How busy is weekend virgin trains 1st class?

[jbb]

Thinking of travelling from birmingham to rugby this evening 1st classinstead of standard class because I want to get some feeling if I want to pay the extra for 1st class for my normal much longer commute from rugby to london as it's a lot more money I want to see what the seats are really like and so on... it's probably too expensive but if it's much better, just maybe I'll consider it.

But those trains saturday evening are often very noisy and busy at least in standard class and I wouldn't get a good idea what my commute would be like which is usually nice and quiet

Does anyone know how busy 1st class is likely to be saturday evening? Will it be packed with noisy drunk people like standard class is? Or will I be able to get at least some idea what it's like on a normal commuter time?

 

[All Line Rover]

I suspect the clientèle between Birmingham and Rugby (dirt cheap tickets) are somewhat different to those between Rugby and London (quite expensive tickets), especially on a Saturday evening.

If you want to get an idea of what 'real' First Class is like, why not travel between London and Rugby on a weekday evening. If you book in advance prices are as low as £23.50, and the lower the price, the quieter the train and the nicer the journey!

First Class at the weekend is not comparable to First Class on weekdays, although I have still had many pleasant weekend journeys between Manchester/Liverpool and London.

 

[trainophile]

I travelled Virgin 1st Class from Birmingham to Stockport a couple of Sundays ago and I virtually had a whole carriage to myself! Mind you that was middle of the day on a Sunday, so not comparable to a Saturday night.

 

[island]

Do you like Little Boxes of Snacks?

 

[Mr Spock]

I have been on the 18.50 train from Birmingham and it has never been anything like full on a Saturday in first class.

 

[SephenWorceste]

I was on the the 9.50 New Street to Euston and 17.03 Euston to Birmingham today. I think both stopped at Rugby. Outwards was almost full in first (the previous train had been cancelled) and the return was almost empty (about ten people per carriage). The Pendalinos are really quite comfortable in first and most seats have a window. Perhaps not as good as a First Great Western HST. Refreshments consisted of a snack box and juice followed by one tea or coffee. The crew seem invariably cheerful and friendly. Very different passengers compared to the week. Young couples and families with small children. All very casually dressed and personal stereos in the background. I prefer the week it is quieter and I have a cooked breakfast. The new first class lounge at Birmingham is comfortable but the coffee machine was not working and the only biscuits on offer were those very small ones served with coffee. The lounge at Euston is just dilapidated.

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

[jbb]

I tried this today.
Mostly I wanted to see what the seats were like. I have some minor back problem and sitting all day at work and two hours more on the train isn't helping so I wanted to see if the 1st class seats were better for me.

I asked if I could sit in one for a minute last week without a first class ticket just to see what they were like and the train manager was kind enough to let me But it really wasn't long enough to get much idea. I asked this hear because if I ended up cramped in a seat with some family having a picnic or something on the train it wouldn't have been nice. As it happened it was nice, the coach was only about 40% full. I got a very nice coffee and a snack box. Which wasn;'t great but still far nicer than no snack box

So as I was already going to birmingham yesterday I tried this out. And yes the seat was better so I think I'll try upgrading my season ticket at least for a short time to try that out. Although I do have a question about prices I'll post on the appriate forum.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
In the week in first class do you get proper food on the euston-rugby route?
It seems a bit short to eat properly?

 

[All Line Rover]

In the week in first class do you get proper food on the euston-rugby route?
It seems a bit short to eat properly?

Breakfast and dinner is served on selected services. This means an OK cooked breakfast or dinner, but not a patch on the quality of food available once you arrive at Euston (M&S, Pret, etc.). Food is unlikely to be served on trains which stop at Milton Keynes. The breakfast on Voyager's is inedible, and these trains only have 1 First Class carriage.

Breakfast is served on the following non-stop Pendolinos to London: 07:08, 07:29, 07:55, 08:23, 09:23, 10:23.

Dinner is served on the following non-stop Pendolinos to Rugby: 17:03, 17:33, 18:03, 18:33.

On all other services you will get a sandwich and a couple of other snacks.

 

[MKB]

Virgin stopped serving "dinner" on West Midlands services last Autumn. It's now a hot or cold "snack" such as a pasty. However, if you ask for the pretzels, piece of fruit and cake, it can almost substitute for a proper, if not very well balanced, meal.

 

[jbb]

I get the 18:33 to rugby so that would be good.
Do you know if you get anything at all on the 06:32 Rug->Eus? A cup of coffee?

 

[calc7]

I get the 18:33 to rugby so that would be good.
Do you know if you get anything at all on the 06:32 Rug->Eus? A cup of coffee?

I disagree with All Line Rover. Southbound I would expect a full breakfast on this service, as the crew should be able to serve people joining from the fine Warwickshire town in the 20 minutes before Milton Keynes.

It is Northbound services from London calling at Milton Keynes where the crews are instructed not to serve when these passengers are aboard.

 

[xtradj]

I travel first class frequently on week nights on the last 20.48 liverpool to euston service. I know this is not a weekend however I always have a coach to myself. I would suggest Saturdays early on would be busy traveling to and from London but traveling to London late sat evening I would suggest would be quite whilst busy if coming from London.

 

[jbb]

Thank you for the updates.
I decided regardless off the food offering to upgrade my ticket just for its remaining couple of months to try it out.

My main motivation is that I have a slight back problem at the moment and find the slightly better seats and more space to be better for it. And when I get someone with an oversized laptop or elbows sitting next to me on standard class I end up sitting hunched over to one side which does me no good at all. Hopefully a month or two in 1st class will help with that, then I'll change back

Getting food is more a way to help me justify the expense to myself than a requirement :P