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London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

westv

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I'm devastated that they've run out of cheese cake on the Executive.
Why do they always start at the same end so the same carriages end up missing out when things run out?
 
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Butts

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I'm devastated that they've run out of cheese cake on the Executive.
Why do they always start at the same end so the same carriages end up missing out when things run out?

Try sitting in Coach K or whichever one is closest to the Kitchen - generally they are served first.
 

westv

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Try sitting in Coach K or whichever one is closest to the Kitchen - generally they are served first.

Bit difficult when the VTEC booking system forces you into M and there are no spare seats elsewhere.
 

Butts

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Bit difficult when the VTEC booking system forces you into M and there are no spare seats elsewhere.

I'm not sure where you boarded but at the outset there are normally spare seats in every carriage - often people don't turn up or like me sit in a different coach/seat to that allocated. K is normally unreserved , but if you were coming out of the smoke at "peak" may be more of a problem.

Were you on a "cheapo beggars first" ? - even these can normally be changed on the online booking portal.
 

westv

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Yes, peak.
There isn't a K on the NL65 services.
The seat selector doesn't work so I doubt the ability to change it later will either.
 

Chrism20

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Yes, peak.
There isn't a K on the NL65 services.
The seat selector doesn't work so I doubt the ability to change it later will either.

I can’t believe that’s still not working. Clearly they have no intention of even attempting to fix it.
 

rg177

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Well, I received at an alert last night that bidding had opened for the 06:22 Newcastle to Edinburgh on Seatfrog....

Fast forward to 05:45 this morning and there still hadn't been any bids so I bid £5, won, and I'm currently sat with a Great British Breakfast and coffee heading over the Royal Border Bridge feeling quite smug :lol:

Service from the Geordie crew has been excellent so far with the food order, two drinks runs and a toast run.
 

Steddenm

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I am travelling between Edinburgh and Aberdeen on the 1028 on Tuesday and am wondering what catering will be available for First Class ticket holders.

Thanks!
 

VauxhallandI

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i travelled Kings Cross to Edinburgh and returned the next day a coup,e of weeks ago.

We were in first class and the staff came through asking if we wanted breakfast or lunch.

The two journeys were 9am and 9:30am respectively.

My travel companion is not a regular traveller but thought it was strange to have to choose if the journey covers both meal times.

I have to say I understand where he was coming from where the return trip cost £250; the PR damage of asking and holding out on a sausage roll or a small cheese sandwich seems rather daft.

Strangely enough we got the lunch on the way up as there was a staff Chang at Newcastle, on the return the staff change didn't include the food lady and the statement was enforced.
 

SaveECRewards

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To be fair that’s always (as in since EC made catering complimentary in 2011) been the case. If you go beyond Edinburgh you can get a second meal.

That’s the rules but often they’re flexible and will provide on request more food if available but they have to minimise the risk of running out.

I think what would be fair is those on 4 hour+ trips like KGX-EDB be officially allowed to request another option at NCL as portion sizes generally aren’t very big these days.

As they’re competing with airlines on this route it’s worth remembering a business class ticket on BA (they’re the only airline with a domestic business class and they only added that last year) gets you access to their lounges which have a buffet meaning you won’t go hungry. I’m sure a more substantial catering offering would tempt more onto the train.
 

Mathew S

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The one time I've done a really long journey by train (Plymouth to Edinburgh), which was way back in the days of Virgin Cross Country, was in 1st and I think I had three 'meals'. The staff certainly kept asking me if I wanted more food, rather than trying to limit it at all, and by the end of the journey I was stuffed.

Completely agree that, especially if you're paying that kind of money, they shouldn't begrudge you breakfast and lunch.
 

AlterEgo

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Friday's trip on the 1800 ex-KGX was the worst I can remember on the East Coast route.

Aside from the fact there was no power in my coach (L), and no toilets whatsoever in First Class, VTEC served this disgusting mess for dinner.

The portion size is very small (my hand could almost cover the whole plate and for scale that can of Magners is a small 330ml one, not a pint), but anyway...this is a beef rendang. Where is the rice? It's just a small lump of beef, cut up, with a single potato chopped into the mess. The naan bread is plopped on top of it meaning that picking the bread up gets rendang sauce all over your fingers.

