Virgin Trains suffered a catastrophic signal failure and it was very bad timing
It’s not unusual for Virgin Trains to suffer a load of delays and cancellations, as anyone who uses their so-called service will tell.
What was unusual about this one was the timing.
#VTNEW Due to a fault with the signalling system between London Euston and Watford Junction all lines are blocked. Updates to follow.
— Virgin Trains (@VirginTrains) September 26, 2018
Because it happened just as the Labour party conference in Liverpool had come to an end. Which made it doubly unfortunate because of this, as pointed out by journalist Jim Waterson on Twitter.
Lads just a quick heads up that you've got the whole shadow cabinet and half of Britain's journalists about to get on your network in an hour and they're all hungover and grumpy and wanting to nationalise things.
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) September 26, 2018
Ouch.
Couldn't make this up. We need public ownership of our railways. https://t.co/PKRe0Hl0bh
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) September 26, 2018
You could almost feel sorry … no, of course not.
Compulsory exile for Richard Branson ought to be on the next @uklabour manifesto.
— Otaniemi #GTTO (@Otaneimi) September 26, 2018
Except it turned out it was a little bit more complicated than that.
While this is a total PR disaster for Virgin, the disruption is due to a signalling failure – which is operated by the already publicly owned Network Rail. https://t.co/kYyjKygkoi
— James Ball (@jamesrbuk) September 26, 2018
As one of your journalist contemporaries put it, it was renationalised as the privatised service kept killing people
— Andy (@abinitio1980) September 26, 2018
Yep, it was @duncanrobinson. And it was the right move. But you can’t claim that today’s delays are a reason to nationalise rail when it’s a delay caused by the already nationalised bit.
— James Ball (@jamesrbuk) September 26, 2018
To conclude …
“grumpy & wanting to nationalise things” is a big mood https://t.co/AA1N8nZO14
— shannon (@shann0ndaly) September 26, 2018
