Pendolino problems

[graham125hst]

I have been on Pendolinos a lot this year and it seems every single time I go on one there is always something wrong with them.

Take Saturday just gone for example. We were sat in coach A and the door from the seating area to the van area kept opening and shutting rather loudly, but the best was still to come. About 3 miles out of Tamworth the train stopped pretty sharply, after about 10 mins we started moving again but at a steady rather than fast speed.

Coming into Stafford we were told by the train manager that the train would be making an unscheduled stop at Stafford as the driver had to reset the train due to problems. After about 2 mins of darkness (which we were told would happen) and about another 10 mins wait we were off again.

So I thought I would list things I have noticed other than the above this year in my 20 or so trips on Pendolinos.

- Interior doors staying open.
- Interior doors not wanting to open.
- Toilets not working
- Toilet doors not shutting unless you are inside and pulling it closed.
- Disabled toilet door not opening when inside, I had to force the damn thing open.
- Heating not working on train.
- Shop problems, ie coffee machine, card machine.
- Faulty intercom.
- Faulty reservation system.

Plus of course the usual toilet smell that frequents parts of the train.

I admit the pendolino's look pretty damn good but you have to wonder if Virgin are really happy with what they got with them as to me it seems a more modern but backwards step with how cramped they are.

Anbody else got anything to add to my list of woe?

 

[ukrob]

So I thought I would list things I have noticed other than the above this year in my 20 or so trips on Pendolinos.

- Interior doors staying open.
- Interior doors not wanting to open.
- Toilets not working
- Toilet doors not shutting unless you are inside and pulling it closed.
- Disabled toilet door not opening when inside, I had to force the damn thing open.
- Heating not working on train.
- Shop problems, ie coffee machine, card machine.
- Faulty intercom.
- Faulty reservation system.

Same as most trains at some point then?

 

[SWT Driver]

Is your name JINX?

 

[asylumxl]

Those are not frequent problems in my opinion. It's just a freak case .

 

[graham125hst]

Is your name JINX?

You do have to wonder don't you

I don't know what it is but there is something practically every single time I go on them.

I have been on about 8 HST's and around 40 185's as well as various Northern trains in the same time scale and only had one problem and that was on the TPE 185 to York on Saturday. The train had a broken alternator in the carriage we were in, leading to one very cold journey.

 

[TTI]

Had part of 185146 today as (usual) one engine was out but more important than that 51146 was f-f-f-f-reezing cold. Brrrr. Is that the alternator gone then?
Get it sorted TPE!

 

[87031]

you dread to think what problems pendolinos are gona have in the future, they are badly designed and cheap and nasty inside, i dont care what anyone says to defend these pieces of junk they will never do the WCML justice in the way that 87s and 86s did, they performed impecably for over 30 years and 40 in the case of 86s. Why such a horrible train was allowed to take over is beyond me theres absolutely nothing good about them, Virgin got it wrong big time with these and the Voyagers.

 

[ukrob]

you dread to think what problems pendolinos are gona have in the future, they are badly designed and cheap and nasty inside, i dont care what anyone says to defend these pieces of junk they will never do the WCML justice in the way that 87s and 86s did, they performed impecably for over 30 years and 40 in the case of 86s. Why such a horrible train was allowed to take over is beyond me theres absolutely nothing good about them, Virgin got it wrong big time with these and the Voyagers.

Why should anybody care about what you say then?

It works both ways.

 

[ivanhoe]

Like many new trains, Pendolinos look good but flatter to deceive once you're sitting in Standard Class. The seat window alignment is poor and the general ambience is less than impressive. We are stuck with these now but whether they last as long as their predecessors remains to be seen.

 

[Failed Unit]

Had part of 185146 today as (usual) one engine was out but more important than that 51146 was f-f-f-f-reezing cold. Brrrr. Is that the alternator gone then?
Get it sorted TPE!

I recall I journey I made when the 185's were new, the air-conditioning was set to a very low temperature. So on a cold January evening I felt warmer when I got off the train at York (this could of course have been because on the train I was doing very little and at York I was walking). Whatever the train was very cold and wasn't a good first trip on the 185. My winter jacket stayed on and totally buttoned up!

 

[CosherB]

They are a lot faster and much quicker accellerating than the 87s, but the inside is awful - narrow, cramped, with letterbox windows. A bit like being in a lo-cost airline seat.

Compare that to the spacious, comfortable Mk3s with their picture windows.

Even some first class seats don't have windows on a Pendo! £360 squids for a ticket and you can't even see out!

 

[StewieG]

I recall I journey I made when the 185's were new, the air-conditioning was set to a very low temperature. So on a cold January evening I felt warmer when I got off the train at York (this could of course have been because on the train I was doing very little and at York I was walking). Whatever the train was very cold and wasn't a good first trip on the 185. My winter jacket stayed on and totally buttoned up!

Wasn't there a problem with that? And after a couple of months they modified the software after passenger complaints so that the temperature should change accordingly

 

[ChrisTheRef]

They are a lot faster and much quicker accellerating than the 87s, but the inside is awful - narrow, cramped, with letterbox windows. A bit like being in a lo-cost airline seat.

Compare that to the spacious, comfortable Mk3s with their picture windows.

Even some first class seats don't have windows on a Pendo! £360 squids for a ticket and you can't even see out!