The price for this journey? £104. *After* a Disabled Railcard discount.

I'm now going to avoid VTEC until the situation improves.
 

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SaveECRewards

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Friday's trip on the 1800 ex-KGX was the worst I can remember on the East Coast route.

Aside from the fact there was no power in my coach (L), and no toilets whatsoever in First Class, VTEC served this disgusting mess for dinner.

The portion size is very small (my hand could almost cover the whole plate and for scale that can of Magners is a small 330ml one, not a pint), but anyway...this is a beef rendang. Where is the rice? It's just a small lump of beef, cut up, with a single potato chopped into the mess. The naan bread is plopped on top of it meaning that picking the bread up gets rendang sauce all over your fingers.

The price for this journey? £104. *After* a Disabled Railcard discount.

I'm now going to avoid VTEC until the situation improves.

Someone else who does YouTube trip reports had almost an identical complaint, I wonder if you were on the same train.

I seem to recall that on that service the evening meal (chef prepared) menu was not available and the rest of day menu (reheated by crew) usually has smaller portions. I was on a later rest of day train on Friday and at least my rendang was served in a bowl so that the naan bread was propped up on the side so it wasn't all covered in sauce.

I got the 20:00 train because the fare was so cheap it was willing to forgo the better catering on the evening meal trains, when I've paid over £100 for a train which advertises an evening meal I get disappointed if I don't get it.

More and more people are getting fed up with VTEC.
 

AlterEgo

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Someone else who does YouTube trip reports had almost an identical complaint, I wonder if you were on the same train.

Who was that, out of interest?

I had that thing where a few people were looking at me on the train, either because they recognised me or because I had my flies open or something.

I seem to recall that on that service the evening meal (chef prepared) menu was not available and the rest of day menu (reheated by crew) usually has smaller portions. I was on a later rest of day train on Friday and at least my rendang was served in a bowl so that the naan bread was propped up on the side so it wasn't all covered in sauce.

I got the 20:00 train because the fare was so cheap it was willing to forgo the better catering on the evening meal trains, when I've paid over £100 for a train which advertises an evening meal I get disappointed if I don't get it.

More and more people are getting fed up with VTEC.

It's not even a question of disappointment for me. I try to avoid travelling on a Friday night but was forced to because of a family emergency. As I was running from work, onto the 1647 Milton Keynes-Euston and then straight onto the 1800 from King's Cross, and then straight to a hospital, I really needed that dinner.

The whole point of serving a dinner on the train is so you don't have to get one at either end. Grrrrrr!
 

backontrack

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Friday's trip on the 1800 ex-KGX was the worst I can remember on the East Coast route.

Aside from the fact there was no power in my coach (L), and no toilets whatsoever in First Class, VTEC served this disgusting mess for dinner.

The portion size is very small (my hand could almost cover the whole plate and for scale that can of Magners is a small 330ml one, not a pint), but anyway...this is a beef rendang. Where is the rice? It's just a small lump of beef, cut up, with a single potato chopped into the mess. The naan bread is plopped on top of it meaning that picking the bread up gets rendang sauce all over your fingers.

The price for this journey? £104. *After* a Disabled Railcard discount.

I'm now going to avoid VTEC until the situation improves.
That doesn't look like a beef rendang. That looks like a plate of brown sick, with a pieces of vegetable intact and all.

VTEC? More like BTEC!
 

SaveECRewards

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Who was that, out of interest?

I had that thing where a few people were looking at me on the train, either because they recognised me or because I had my flies open or something.
He's on YouTube - channel is Paul's Trip Reports - mostly does flying but also covers trains (was on the 1st Eurostar to Amsterdam). He was also travelling that day for a family emergency and so he had more on his mind than to film his experience unfortunately (he's covered VTEC twice both when they were at their best).

It's not even a question of disappointment for me. I try to avoid travelling on a Friday night but was forced to because of a family emergency. As I was running from work, onto the 1647 Milton Keynes-Euston and then straight onto the 1800 from King's Cross, and then straight to a hospital, I really needed that dinner.

The whole point of serving a dinner on the train is so you don't have to get one at either end. Grrrrrr!

