London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[MidnightFlyer]

Hi, this is my first post here.

Welcome!

I use East Coast Train quite often from Doncaster to Edinburgh and sometimes I can get the cheaper Advance First Class ticket. Before the only reason to pay little more is the free wifi (sadly, sometimes it is very slow). Now, it seems the free meal sounds very attarctive to me.

May I ask some question:
1. The Advance First Class ticket with Rail card will be ok to get the free meals?

Looks like it.

2. I will have these two bought Flirst Class trips: Doncaster to Edinburgh 11:10-14:18 of 23 May; and Edinburgh to Doncaster 18:30-21:38 of 26 May. What kinds of food I can get for each trip?

As has been said, we'll have to wait until the annotated timetables are out, this will give us an indication.

3. How does the service staff decide which type of meal to provide? according to the passenger's train ticket departing time or?

Dictated by above, they will have a set list. (Say its an afternnon tea train, they will offer what that dictates.)

4. Can I get the wine service after noon during the trip but my trip departing time is earlier?

I would hazard a guess at yes, but I'm not sure, may depend how far into your journey noon is.

Thanks for your reading and hope to get some expert's replies.

I'm no expert, the above is all from what I can gather.

 

[bearteacher]

Thank you Matt!

 

[williamn]

If they have stock left over how about selling it to those in Standard? They could pehaps have a seating area set aside, maybe even call it a restaurant?

Seriously though, why not alow Standard passengers to buy the food too?

I think the new catering makes sense for East Coast but I will miss the Restaurant Car, the linen, the special atmosphere etc

 

[lyesbkz]

I'm a bit confused: are the times specified referring to the time the train departs from its origin? As in, will a train leaving KGX at 19.00 be defined as an 'Evening' train and anyone who joins it after this point will receive the 'Evening' menu?

 

[silentone]

I had also heard that EC will be with us until 2013 when it will then transfer to the new operator.

When any train is travelling/departing during the time of a specified offer that train will provide that offer. If a train is travelling when the offer changes then so does the service on the train.

Seriously though, why not alow Standard passengers to buy the food too?

So why not let passengers in standard buy the sandwiches on offer? Erm they come from the same supplier as the current sandwiches - so you already can. As far as they have stated the 'meals' will be for those in First Class only as this is part of the entire draw of the new offer. Standard Class passengers will and are well catered for and this will continue and there are no plans to scale back that offer other than removing some trolley services.

Also the restaurant does not use linen, I'm affraid to inform you those table cloths are indeed paper. And the special atmosphere is called First Class but with meals.

 

[ApAp]

Also the restaurant does not use linen, I'm affraid to inform you those table cloths are indeed paper. And the special atmosphere is called First Class but with meals.

When did the linen disappear? I'm sure it disappeared sometime into NXEC's shot at the franchise, or has it always been paper but appeared better quality in the past?

There was a special atmosphere in first class, there were often interesting people to talk to in there that'd never buy a first class ticket.

Although it was not always the case. I remember a group of toffs sitting in the restaurant loudly talking about how rich they were and how important each of their 'daddies' was. Despite being supposedly rich, they played every game in the book to avoid returning to their seats in standard. I felt like kicking them out myself. To make thinks worse they way they talked about the staff behind their backs was very rude as if they were not good enough to be serving them.

On a lighter note: any confirmation on the beers to be offered? An ale was mentioned, do we know what or will it be a regularly rotated guest ale?

I must say I am looking forward to trying the new service it doesn't sound bad at all (but description and reality can vary).

 

[YorkshireRider]

Its always been paper since i started for GNER about 8 yrs ago but yes it was better quality. The beers i think will be London Pride, Stella and an organic cider which im told is very nice. This could yet be subject to change.

 

[jon0844]

Am I right in thinking that 'Eureka' is now going to be called 'Welcome' for the general public?

 

[Anon Mouse]

Am I right in thinking that 'Eureka' is now going to be called 'Welcome' for the general public?

only welcome if you can afford 1st class!

 

[ainsworth74]

On the subject of EC's restaurant I was a bit disappointed today to discover that for some reason the 18:30 from Kings Cross was not having a restaurant service and instead only a cafebar. Most annoying is that this was my first and only opportunity to try the restaurant before they go in May

 

[jon0844]

When we went to Leeds in February, the restaurant wasn't working due to having to combine two trains into one (from earlier disruption on the ECML) so we never got to try it either!

 

[YorkshireRider]

Am I right in thinking that 'Eureka' is now going to be called 'Welcome' for the general public?

Yep thats right

 

[jon0844]

Just looked and they've already created a URL;

www.eastcoast.co.uk/welcome

 

[silentone]

Indeed staff will be wearing badges similar to the above! And I've heard, as I've already been asked to do so that they want staff to shake passengers hands and say "Welcome to...." when they board. I can just picture it now in my head as staff grandly step off the train announcing "WELCOME TO..."

The new marketing, of which is going to be very much all over the place, is not going to be escapable at all. It's going to be Welcome to.... everything, welcoming you to the brand new shiny East Coast world. The filming for the TV ad was pushed back but I do believe has taken place or is about to take place, it is going to feature 2 comedians and one of them is Rory Bremner.

