Saturdays, these trains will be formed of Voyagers.


It is anticipated that the Manchester diagram (V29/M28 ) will be a NXEC set this year...

Also on Sundays as with previous years, the 16:25 SuO Plymouth - York will be formed by HST.

 

[Demps]

Excellent, thanks. The only problem for me is, am i going to be out on excercise!! damn it, or else i would book those tickets right away.

 

[P156KWJ]

ah excellent - I see a trip to Derby coming up to have a ride on one to Brummy

 

[yorkie]

Well, at least we know which ones to book on to be 'safe' from being 'bowled'

But what I really want to know, is if there will be a balancing stock move to get 09:41 Newcastle – Newquay back north? I know that it will form the 1940(ish) Newquay-Plymouth, but then what? Last year it formed the 1625 PLY-YRK, if that happens again then I can see a great opportunity for some weekends down in the South West!

There is also a rumour doing the rounds that there will be an Edinburgh-Penzance run during the week to cover for Voyagers going away for maintenance !! (Nick W, get that holiday house on standby please, ta! )

 

[37412]

Last year it formed the 1625 PLY-YRK, if that happens again then I can see a great opportunity for some weekends down in the South West!

I'm under the impression it's the same again this year!

 

[heart-of-wessex]

'...first time since 1986, two nine car HST sets....'

is it?? wasnt last summer nine cars on some?

for the Man Picc to Newquay run, timings (inc. ECS) have been released on the HST gen yahoo groups site

 

[Turbostar]

GNER sets that were used last year, are 9-car sets AFAIK. They're just the norm sets used in everyday services, as GNER (now NX East Coast) HST sets are 9-car, have been for quite a while now.

 

[devon_metro]

Hmm, last year some sets were boosted with an extra TGS i believe, thus making 9 car.....

 

[37412]

Hmm, last year some sets were boosted with an extra TGS i believe, thus making 9 car.....

Ain't that sommat to do with a the TGS has to lead into Newquay so if theres one both ends it don't matter which way round the set it

 

[yorkie]

MML sets are 8 car, NXEC 9 car. Not sure if MML sets were boosted with an additional TGS to make them 9 car or if a FC coach was replaced, but I am sure I travelled FC right behind a Valenta with no TGS on a Newquay run last year. I do remember TGSs at both ends the year before though?

 

[37412]

MML sets are 8 car, NXEC 9 car. Not sure if MML sets were boosted with an additional TGS to make them 9 car or if a FC coach was replaced, but I am sure I travelled FC right behind a Valenta with no TGS on a Newquay run last year. I do remember TGSs at both ends the year before though?

Yep last year I travelled in FC right behind the powercar when 066 was out the one day, luckily a lot of the trains had a valenta on the standard end so there was no need to 'invade' FC. Also had 007 and 178 in FC if I remember rightly.

 

[Turbostar]

Think it was MML sets with extra TGS, GNER/NXEC have always been 9-car sets for a while now, at least when I was living up in Aberdeen from early 2004, they were 9-car sets then, & have been since, so it must be a few years or so before then the additional TS was added to make up to 9-car.

 

[martyn29]

does anyone know the full timetable including timings at each station>

 

[Turbostar]

See 1st post at top of this page for a XC letter including times. For every station, you'll prob have to wait until the timetables come out.

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/SiteImages/Assets/3/More_XC_seats_for_holidaymakers_27-03-08.pdf

 

[Jord]

NXEC sets are usually 9 car, the power car hangs off the end of Platform 5 at Aberdeen, but I can remember being on an 8 car because I got a shot of the power car in the platform for once.

 

[Jim]

Hmm, last year some sets were boosted with an extra TGS i believe, thus making 9 car.....

That was 06, MML sets had them.

 

[martyn29]

See 1st post at top of this page for a XC letter including times. For every station, you'll prob have to wait until the timetables come out.

