[Dennis David]

How's this for a dumb question. With all the separate railway companies can I still use my BritRail Pass on lines such as the Virgin Trains? And no funny remarks either.

 

[folkestonekeith]

A friend of mine from Japan visited last year (he came to ride the slam-door EMUs before they were consigned to the knackers yard!!) and he had no problem using his BritRail Pass on SouthEastern Trains and Southern Trains so would assume no problem using it on Virgin Trains.

I think he also said you can now use the BritRail Pass on the Heathrow Express ....but it can't be used on the likes of the London Underground......

Advance seat reservations may be a problem....you might have to take your BritRail Pass to the booking office to get the reservations......

 

[Dennis David]

I can do reservations online actually. But do I really need reservations? Can't I just toss some wanker?

The slammers are those the coaches where each compartment had it's own door? I thought those were gone ages ago.

 

[folkestonekeith]

Hi Dennis, I've never ventured on to Virgin but do hear that some of their Cross-Country services get very crowded.....

Yep, the slammers are the coaches with doors that you slammed shut. Coaches with a door to each compartment were used on surburban services and were phased out a few years ago....but the mainline stuff lasted longer. Some of the units are still lurking around (in case the new stuff conks out) but SouthWest Trains have refurbished two units for use on the Lymington Branch somewhere down near Bournemouth - they've had central locking fitted and had to get special dispensation to be used as Health & Safety (bless their hearts) wanted them removed!!

Keith

 

[Dennis David]

With the smell of some of those old coaches I'm surprised that Health & Safety did not shut them earlier.