Also the fast 'Flying Scotsman' service has been mentioned quite a lot as 'The Flying Scotsman' this will continue and a train will receive a slightly different repaint than the rest of the fleet and be named for the launch of that service on Monday May 23rd.

More of the offer is being finalised. The Regional Ale's are still to be confirmed. Crews are now getting to see the full 4 week rotation of all menu's as they stand now, the quality of what's on offer from May is greatly improving.

And finally the word Eureka! is now banned, anything related to May is now 'Welcome to...'

Oh the new timetables are on there way, they have a scenic 'Welcome To' sign on the front..... actually nip over to the website and you will find it there!

 

[[email protected].]

Just been looking at the NRT Table 26, I see the 12:00 Dep for Kings Cross "The Highland Chieftain" is now called "The Northern Lights".
Part of the new image ?

 

[ainsworth74]

Just been looking at the NRT Table 26, I see the 12:00 Dep for Kings Cross "The Highland Chieftain" is now called "The Northern Lights".
Part of the new image ?

I suspect it's a mistake 'The Northern Lights' is services which run between Kings Cross and Aberdeen, so someone may have got confused somewhere along the line.

 

[silentone]

The actual new EC timetable still refers to it as The Highland Chieftain.... a train will also be named as such.

 

[[email protected].]

Good old network rail.

 

[Skimble19]

Also the fast 'Flying Scotsman' service has been mentioned quite a lot as 'The Flying Scotsman' this will continue and a train will receive a slightly different repaint than the rest of the fleet and be named for the launch of that service on Monday May 23rd.

GNER Livery?

Sorry, couldn't resist. :roll:

Speaking of slightly different liveries, just how many were painted in the Silver East Coast livery before they switched to Grey?

 

[silentone]

I haven't heard anything about them switching to grey although someone brought it up here recently.

I can't see why they would switch part-way through the repainting and so far every set I've seen has had the same grey/silver looking paint. No-one has yet provided any photo comparison to one set 'silver' and another 'grey'.

The Flying Scotsman name they are using is the same type as GNER used, although that type relates back to the history of the route, and the train will be more purple than the rest of the fleet.

 

[AlterEgo]

GNER Livery?

Sorry, couldn't resist. :roll:

Speaking of slightly different liveries, just how many were painted in the Silver East Coast livery before they switched to Grey?

What kind of repaint are they actually going to do then?

 

[Anon Mouse]

What kind of repaint are they actually going to do then?

LNER blue would be nice

 

[silentone]

:roll: from above

.... and the train will be more purple than the rest of the fleet.

 

[bengolding]

Spoke with the First Class lounge staff the other day who explained that they will offer complimentary wine from weekday afternoons. The Lounge entry fee still applies to holders of non-flexible First Class tickets.

 

[Skimble19]

I haven't heard anything about them switching to grey although someone brought it up here recently.

I can't see why they would switch part-way through the repainting and so far every set I've seen has had the same grey/silver looking paint. No-one has yet provided any photo comparison to one set 'silver' and another 'grey'.

The Flying Scotsman name they are using is the same type as GNER used, although that type relates back to the history of the route, and the train will be more purple than the rest of the fleet.

I've not seen/noticed the difference in the flesh myself either yet, but there was a photo in the latest RAIL I believe that showed two sets by each other with the difference somewhat noticeable. According to what East Coast apparently told them (RAIL) it was down to "the cost of the metallic paint". Sounds believable, still odd to change after starting though.

 

[philjo]

The new printed EC timetables are available in the racks at Edinburgh Waverley - I picked up a couple yesterday.
It doesn't have the shading through to specify which food offering is available on different parts of the journey.

I used the restaurant last night on the 16:00 from Edinburgh.

 

[silentone]

The new printed EC timetables are available in the racks at Edinburgh Waverley - I picked up a couple yesterday.
It doesn't have the shading through to specify which food offering is available on different parts of the journey.

I used the restaurant last night on the 16:00 from Edinburgh.

Still too many are looking at the new timetable and trying to match up to what service is on offer now. I'm guilty myself of doing this but really what is listed in the very first post of this thread is what will be available on all services.

That timetable has also been online for a week or so now!

 

[YorkshireRider]

For anyone intrested i can tell you the trains which will have a chef on board between Leeds and KX

Southbound Breakfast

0605, 0640, 0700 (0630 ex Brad), 0715 and 0815 (0729 ex Hargte)

Northbound evening meal

1803, 1833, 1903.

Cooked breakfast will still be offered on all services before 0930 but pre-packed and cooked in the oven by onboard CSAs where as the chef breakfast will be fresh cooked and silver served.
I dont know which anglo scot/Newcastle services have chefs as i have not seen their rosters
The Lincoln and Hull services will not have an on board chef

 

[harz99]

When did the linen disappear? .

I can't answer for GNER, but in my days with ICEC linen was the order of the day right up to privatisation.

 

[silentone]

I've not seen/noticed the difference in the flesh myself either yet, but there was a photo in the latest RAIL I believe that showed two sets by each other with the difference somewhat noticeable. According to what East Coast apparently told them (RAIL) it was down to "the cost of the metallic paint". Sounds believable, still odd to change after starting though.

It looks like it is true, I was on a set today and it was noticeably part grey and part silver.