Late-night Virgin train passengers 'can't get off' at Nuneaton

[The Planner]

Hysterical stuff!

BBC Story

Late-night Virgin train passengers 'can't get off' at Nuneaton
Rail campaigners described the situation as 'a farce'
Driver shortage 'affecting services'
Rail firm compensating travellers
A late-night train from London to Manchester is unable to make a scheduled stop because the operator of one station refuses to keep it open at that time, it has emerged.

Rail campaigners said the situation - which affects the new 22:50 GMT Virgin Trains service - was "a farce".

The Pendolino train gets into Nuneaton, in Warwickshire, every night at 00:39, but the station closes at 11:30.

London Midland, which runs the station, declined to comment.

'A right pickle'

Mark Whitelegg, from the Nuneaton, Bedworth and Hinckley Rail Users' Group, said: "The new service was brought in on 9 December but it became clear Virgin had advertised it without consulting London Midland.

"They now seem to have got themselves into a right pickle.

"People have booked tickets to Nuneaton and they can't get off at the station. Instead Virgin is paying for taxis to get them from Rugby to Nuneaton."

Mr Whitelegg said many other London Midland stations were left open at night and he could not understand why Nuneaton station had to close.

"First of all, Virgin made a hash of introducing the service by offering something they couldn't deliver," he said.

"But now London Midland seem to be very inflexible about providing a solution.

"We're hoping we can meet with them both to sort out this farce."

A spokesperson for Virgin Trains said the service was due to arrive at Nuneaton "significantly later" than the station's current closing time.

He added: "We have had to withdraw this stop. We are looking for solutions to this issue. But, in the meantime, online systems have been amended to remove the stop at Nuneaton."

 

[bnm]

'Britain's train companies working together'.

So says ATOC's National Rail brand strapline.

Yeah right. :roll:

 

[Lockwood]

Doesn't that then affect the timings everywhere else by not having the stop?
I'm guessing that being a late train, it running 5 minutes "early" from Nuneaton isn't going to clash with other pathing?

Didn't I read somewhere here that some VT services get guard-dispatched at some stations? Is it not possible to do that here?

 

[TheGrew]

I don't think it is so much the dispatch that is the problem but rather the doors locked at the station

 

[Tomnick]

If subsequent early running was going to be a problem, it'd be regulated to its booked path (either at Nuneaton or later in its journey).

 

[gordonthemoron]

all stops appear to be set down only after Watford so can't see it being a problem

 

[Lockwood]

I don't think it is so much the dispatch that is the problem but rather the doors locked at the station

Ah, down here the staff leave a side gate open when they go home.

 

[tsr]

I'm not familiar with Nuneaton Station. Does the side door shown on NRE still exist? These are indeed used at many stations. In fact, I think all of my local Southern stations have one, if they are only manned part-time and have barriers or a ticket office which you must go through.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_NUN/plan.html?rtnloc=NUN
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_NUN/objectvalues/2657-0000037.html

If so, could that be used for alighting passengers? Or is there some other reason, perhaps such as recent vandalism, which means the station is in some way vulnerable if no staff are present to monitor it on-site?

 

[DJL]

I'm not familiar with Nuneaton Station. Does the side door shown on NRE still exist? These are indeed used at many stations. In fact, I think all of my local Southern stations have one, if they are only manned part-time and have barriers or a ticket office which you must go through.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_NUN/plan.html?rtnloc=NUN
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_NUN/objectvalues/2657-0000037.html

If so, could that be used for alighting passengers? Or is there some other reason, perhaps such as recent vandalism, which means the station is in some way vulnerable if no staff are present to monitor it on-site?

Can't they give a key to the guard/driver?
That would of course increase the dwell time but if enough passengers want that station it could be worth it?

 

[bnm]

Can't they give a key to the guard/driver?

Highly unlikely to be the same guard or driver every night. Plus there are probably some safety rules about leaving the train whilst it is in service.

 

[WatcherZero]

Diplomatic solution probably LM rearrange shifts a little while Virgin bung them a small grant for station improvements at Nuneaton under the proviso that they keep the station open at that time for 3 years or so.

 

[MKB]

I'm affected by a secondary issue relating to this service.

For a few weeks Virgin had this service listed in their booking engine for New Year's Eve. On that basis, in good faith, I booked to see a show in London that will finish at 22:15 thinking I could catch the 22:50 train home to Nuneaton.

It was subsequently withdrawn on 31 Dec (and then later withdrawn, at Nuneaton only, on all dates). Virgin are refusing to provide any alternative means of transport on 31 Dec, so I have to write off £100 of theatre tickets, pay £250 for a hotel -- the prices on NYE are eye-watering -- or get a taxi from Northampton.

 

[dannypye9999]

If London Midland did not know of this and say they weren't consulted then how is it they published this service in their Crewe to Euston timetables?

 

[gordonthemoron]

If London Midland did not know of this and say they weren't consulted then how is it they published this service in their Crewe to Euston timetables?

well spotted

 

[WelshBluebird]

I'm affected by a secondary issue relating to this service.

