Travelling from Liverpool to Manchester this afternoon on TransPennine Express, I asked the host for a hot chocolate when she came through the train. I was told that as this is a new type of train (one of the locomotive hauled sets), they no longer serve hot drinks to passengers in Standard. I asked why and she said that was the way that the new trains had been designed. I haven't travelled on one of these trains before.
I generally buy hot drinks onboard trains because the convenience benefit is so much greater than with other things that can be easily carried, and because hot drinks at stations usually aren't cheaper than onboard. So I find it utterly bamboozling that apparently they have decided no longer to serve hot drinks at seat in Standard class.
The host did say to me that if I wanted to I could come down to First Class they would be able to serve me there after they had gone through Standard. An at-seat service is available in First. Obviously I declined because by the time I had walked down to First, waited and then walked back we would have been half way to Manchester. This was never a problem with the old trains, so I am confused about what TPE are doing here.
I generally buy hot drinks onboard trains because the convenience benefit is so much greater than with other things that can be easily carried, and because hot drinks at stations usually aren't cheaper than onboard. So I find it utterly bamboozling that apparently they have decided no longer to serve hot drinks at seat in Standard class.
The host did say to me that if I wanted to I could come down to First Class they would be able to serve me there after they had gone through Standard. An at-seat service is available in First. Obviously I declined because by the time I had walked down to First, waited and then walked back we would have been half way to Manchester. This was never a problem with the old trains, so I am confused about what TPE are doing here.