Great video. Virgin were over optimistic and ill advised with “Operation Princess” in 2003, leaving a legacy fleet of trains to short for their intended purpose…the Voyager 🫣 I can remember diesel hauled XC services under BR in the 1980’s being at least ten coaches long. Fast forward 40 years and you have a train a roughly third of a size running between Edinburgh and Plymouth while the population of this country has increased a great deal since the 1980’s…it just does not add up. XC can take 12 extra Avanti 221’s, but this won’t solve the overcrowding completely 🤔 losing the HST’s was a travesty for capacity, but thats a different story. Which ever way you look at it, Voyagers are not fit for purpose for a vast network like XC. The DFT and Arriva need to invest in a fleet of 9 or 10 car bi-mode trains to utilise the 25KV between New Street & Manchester and between Glasgow/Edinburgh & Wakefield . A 9 car IET or something similar could provide 1 and three quarter coaches of 1st class (including a small cafe bar) and 7 coaches of standard class accommodation which by GWR AT300’s provides around 580 standard class seats. Further electrification between Birmingham/Wakefield and Doncaster would be a great idea plus Birmingham to Bristol too, utilising the 25KV option more, but alas, this all requires “Money”, so don’t expect any of these improvements anytime soon 🤔

I hope the new Prime Minister Strips Cross Country's Franchise

Class 156 trains 🚂 🚆 🚊 are the 2 carriage trains 🚂 🚊 🚆 . Class 156 trains 🚂 🚆 🚊 are very good 👍 trains 🚂 🚆 🚊 is because it’s nice 😊 👍 👌 and warm inside the trains 🚂 🚊 🚆. GWR - Great Western Railway 🚃 and TFW - Transport For Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 don’t have the 2 car class 156 trains 🚂 🚊 🚆. Previously the 2 car class 156 trains 🚂 🚆 🚊 have previously been allocated to EMR - East Midlands Railway 🚃 and GA - Greater Anglia. I honestly haven’t been on the 2 car class 156 trains 🚂 🚆 🚊 . Class 156 trains 🚂 🚆 🚊 have a luggage 🧳 rack, bins 🚮 🗑️ , toilet 🚾 🚻 🚽 in the DMSL - Driving Motor Standard Lavatory 🚾 🚻 🚽 , comfortable seats 💺, no smoking accommodation because it’s prohibited 🚫 on all trains 🚂 🚊 🚆 , buses 🚎 🚍 🚌 , railway 🚃 stations 🚉 and inside the buildings around the world 🗺️ 🌏 🌍 🌎 , have open windows 🪟 and are used for provincial services in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 called SR - ScotRail and in the north of England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 called NT - Northern. 👍

The extra 221s should be used to strengthen existing services, not run new ones

Punctuality on X Country services has always been problematic, even in BR days. It’s due to choke points along its routes. Birmingham New Street being a case in point. The length of trains ie capacity is down to the fact, they run frequent services over the core routes. Passengers are expected to stagger their journeys ie if a train is full catch the next. A 4 or 5 car train does not replace a 7 or 8 coach HST. The problem with that of course is advance purchase tickets are only valid on the train they are booked for. I’m lucky now I don’t have to use the franchise.

Excellent video - Cross Country is truly the worst train operator - and it's one which I alway try to avoid. You hit the nail on the head with stating the Virgin only bought 4 coach sets to replace 9 coach HST sets plus the Voyagers are a terrible design with lots of noise and vibration. Couple this with overcrowding - and your journey is always an unpleasant experience.

Okay, one small thing: in my opinion, you use the word 'however' a bit much. Besides that, I like your videos

XC has always been poor, dirty trains, blocked toilets, worn interiors and you cant blame the trains Virgin kept the fleet immaculate, if you call the removal of the shop a refurbishment well its just a space making excercise, since AXC took over the train maintenance seems to have worsen not improved, and yet they get rewarded for poor performance by renewed contract. RENATIONALISE IT NOW

As was recently pointed out in Private Eye, XC doesn't operate services into London and therefore is somewhat neglected by politicians who never use it.

