The Virgin Trains Story: The early years

Virgin Trains were a dominant force in the British rail industry, so it's time to take a look at their history and operations. In this first part, we'll explore the first years of Virgin Trains, from 1997 to 2006.
Discord: / discord
Music:
Cooper Ave - The Westerlies
Dover - The Westerlies
Photography and videography:
Virgin Trains
Sharon Farmer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A-M-Jervis, UNclimatechange, Ben Gamble, kitmasterbloke, Peter Broster, Ben Coulson, mattbuck (category), Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom and S Parish, CC BY-SA 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
Branson Family
kl91711, Skatz-Nelstar at German Wikipedia, Terumasa, Tagishsimon, G-13114 and Sunil060902, CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
British Railway, PeterSkuce, Geof Sheppard and Chris McKenna (Thryduulf), CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
SKM Editorial and Photography
Photo57601
citytransportinfo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Snow storm in Eastern Asia at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Jon Tooke
mixmam1

[@oliverstemp9132]

We need more Virgin Trains kind of operators, mainly because they really cared about trains and forced the DfT to be better

[@matthewsmatters]

That’s why they’re gone though 😅 Called DfT’s bluff on pensions black hole blank cheques (liabilities more technically). Stagecoach calling it in reality. They did some good in their time. But I do recall the last few years being a real rundown of the service, it hadn’t been true Virgin for some time. They were losing their way and our trains have become by an large a fight to the bottom. At top dollar ticket prices, of course!

[@CourtMcCheese]

I always wanted to try Virgin, never went on a giant rail trip until a few months ago. Pendelino trains are very comfortable I have to say. Congrats on your milestone of 1 year 🎉

[@GWVillager]

A shame, travelling Virgin was quite an experience!

[@EM-yk1dw]

Comfortable? Not as comfortable as the mark 3 coaches, and the Pendolinos stink of sewage too.

[@CourtMcCheese]

@@EM-yk1dw voyagers are worse

[@EM-yk1dw]

@@CourtMcCheese Yes I agree and too short for the services they run on too

[@AndrewG1989]

I do remember riding on Virgin Trains from London Euston to Birmingham New Street before it became Avanti West Coast. And not forgetting Virgin Trains East Coast and Virgin Trains Crosscountry. I also remember Virgin Cola and Virgin Megastore being around as well.

[@Hascienda27]

Virgin cola should be brought back

[@pessimisticvideographer5039]

Great quality video excited for part 2

[@thetrainspotter43]

Fantastic video, I know this has been in waiting for quite some time, so fantastic to see the result at long last. Those virgin seats 👌

[@alfiemeadows3541]

Amazing video!!!

[@gkeaoyrge]

I do miss some of the now defunct Virgin brands, particularly Virgin Trains, Virgin Megastores and Virgin Cinemas. The older logos and products offerings were always very sexy and rock and roll in a Virgin kind of way. It managed to make our crap railways feel pretty pleasant to use when everything was running properly.

[@VladimirPutinIsGood]

Good Job 👍

[@JAKE_CS]

Amazing video. I miss Virgin alot my love of trains started with them

[@funnygallie7863]

This made me cry because I miss virgin so much 😢

[@charliemcdornell]

ive got goosebumps

[@lylec7755]

Well, if you think about it. The Pendolinos would be amazing on the East Coast Mainline, they could go to 140mph and on any curves, they can just tilt.

[@GWVillager]

The ECML isn't really curved enough to justify tilt's expensive maintenance, hence the eventual decision to not purchase them for it.

[@matthewsmatters]

There are a few parts of the line close to Edinburgh where it would be nice. Lateral motion gets a wee bit much. But for the rest of the route, I can understand and agree, that it just isn’t justified. Remembering that the big windows and enjoying those great coastal views around Berwick would suffer.

[@whizzbtw]

Penilinos are going to be replaced soon by Hitachi Class 805 bi-mode multiple units and ten Class 807 electric multiple units.

[@matthewsmatters]

@@whizzbtw it’s Voyagers being replaced, not Pendolinos. This will cause issue with speed restrictions when they need diesel running to likes of Glasgow and Edinburgh though. DfT and Avanti being cheap. Very poor move having non tilting rolling stock back on WCML.

[@whizzbtw]

@@matthewsmatters Ohh yeah I mixed them up , my bad.

[@robnewman6101]

I also have a Hardback Book called The Railway Policeman. The Story of the Constable on the Track.

[@spiritofcantaolisboa-p8871]

I will miss Pendolinos and their tilting ability when Hitachi Units enter service to replace them in the next future as class 221 are going first.

[@spiritofcantaolisboa-p8871]

What i really do not appreciate on franchising system is on a same railway station, a big on such as Manchester Piccadilly is to devide 13 platforms by 3 companies each inspecting their platform access gates making impossible to jump from platform to plaform when services randomly arrive and depart from all of them regardless the operator. To make things worst when is a platform alteration to different platforms, passengers have in many cases to activate the gate from a company to go out and operate to com in a different company set of platformas, because they erected glass gates on to the platformas itself. In BR days things were much more functional i guess.

[@wrichard11]

Virgin always promised far more than they could deliver.

[@abbush2921]

Whatever he starts turns to dust .

[@Matthewscrimbly]

Train moment

[@danielnesbitt9565]

There are a lot of inaccuracies in this video. For a start, the interior refurbishments were started under the previous government owned shadow franchises, which is why the inherited fleets for XC and West Coast had different interior styles IMHO Virgin were always style over substance and we are well rid of them.

[@robnewman6101]

I have the DORLING KINDERSLEY DK EYEWITNESS GUIDES Book of TRAIN. Discover the story of railways - from the days of steam to the high - speed, sophisticated trains of today. In association with THE NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM.

[@davidwootton1470]

the dft hated Virgin and I am sure thats why they did not get the franchises

[@Arghans]

Sadly their choice of trains let them down in the Westcountry. To this day I still avoid the Voyager.

[@omnibus360]

The only thing I disliked Virgin (and indeed XC) for was the running of the Voyager with the 4/5 car config. Utter madness it’s always heavingly busy in Cheltenham…. I assume Bombardier never offered a 7-9 car offering

[@GWVillager]

They did - the Class 222! It is a shame that the trains are so short, but I do consider it likely that longer trains were offered as part of Virgin’s 2007 bid, but rejected on cost grounds.

[@EM-yk1dw]

Virgin lost the WCML because they would not take on the pension shortfall.

[@fickdich9918]

That was stagecoach not Virgin

[@wisehat_yt]

Btw msg to my wife: can i see my kids please? i miss them. this is not fair. im not the alcholic one.

[@charliemcdornell]

I TOTALLY SUPPORT YO UIN ANY DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS. WE CNA GET YOU SOME KIDS

[@ConfusedOxygen]

average wisehat comment