London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[DeeGee]

Just out of interest, I've booked an Advance from Newcastle to Grimsby Town on the Sunday of the Great North Run (15th Sep). It's the 2000 East Coast.

Only got it because it was cheaper than the standard.

Am I to expect anything other than a bit more space?

 

[ainsworth74]

18:30 gets the evening meal menu and quite nice it is too.

Not from Edinburgh you won't! No southbound evening meal services I'm afraid. That being said on the odd occasion I've had it out of Kings Cross it has been very nice.
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Am I to expect anything other than a bit more space?

You should get drinks (non-alcoholic) and snacks.

 

[StrollerEd]

thanks all.

 

[cjp]

There seem to be four possible trains to choose from, the first leaving in late afternoon and the last getting in very late.
16:30 / 20:52 , 4:22hrs

17:00 / 21:43 , 4:43hrs

17:30 / 22:17 , 4:47hrs

18:30 / 23:38 , 5:08hrs

Is there anything else, other than elapsed travel time to make for any difference if traveling FC? Does the quicker 16.30 serve as a hot meal straight-away, for example, or would that start at York/Newcastle (say)?

If you are keen for a hot evening meal then the Virgin trains ex Glasgow are worth considering and they have good prices for their Advanced Firsts HOWEVER they are fouled up by engineering works 15th - 18th July
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Just out of interest, I've booked an Advance from Newcastle to Grimsby Town on the Sunday of the Great North Run (15th Sep). It's the 2000 East Coast.

Only got it because it was cheaper than the standard.

Am I to expect anything other than a bit more space?

You can expect anything but what you will get is this
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/on-board-our-trains/food1/weekend-service/

Soft drinks and cake and a sarnie or two

 

[westv]

Just wondering how it's decided which evening services out of Kings Cross get the "evening meal" option and which don't. For example the 17:33 to Harrogate gets it but the 17:19 to Hull (similar journey time and distance) doesn't.

 

[ModernRailways]

Just wondering how it's decided which evening services out of Kings Cross get the "evening meal" option and which don't. For example the 17:33 to Harrogate gets it but the 17:19 to Hull (similar journey time and distance) doesn't.

I guess it all depends on staff, and where the train stops. The Hull train stops every 20 minutes or so after Peterbrough. And it's unlikely they can serve First Class before Peterbrough. The Harrogate train though can take orders out of Kings Cross and start cooking them and then take orders from those boarding at Stevenage.

Also, it will depend on the stock and where it's came from. I believe both use the IC125. These will have come from Aberdeen and Inverness and so this could also affect what they offer.

 

[ainsworth74]

It's due partly to historical reasons (Hull hadn't had at-seat dining or a restaurant service for years before the new catering was introduced) and also loadings. EC only offer the full Evening Meal service where the take up for such an offer will be high. A service to Leeds will have a much higher take up than a service to Hull.

There's no reason I can think of that the HSTs originating point before they formed the northbound service would have on what they can offer on their next northbound. They'd be full restocked upon arrival at Kings Cross. As for serving first class they'd take orders on departure from Kings Cross and then again after Peterborough.

 

[HST Power]

Today I travelled onboard the 0615 London King’s Cross to Newcastle. More great service. More great food. I'm beginning to think that DarloRich might be right – some of you just don’t know how to appreciate the First Class product!

The train got into Stevenage one minute early. Orders for breakfast were taken right off the bat. The trolley came round with toast – I took a slice with jam.

Breakfast came around before Peterborough and I thought it was quite a bit bigger than what I got on this train last year – the plate seemed smaller but the food was top class. There was bacon, two grilled tomatoes, two rashes of bacon, a sausage, mushrooms, potatoes and an omelette.

Before we got to Newark there were two more trolley runs for tea and toast. By this point I had already enjoyed another three tea refills, plus extra toast, which I did not expect. Full Breakfasts were still being served to newcomers.