I can relate to you on this. Several times I’ve had to stand up on this useless company

The star of the show is back

I remember someone telling me that the railways weren't privatised. Perhaps he was right because of the increased government bureaucracy.

the IETs would suit XC however I would much rather ride on an overcrowded 220 then an IET for 4+ hours

I used to use Bournemouth-Birmingham regularly and now use Nottingham-Birmingham and Derby-Leeds on a weekly basis. It's depressing to see the number of units undergoing maintenance at Central Rivers, the long distance services need to be 8/9 coaches and Nottingham-Cardiff need to be 4/5 coaches. I'm not sure all the WMR 170s are going to EMR so there should be scope to bolster the fleet.

Retiring the HSTs was definitely not the right decision stretching their fleet almost bare.. Trains from Cornwall to Scotland and Bournemouth to the North are often 4-5 cars which is a yikes. The service idea is also bad, frequent trains with less coaches in the idea they could still move the same amount of passengers. This was of course wrong and more passengers started travelling with no boost to capacity. Add the retirement of the HSTs and you have an operator with barely any capacity leading to overcrowing to shit. The outdated interiors especially the voyagers which are STILL remaining in their original Virgin condition is ridiculous.

Interesting video. Cross country possibly not the worst operator but not the best either. Their hst trains were really great interiors and should have been kept in service.

Btw my uncle drives for Xc and he says voyagers are getting a new refurb and a new livery so yeah the new livery looks crap

Hi have to agree. I live in Bristol so this is my service north to Edinburgh (home town) and Nottingham where I work. I hate them so much not (not the staff you are great) that I now take local trains to Nottingham and go to London then north on LNER, Cross Country as has been said has shocking time keeping. The over crowding is next level. The only operator I ever see that is overcrowded to be honest. Even when I have a reserved seat sometimes the train is so busy you can't get to it. Was working in Leeds last month and had to get them home. My train was cancelled so stood from Leeds to Cheltenham, who puts on a train from Edinburgh to Plymouth in the rush hour going through a lot of major cities that is only 4 coaches!!!. I hate Cross Country and nationalisation can't come quickly enough for them. Have been on the Avanti West Coast recently and it was fantastic. A long train and not packed. This felt like heaven and the coaches were so well laid out and clean. Love them

I would rather travel by National Express than by Cross Country Trains between Bristol and Leeds. It might take longer, and you have an hour layover in Birmingham, but you always have a seat and somewhere to put your luggage , I got sick and tired of the overcrowding and getting off the train in Leeds was an absolute nightmare having to climb over people.

i mean arriva are overall the worst I would say

This is why the Class 800s are Britain's best trains I traveled with CX just last week, and yes I had to stand up for 2 hours between Sheffield and Birmingham, damn voyagers

Its actually worse run by the government, It wasn't so bad under Go-Ahead/Govia. I avoid it now, if i need to go into to Kent from Bexley I do it by bus since the fares are currently low, if its into London then I use the Elizabeth Line

If any part of a journey is electrified, bi mode trans should be used

Cross Country is by far the worst. It has held the longest franchise,over 15 years. It has never invested in any new trains or increase in capacity. Trains are always overcrowded, frequently late with an awful customer service. My mother in law frequently travels from Derby to Newcastle. She has been " dumped " in Darlingto,York,because trains running late and journeys curtailed. She is 84 and left to her own device for onward travel. They have dumped their HST sets adding to further overcrowded trains. They have also cut out trains stopping at Tamworth,Chesterfield and Wakefield. They are an absolute disgrace. They have also stated that in the event of an accident the passengers would be safer as they would be so full no one would be thrown about.

I dont have a problem going form Derby but on returns from York Leeds Birmingham or even Bristol they are either cancelled or full to the brim one time it was a 8 coach from Bristol i thought it was like that all the way NO! it wasnt they tool the second one out of service at Birmingham so about 100 people came scrambling out to board the other 4 coach one at the front while people from Birmingham was also boarding it was the worst thing ive ever seen and i work on the railway for EMR.

