Virgin Pendolino standard class disappointment

I found my experience of the Virgin Pendolino standard class carriage while comfortable, dark and narrow.

21st March 2011

On Sunday the 20th March I travelled back from Birmingham on a Virgin Pendolino service to London Euston. This was after the conclusion of my friend Richard's Stag Do ahead of his wedding in April. I did push the boat out and purchase a first class ticket for the return journey to London. This was fortunate because I had a disgusting hangover. I found it interesting to compare the journey up to Birmingham on the Saturday in standard class to that of first class on the Sunday.

Virgin Pendolino at Crawford

The journey in standard class was surprising. Whether my exceptions were over inflated, I am not sure, but I found the experience of carriage while comfortable, dark and narrow. I noted very quickly that passengers sitting on the window seat for example do not have an armrest between the seat and window. Unlike on a the Meridian or InterCity 125 trains.

Regarding the dark Pendolino carriages I imagine that because of my regular journeys into London St Pancras on an InterCity 125 service. I have been completely spoiled traveling around in what I believe the gold standard of British rail travel because of the large windows and comfortable quiet ride.

The Pendolino mechanically as you may expect is quiet when compared to diesel electrics. Despite my gripes about the interior the journey was terribly exciting when the train banked through the corners at high speed like an aeroplane or motorcycle. The return leg of the journey in first class was very quiet and welcome due to my delicate condition.

The travelling on Pendolino services day as you may expect made me think about the ill fated Advanced Passenger Train, APT.

APT 370002 at platform 1 London Euston Scanned from 1000 ASA Kodak neg

If you are not familiar with APT it was an experimental tilting High Speed Train developed by British Rail during the 1970s and early 1980s. The trains were rushed into service early because of Political and managerial pressures. The trains which entered services on the East Coast Mainline were removed from service almost as quickly as they entered service because of public mechanical issues. According to Wikipedia the APT was often jokingly referred to by passengers as the 'Accident Prone Train' because of the mechanical problems.

It does make me wonder if the investment in HS2 line and new trains will be a bit of a white elephant like the Millennium Dome or APT and whether the money could be better spent on electrifying the remained of the rail network so the ageing InterCity 125 can be taken out of service and replaced with Pendolino trains.

Pendolino trains are from a technical stance fantastic. The interior of the carriages in standard was more reminiscent of a submarine than an InterCity 125 but I am sure that it can improved to suit my critical eye.

I think that it is the sensible solution to our Nations rail woes. In the short to middle term because by adding news trains the electorate will see investment in the network through the replacement of old trains with trains designed to run to faster through corners reducing journey times. In time the expansion of a high speed rail network will become important but currently passengers are interested in train length, seats and climate issues. High speed is not top of their wish lists. Nor mine.

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