Virgin Trains (Virgin Trains)

Member Name: counttuten

Product:	Virgin Trains
Date:	04/03/09 (116 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: This taught me to shop around

Disadvantages: Late, Don't care. False

My business experience in all classes of Virgin train have been a mixture of OK and awful and I have never met the cheery, 'have a drink' staff that have been mentioned, either in First Class or on these pages. I hope they exist.
Occasionally I get the attendant who dishes out the necessary but more often the Buffet car is closed, the supplies haven't arrived or they have run-out of things. This happens, but surely they must get to know what is popular?
My most recent horror story is the experience of my Disabled wife, on 2 identical journeys and both ending-up like a trip in a cattle truck.
Glasgow to Milton Keynes and back seems to have more failures in service than any other I have witnessed.
My wife used the Journeycare the first time and was dumped at a seat by the first contact, TOLD to get the bags she couldn't lift onto the overhead rack, as the attendant wasn't lifting them, [another passenger helped] then bundled off to another carriage where she shared her first class compartment with an overspill of passengers, incl masses of kids, from another lost train and many not even having a ticket, and none first class. The wonderful buffet, over the 7 hour delayed train, consisted of a packet of crisps and a small can of juice. The buffet car was shut. After a complaint they sent a £5 voucher valid for 3 months which was the most patronising gesture I can think of, under the circumstances. They claim their Journeycare network will be alerted of a Disabled person throughout the journey? Not so. If the journey is split and the train is late then you have a chance of your beloved being left on a platform, entertaining the Pigeons.
We had a repeat performance of the No Buffet and 'We don't care' a few weeks ago and my wife is still suffering. Because we didn't ask for Journeycare, [ vis-a-vis the previous experience, we arranged a family member to accompany to avoid the problems ] and the train was late, she had to be rushed across a station to catch the connection. This floored her to a point of agony, getting into the first carriage as the train was departing, and all the 'Attendant' could do was tell her to get out of first class or pay more. "If she was ill get-off and get a Paramedic"
Again, refusing to help with the luggage she was bundled, in tears, down 3 carriages to satisfy the pomp of the Attendant. Again, another kind passenger helped.
I await their response with interest. I've already had the Copy & Paste letter with 6 'sorry paragraphs' in different font sizes, and typeface, so they cannot even produce a letter with sincerity.
This Virgin Train experience is a 'boot-camp' for the disadvantaged traveller and I really would advise anyone to find an alternative, if possible.

In contrast, last year we flew to Birmingham and onto Paris with BMI and back. The Ground, In-flight and care staff were wonderful and made the trip alone enjoyable and effortless, even through Chas de Gaulle which is huge. This was standard help for disabled passengers and no need for a business or first class ticket. Well done BMI. Does what it says on the box!

The most troubling thing for me is that I have a lot of respect for Richard Branson and his achievements but I find it incorrigible that he accepts such awful standards, of course, assuming he knows about them? The management team seem content to fob everyone with cliches, petty apologies and justifications for their action. I think this includes Richard Branson.
Don't use Virgin Trains, if possible, as the risk of a bad travelling/ late experience is very high. Good luck. Post your bad experiences here.

Summary: Get another means of transport