Yes, I have travelled on First Capital Connect before and it was alright as it was on the Great Northern line and was not during the peak, it was a x2 Class 365's and it was a good service, but it did stop at most stations, and then I travelled on the GTR Thameslink and Great Northern brands, Thameslink is the most modern but Great Northern offers the better seats as they are more padded because it was a 387, but as 387's on Great Northern mainly operate fast services between London Kings X and Cambridge normally only calling at Stevenage and Letchworth it was decent however the 700 is modern and the destination screens are more informative but the seats are less comfortable, but as both times I was only going for a maximum of around 40 mins it was alright, on the Thameslink I went from Farringdon - Hitchin and on the Great Northern 387 and FCC 365 I went from London Kings X to Hitchin, but always has been a good service and I give the following ratings FCC 365 7/10 Slow Journey, stopped at all stops, comfortable seats. GN 387 7/10 Slow Journey, Most stops, Ironing board seats (amazing padding) TL 700/1 7.5/10 Fast Journey, Only stopped at St Pancras, Finsbury Pk and Stevenage before Hitchin, Ironing Board seats (decently padded) although the 700 and 387 seating is more comfortable than you know what japanese unit that is now spreading like knotweed over GWR, LNER, Hull Trains, TPE and lumo. So yes but at least the commuter 387 and 700 do a better job than IEP/IET units for 2 hours.

I live in the west midlands (county) and dread every time XC is the only option Was travelling to nottingham from birmingham one time and the fuckers sent a *two carriage regional* on an intercity route!

In January I was in a 3 car XC service from the Midlands to Edinburgh.Ridiculous.

I live in Glasgow, but never use XC unless no alternative. We now only have one service per day out of Glasgow. I often go down to Yorkshire, but I just ignore XC options even if they are cheaper, as the trains are so awful inside. If I'm left with no alternative I try to remember to pack my own cushion! People I know will usually fly to Southampton or Bristol which is usually cheaper, quicker and easier than the XC train. Regarding electric traction - TP currently operate a Newcastle-Edinburgh "stopping" service, and the bi-mode trains use diesel power because there seems to be a supply issue for electricity on the ECML north of Newcastle. I don't quite understand it, that's what I've been told by a number of sources. Thanks for the video.

All because the DfT consistently ignore XC and never allowed them to have any kind of major investment, just because they don't have anything to do with the main cash cow of intercity travel that is London. They don't even allow them to have a new franchise agreement, which is what is required to allow them to have drastic improvements in capacity in the form of new longer trains, instead constantly renewing the old franchise that's been in place since 2007. XC have been blamed for something they have absolutely no say in, as they've been desperate for capacity for years, but barely anybody ever realises it's the DfT that won't let them. To add more insult to injury, XC have actually been forced to scrap cheap advanced fares on many of their routes and cut out stops to reduce overcrowding, all because the DfT keep ignoring them (deliberately given they only ever renew the old franchise instead of allowing a new one) when it comes to extra capacity, instead preferring to take it away months before any replacement becomes available due to short-sighted cost savings over any ounce of practicality. By the time XC finally get some sort of improvement in the coming years (an extra 12 Voyagers from Avanti plus total refurbishment of their fleet), most of its market will have already defected to the car (especially while coach travel is still a niche market), and that's already the case now. Meanwhile in Germany, their ICE has trains far superior (in every possible way) to what LNER and Avanti have on routes that are comparable to XC (providing a plethora of connections between multitude of cities without relying on Berlin). Yes, their Hamburg to Munich avoiding Berlin has 8-16 car electrics that can go past 125mph in service, while our Edinburgh to Plymouth avoiding London (comparable distance) is stuck with 4-5 car diesels taking 4 hours longer, 8-9 if you're very lucky AND there's staff available to operate both units.