Agreed.
That doesn't look like a beef rendang. That looks like a plate of brown sick, with a pieces of vegetable intact and all.

We need to tag James Martin when tweeting bad pics of food served in his name.
 

AlterEgo

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He's on YouTube - channel is Paul's Trip Reports - mostly does flying but also covers trains (was on the 1st Eurostar to Amsterdam). He was also travelling that day for a family emergency and so he had more on his mind than to film his experience unfortunately (he's covered VTEC twice both when they were at their best).

Can’t tell if that’s a joke or not because that’s me. (Check my sig) :lol:
 

JamesM

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1 Mar 2009
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Hello,

I'm going from London to Inverness, then Aberdeen to London in a couple of weeks. I wonder what to expect from a food point of view, during this eight hour epic journey - just checking that surely I'll be offered two meals during the journey and won't need to stock up in advance at Kings Cross?

Any other tips gratefully received!

James
 

ainsworth74

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I'm going from London to Inverness, then Aberdeen to London in a couple of weeks. I wonder what to expect from a food point of view, during this eight hour epic journey - just checking that surely I'll be offered two meals during the journey and won't need to stock up in advance at Kings Cross?

You should got two hot food runs and usually they swap menu rotation at Edinburgh (so if it was rotation one from London to Edinburgh it will be rotation two from Edinburgh to Inverness). The only reason why you wouldn't is if there's a problem with the onboard kitchen equipment or if there's significant disruption meaning that either the crew are displaced or the catering supplies aren't loaded. VTEC are terrible at telling people about this via their website or twitter feed but @SaveECRewards is pretty good at tweeting out information about services that are likely to be unable to provide full catering. You can find their twitter here just look out for the #cateringlottery posts:

https://twitter.com/SaveECRewards
 

SaveECRewards

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You should got two hot food runs and usually they swap menu rotation at Edinburgh (so if it was rotation one from London to Edinburgh it will be rotation two from Edinburgh to Inverness). The only reason why you wouldn't is if there's a problem with the onboard kitchen equipment or if there's significant disruption meaning that either the crew are displaced or the catering supplies aren't loaded. VTEC are terrible at telling people about this via their website or twitter feed but @SaveECRewards is pretty good at tweeting out information about services that are likely to be unable to provide full catering. You can find their twitter here just look out for the #cateringlottery posts:

https://twitter.com/SaveECRewards

Unfortunately VTEC don't like me posting #CateringLottery issues shortly after I started sending these tweets out they stopped sending the train crew (who forwarded them on to me) details of trains with defective catering equipment. I still sometimes get the information but these relies on staff on the affected services sending me a DM.

VTEC would rather hide the issue rather than admit it even though that stops people being able to bring their own catering.

Although we make a big deal about it the chance of it happening is small, have a look on the day to see if I'm aware of any catering issues.
 

Butts

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Soon be time to change the thread title once again as the mantle is passed to LNER.

Any rumours about what their offerings will consist of ?

Chances are the thread could be rejuvenated with fresh moans :E
 

SaveECRewards

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I've been told the new menu will be whatever VTEC had planned for the May timetable change, it was just put on hold for a few weeks.

The contents of which seem to be a closely guarded secret. I'm not sure whether James Martin will still appear on these, seeing the wording of some surveys sent by VTEC at the end of last year I got the impression that this deal was coming to an end anyway.

I don't expect big changes but if the changes do turn out to be significant I think it's time to start a new thread.
 

trainophile

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They ran out of sandwiches last Thursday. According to the rather grumpy lady steward who could only offer us muffins and fruit, it was our own fault for sitting in the front coach of the train, as supplies had run out due to the very busy service because of the cancellations on the West Coast line caused by storm Hector. However a presumably more senior steward was incredulous to hear another passenger complaining that there were no sandwiches, and within ten minutes another tray of them arrived! Those of us changing at York had been informed that there was no point ordering hot food as it wouldn't come in time for us to eat it. It worked out okay in the end but was a bit fraught!
 

GB71

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Hi - apologies if covered elsewhere.

I seem to recall the last time I took the Highland Chieftain up to Inverness that in first class after Edinburgh the service changed to the alternate week's menu.

Does anybody know if that is still the case?
 

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