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/SiteImages/Assets/3/More_XC_seats_for_holidaymakers_27-03-08.pdf

thankyou

 

[voyagerdude220]

I got the full times and listings last month.... :

07:24 Manchester Piccadilly
07:33 Stockport
07:42 Wilmslow
08:10 Crewe
08:33 Stafford
08:49 Wolverhampton
09:10 Birmingham New Street
09:52 Cheltenham Spa
10:25 Bristol Parkway
10:44 Bristol Temple Meads
11:45 Exeter St Davids
12:48 Plymouth
13:11 Liskeard
13:24 Bodmin Parkway
14:49 Newquay

-----------------------------------------------------------

15:22 Newquay
16:29 Bodmin Parkway
16:44 Liskeard
17:25 Plymouth
17:50 Totnes
18:23 Exeter St Davids
19:30 Bristol Temple Meads
19:40 Bristol Parkway
20:12 Cheltenham Spa
21:20 Birmingham New Street
21:40 Wolverhampton
21:54 Stafford
22:22 Crewe
22:40 Wilmslow
22:51 Stockport
23:07 Manchester Piccadilly
---------------------------------------------------------

I'm now having major problems with the NRES journey planner, and it is now giving me journey details for Havant to Plymouth, and Coventry to Whitby, after searching for the HSTs to/from Newquay! ?

(I have sent feedback to NRES about this problem....)

 

[matt]

Nationalrail.co.uk seems to have been broken rather a lot recently.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Yes, indeed it has...

e.g. I looked up the 07:50 Glasgow Central to Birmingham N St on the train tracker, to see if it was on time leaving Carlisle this morning, and it had two entries for it.... 1 saying it was cancelled, another saying it left 3 late...

I saw the cancelled one first, and luckily double checked it, to find out that it was a big error, with the +3 report being right .... :roll:

In the end, the 09:03 ex Birmingham bowled me, with me only getting one out of four 221's.... 221102 is now the leading unit on the Glasgow to Birmingham ex Preston....

 

[87015]

Also on Sundays as with previous years, the 16:25 SuO Plymouth - York will be formed by HST.

Is that all Sundays or only the high summer dates of July and August? Would be a good leap back from Devon if I do the West Somerset

 

[devon_metro]

Why do WSR when you can have 2 rats at the SDR on the 26th of this month?

 

[87015]

Why do WSR when you can have 2 rats at the SDR on the 26th of this month?

Do both!! Unfortunately this is all causing my Voyager mileage this year to skyrocket hock::cry:

Must be giving Voyagerfan a run for his money with trips from Brum to Totnes, York, Leeds and Taunton on the junk all booked for the next few months.... :roll: oh for decent cross-country trains!!

 

[voyagerdude220]

Nah, i won't be worried by the looks of things 87015, I should be able to beat your Voyager mileage without too many problems :razz:

 

[djw1981]

That's almost as bad as boasting you have most STD's............

 

[Nym]

Nothing wrong with STDs, it's a sign of being rich...

If you have that many, you must be able to pull easy

 

[voyagerdude220]

 

[djw1981]

Nothing wrong with STDs, it's a sign of being rich...

I'm lost on that one.....

The last 4 or 5 patients we saw in student clinic with STDs were not rich, in anything other than libido....

 

[devon_metro]

Do both!! Unfortunately this is all causing my Voyager mileage this year to skyrocket hock::cry:

Must be giving Voyagerfan a run for his money with trips from Brum to Totnes, York, Leeds and Taunton on the junk all booked for the next few months.... :roll: oh for decent cross-country trains!!

Double headed BR two tone green doesn't tempt you?

 

[87015]

Double headed BR two tone green doesn't tempt you?

Would that be 185+262 or 173+262 All being well should be on both, 185 is a big winner so can't flag it hence the desperate Voyager leap. Hoping to do a weekend around West Somerset so a Sunday afternoon tram back would be a fine move.

Is that 1625 Plymouth-York all Sundays or only the high summer dates of July and August?

Anyone?