Now It Looks Like Class 68's And Mk5's Have Been Replaced By Will You Guess A 3 Carriage Diesel Multiple Units Class 185's When It's 3-Coaches To Manchester Airport Or Liverpool Lime Street From Scarborough And Cleethorpes Oh My God! This Makes Everyone Sad And Heartbroken When The Nova 1 Push-Pull Units Are Gone Forever 😭 😥 💔 But Thank God Some A Lot Of Units Are Taking 6-Coaches And Some 802 5-Car Bi-Mode Trains Running To Scarborough When They're Came From Manchester Airport And Liverpool Lime Street 😌

After All Of The Class 68's And Mk5's From TransPennine Express Withdrawn Last Year In December Due To Department For Transport Funding Cuts And This Is Why I Hope The Tories And The Government In England All Be Broken Up This Year Very Soon Similar What They Both Did Back In 2017 Cancelling Projects Like Electrification To Swansea Derby Nottingham Sheffield And Windermere And I Hope The Department For Transport Will Bringing Back The Class 68's And The Mk5's Onto TransPennine In The Future Over A Decade 👿

Still one of the best DMUs on the rails. Even 30 years later.

Typical TPE casting aside innovation and modernity, to save a quick buck (they've said that driver training is too intense on these sets... what?). I hope they go to Chiltern, Hull Trains or TfW who will stretch their legs and make the most of them.

Beautiful sets but that squeaking would really drive me mad!

I live on the WAML I find it hard to believe GA were one of the worst in the country! Sure, the 317s were getting a bit old, but the 379s and the extra platforms at Cambridge were a nice treat, they took good care of what they owned, generally ran pretty punctually and were barely ever overcrowded. And now with the gorgeous modern fleet and plentiful capacity, I have almost zero complaints for them!

please please please find another word instead of using "however" 100 times

XC inherited rail travel as rail expert,Sir Richard Branson, thought it should be.He replaced long loco hauled trains with 3 and 4 car Voyagers,yes I know it was actually 4 and 5 but as most people aren't traveling first class you might as well not count that carriage,the only thing Branson didn't shrink was his ego and profits!So you might say Arriva PLC inherited a pig in a poke.

I’ve had some bizarre journeys on XC. The height of lunacy saw a guard threaten to throw a woman off as she’d stored her pram was stored in the wheelchair space. The woman said she’d gladly move it if anyone needs or and when her baby, who was asleep in her arms, woke up. The guard ranted and raved at her and said he get her arrested. What a plonker! What I find utterly bizarre is how empty first class is. With eye watering fares, and little advantage booking in advance, it’s not surprising.

Definitely one of the few TOCs that needs some serious review of demand vs what's being run nowadays. Was based in Coventry for work and had to regularly use the services to both West and East Coast services from West Midland. Some of the most uncomfortable journeys I ever undertaken!

How can you replace a 9-car HST with a 4-car Voyager?

You pointed to the DfT's numerous failures many times in your video and yet your solution is to give them more power through renationalisation? That sounds like a great idea!

Virgin Train is the worst for me because the legroom are champ

I’d like to share an experience I had a long time ago involving southern. So me and my family went into London to see some friends everything was fine up until we had to go home, we were waiting when it’s announced that the train stopping at our station was severally delayed it was 10pm we were waiting until midnight until a double consist of 377s finally creeped into the platform at London Victoria, worse the platform was crowded, not over crowded but crowded enough to where lots of seats were taken, we managed to get some seats and about 30 minutes later we left, however the train had to terminate at Purley where the train was cancelled because of trespassers, which to be fair isn’t really southerns fault, however it took a further 2 hours for a replacement bus to show up and we got home at about 4am, to be fair to southern they have gotten a bit better

I use cross country trains a lot from Banbury and in my experience, their train crews are beyond fantastic, they are always so friendly, helpful and efficient but that is only in my own experience. The main issue is that there is such a limited train service at present from Reading to Newcastle and half of them terminate at York and whilst this is due to cross country trains being short on rolling stock, this has led to the Bournemouth to Manchester services being extremely overcrowded. The Reading to York and Newcastle trains are not even 2 hourly throughout the day, they are even less frequent. Hopefully this improves significantly in 2025 and 2026. I was doing some train spotting yesterday and even though the 15:03 service from Birmingham to Edinburgh was 5 coaches, it was still packed. Would not be such an issue if cross county had gone back to pre covid hourly Reading - Newcastle services. I cannot wait for next year for cross country to get more trains, personally I find their train crew excellent, just being let down by massive overcrowding thanks to the management, DFT as well. Same with Chiltern as well ( Obviously with different routes).