I disagree. I've never had that problem

 

[Failed Unit]

I disagree. I've never had that problem

I am been a litle pedantic either, but come on just because you have never had a problem doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. If you look at Virgin's seating plan for first class it clearly shows some people don't get a view. I have never been on a train full enough myself to not be in the position to move if I got the pleasure of one of these seats, but unfortunatly they do exist.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Wasn't there a problem with that? And after a couple of months they modified the software after passenger complaints so that the temperature should change accordingly

I think you are right, not had the problem since, shame they were introduced in the winter.

 

[ChrisTheRef]

I think H02 is the only one within the entire four carriages

 

[Failed Unit]

I think H02 is the only one within the entire four carriages

3 seats, so not too bad, but not good PR they could have just put a luggage rack in its place.

virgintrains.elviscommunications.net/temp/pdf/seating-plan.pdf

 

[harz99]

Like many new trains, Pendolinos look good but flatter to deceive once you're sitting in Standard Class. The seat window alignment is poor and the general ambience is less than impressive. We are stuck with these now but whether they last as long as their predecessors remains to be seen.

Couldn't agree more - the biggest problem is the seats which are at best suited to 30 minute journeys akin to a bus ride.

They offer virtually no padding on the base, little support for your back and none for your neck/head if you want to snooze on a long journey.

Although very few Standard class seats will ever come up to the standard of the ones in Mark 2E/F carriages, Virgin's are about the worst of the current long distance operators, and are in need of an upgrade asap.

 

[CosherB]

I disagree. I've never had that problem

Ha! So because you have never personally been allocated a first class seat that is adjacent to a blank wall instead of a window, you don't think they exist? Your username indicates you might be some sort of referee. Are you sure you are suited to that?

Take a look at the Pendelino seating plan. Or maybe, if you've not seen it yet, you don't beleive that exists, either? If you did, you might have checked it before making your crass response to my post!

Big red card to you! :roll:

 

[Trains06]

There is one seat in First Class which has no window, but they try not to book that one.

 

[CosherB]

There is one seat in First Class which has no window, but they try not to book that one.

There are three. Coach 'H', seats 2, 7, and 8. It is unbelievable that you could pay £415 (anytime first Euston - Glasgow ret.) and not even be able to see out of the window!

 

[tony_mac]

and how often is first class so full that they are needed?
you could paying a fortune for a first class seat and end up standing, so I don't really think 3 dodgy seats is significant.

I don't actually have a problem with the seats on a pendo - luxury compared to a 185 or a 350, which is most of the other long-distance trains that go from here.

I agree that the windows are terrible, I pay careful attention when I get on to get a decent seat. Many people don't seem to look and will sit next to a wall when there is a perfectly good vacant window seat behind it.

 

[Old Timer]

As a regular first class Pendolino traveller at the moment (to far to go for East Coast since they went down hill), I think they are truly appalling things. Whilst there is no disputing that they can accelerate away quicker, if you took powered wheel to powered wheel comparison with an 87, then that would outmatch what a Pendolino can put down.

After only a few years the insides are tacky, many of the table lights do not work, some are only retained in their bracket by the use of sticky tape, and the radio system has been turned off.

Whilst I would say overall the on-train Broadband is very useful, it does have problems at times and on occasions does not work at all in some vehicles, or sends out such a poor signal that it is impossible to use.

Out of preference I would go Mk3 and 87 but the set now running around does not have a restaurant on which rules that out I am afraid, as on the train is the only quality time I get to go online, listen to Radio 4 and eat !

The Mk 4 has a better modern ambience, and under GNER 1st class used to look far more elegant.

 

[harz99]

I agree that the windows are terrible, I pay careful attention when I get on to get a decent seat. Many people don't seem to look and will sit next to a wall when there is a perfectly good vacant window seat behind it.

Could it be due to seat specific advance tickets? Or might they actually prefer not to see where they have wizzed past?

 

[Old Timer]

Or might they actually prefer not to see where they have wizzed past?

That could be a reason on Birmingham services where one has to pass Lawley St with the possibility of seeing those horrendous looking Class 70s skulking away there !

Although when I pass by they are either not there, or are well hidden away in accordance with the City Council Injunction !

 

[ChrisTheRef]

There are three. Coach 'H', seats 2, 7, and 8. It is unbelievable that you could pay £415 (anytime first Euston - Glasgow ret.) and not even be able to see out of the window!

I challenge you - or anyone really - to find one of those seats reserved and take a picture.

 

[87031]

you would think that more effort would of been put into the design of the windows and interiors Virgin should of kept there hands of the railways and stuck to planes and broadband, Pendolinos are simply not good enough for the WCML

 

[ukrob]

you would think that more effort would of been put into the design of the windows and interiors Virgin should of kept there hands of the railways and stuck to planes and broadband, Pendolinos are simply not good enough for the WCML

Change the record.

 

[Daimler]

Change the record.

It may be repetitive, but it is a fair point. They aren't as good as they should be.

A friend of mine, at Lancaster University, used one recently to get back for Christmas. He isn't by any stretch a rail enthusiast, nor even much of a rail user, but he didn't enjoy his journey - no proper view out of the window and a smelly toilet.

In contrast, I took him on a HST on Monday, and he preferred that by far - even the toilet facilities. Indeed, when I asked him how old he thought the train was, he guessed only 2-3 years - a testament to the design of the Mk3 coach, I would argue, even considering the numerous refurbishments. (admittedly, he did later say he hadn't noticed the slam doors!)

 

[asylumxl]

The Pendos are designed to be fast and carry a lot of passengers.

Many people read or sleep on them and so are not all that fussed that they only have a partial view.

Ofcourse HST toilets don't smell, they dump everything on the tracks...

 

[Old Timer]

Other trains with retention toilets don't smell though.