For a few weeks Virgin had this service listed in their booking engine for New Year's Eve. On that basis, in good faith, I booked to see a show in London that will finish at 22:15 thinking I could catch the 22:50 train home to Nuneaton.

It was subsequently withdrawn on 31 Dec (and then later withdrawn, at Nuneaton only, on all dates). Virgin are refusing to provide any alternative means of transport on 31 Dec, so I have to write off £100 of theatre tickets, pay £250 for a hotel -- the prices on NYE are eye-watering -- or get a taxi from Northampton.

I am guessing you didn't manage to buy the tickets for this journey?
If you did manage to, and they have since removed that service from the timetable, then surely they have to provide you with alternative transport?

 

[CockneySparrow]

Diplomatic solution probably LM rearrange shifts a little while Virgin bung them a small grant for station improvements at Nuneaton under the proviso that they keep the station open at that time for 3 years or so.

Probably what LM might be holding out for, but somehow all I see is that the train won't stop there end of

 

[Monty]

What I don't understand is why is the station completely locked up at the end of service? Most stations I know of have a night exit that customers may use after staff have gone home.

It just seems like a bit of a bad joke that such a large station is completely inaccessible after 2330..

 

[Moonshot]

I would have thought that some sort of sanity check would have been done on the operational data for this service , ie matching up of station closure times with trains due to stop etc.

 

[6Gman]

Given the size of Nuneaton station I can't imagine leaving it open to public access after all staff have left would be a good idea: vandalism, anti-social behaviour, safety etc etc
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I would have thought that some sort of sanity check would have been done on the operational data for this service , ie matching up of station closure times with trains due to stop etc.

Quite.

Does Virgin not have access to NRE Station Information?

 

[ECML180]

Could just use a door with a self-closing mechanism and a push to open bar from the inside of the station!? Problem solved!

 

[Moonshot]

Given the size of Nuneaton station I can't imagine leaving it open to public access after all staff have left would be a good idea: vandalism, anti-social behaviour, safety etc etc
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Quite.

Does Virgin not have access to NRE Station Information?

I would have thought it was more to do with Network Rail.....dont they allocate paths and all that ?

 

[1e10]

This train seems to depart stations 4-5 minutes early each night from some stops. Shouldn't it be waiting until departure time before departure given the time of night and it being the last service?

 

[bengolding]

Perhaps of little consolation but the 2200 Virgin service from Euston to Crewe still stops there. The last service after this is a 2309 Birmingham so I guess LM don't want to pay for a staff member 90 mins extra to shut the station.

When I used Nuneaton back in November, I overheard platform staff promoting the later 2250 service to passengers waiting for my Virgin service. Begs me to ask what LM are playing at given the staff who would have dispatched this service had ample prior knowledge of its start date.

 

[Eagle]

This train seems to depart stations 4-5 minutes early each night from some stops. Shouldn't it be waiting until departure time before departure given the time of night and it being the last service?

No, it's set-down only at all those stops, so it can run as early as it likes. No one will be waiting for it at the stations.

 

[1e10]

No, it's set-down only at all those stops, so it can run as early as it likes. No one will be waiting for it at the stations.

Ah I see, thank you

 

[sheff1]

What I don't understand is why is the station completely locked up at the end of service? Most stations I know of have a night exit that customers may use after staff have gone home.

It just seems like a bit of a bad joke that such a large station is completely inaccessible after 2330..

Many stations are locked up after the end of service. Quite a few discussions on here about stations not re-opening before the first train the next day - Rochdale a prolific offender

 

[LowLevel]

Nuneaton is a massive station with loads of empty buildings (former traincrew depot etc etc) despite it's comparatively sparse service - you certainly wouldn't want it leaving open overnight or I'd imagine you'd soon have a problem with it being torched or vagrants moving in.

 

[Monty]

Nuneaton is a massive station with loads of empty buildings (former traincrew depot etc etc) despite it's comparatively sparse service - you certainly wouldn't want it leaving open overnight or I'd imagine you'd soon have a problem with it being torched or vagrants moving in.

A fair point, and now I do remember Richmond on SWT's network is locked up after the end of service. However it is 'manned' 24 hours a day (including Christmas) and in addition to locking up in the night he/she is responsible for opening up in the morning. One would think a station of Nuneaton's size would warrant a similar arrangement and thus allow passengers to alight from the VT service.

 

[WestCoast]

Hmmm, London Midland and a staffing issue? That's a new one.

Sorry, couldn't resist. :roll:

Regarding the late night VT Trent Valley calls, they do seem to be very popular with people coming home from London. I've caught the 21.42 Lichfield TV to Preston a few times and the station was most certainly unstaffed at that time. I was the only one boarding the service the last time I used it, but a fair crowd came off it.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

No, it's set-down only at all those stops, so it can run as early as it likes. No one will be waiting for it at the stations.

An enquiry not specifically about this particular service, but...
If a train is 'set-down only' for station X and station Y, and I want to travel between X and Y, is there actually anything that can prevent me making that journey? Can a penalty fare be issued, in the unlikely event of an RPI being on board said service ?