More tea was served after York - with more offerings for toast and biscuits. I decided to have a banana and another tea, but orange juice and water was on offer as well.

Why some of you persist with your constant moaning – that you would rather PAY yet MORE money for BREAKFAST on top of the TICKET, or go back to the days of the restaurant blah blah blah.....is frankly astounding.

I got this single for £44.00. If some of you had your way I’d be paying another £10 for all the food. And I'd have to get up and go to the restaurant; now why would I want to do that when I've got a great crew serving me from the comfort of my pre-booked seat....

This service is far from perfect – consistency remains an issue. Nonetheless, the logic of paying more having already paid for a First Class seat, when the food is complimentary, makes me wonder if the moaning has gone just a bit too far!

This post is absolutely not an attack on any specific individual(s) – I really enjoy this thread and I like to think that we've made a few friends over the course of the past 200 pages, love the service or loathe it.

Pictures should be up this evening.

 

[ainsworth74]

Why some of you persist with your constant moaning – that you would rather PAY yet MORE money for BREAKFAST on top of the TICKET, or go back to the days of the restaurant blah blah blah.....is frankly astounding.

Because some people are willing to pay for a high quality, consistantly delivered product?

 

[Blindtraveler]

Because some people are willing to pay for a high quality, consistantly delivered product?

Agreed. That said though the longer time goes on the more things are done correctly and often very acceptably. The fact there are still flys in the ointment is demonstrated by the fact nobody has locked this thread due to lack of postings.↲

theres also no hiding the fact that I am currently preparing a meal to take and eat in standard on the 17:30 from Edinburgh to Newcastle where as 2.5 years ago I'd have gone to the restaurant and that I did the same the other week on the chieften. On the other hand my homeward run from NCL Tomorrow is on a first advance on an all day train, a thing Id never have bothered with at 13-00 previously
in short, Im open minded but still hope for a few improvements↲
↲
↲

 

[Searle]

Not from Edinburgh you won't! No southbound evening meal services I'm afraid. That being said on the odd occasion I've had it out of Kings Cross it has been very nice.

Assuming you're talking about the 18:30 Edinburgh - King's Cross, I had a lovely curry on that service about a month ago with an advance to York.

 

[Blindtraveler]

that I believe is on the All Day menue

 

[transmanche]

Assuming you're talking about the 18:30 Edinburgh - King's Cross, I had a lovely curry on that service about a month ago with an advance to York.

As ainsworth74 says, you won't get the 'evening meal' menu on any southbound trains - only the 'all day' menu.

From Edinburgh, the 14:00 and 14:30 do the 'afternoon tea' menu - and the 13:30 does the 'all day' on leaving Edinburgh, switching to 'afternoon tea' after Newcastle.

 

[Searle]

As ainsworth74 says, you won't get the 'evening meal' menu on any southbound trains - only the 'all day' menu.

From Edinburgh, the 14:00 and 14:30 do the 'afternoon tea' menu - and the 13:30 does the 'all day' on leaving Edinburgh, switching to 'afternoon tea' after Newcastle.

Oh, didn't realise the evening meal was different from the all day menu really!

 

[HST Power]

Because some people are willing to pay for a high quality, consistantly delivered product?

But where is the guarantee that just because you pay, or go to the restaurant, that's its going to be consistent? If they can't stock the meals they provide in the menu, what is the likelihood that they are going to be able to deliver meals on demand?

The breakfast I described above - I mean, what higher quality do you want? How higher quality can you get? Gold plated spoons? White gloved stewards?

It isn't consistent, I absolutely agree. But what I don't see is how throwing away the current system and going over to the pay on demand system is going to fix that issue.

 

[HST Power]

Breakfast as served today - there were also three slices of toast served but I didn't bother photographing them!

 

[westv]

I've only ever been offered one slice of toast but presumably you get more if you ask.

 

[HST Power]

I've only ever been offered one slice of toast but presumably you get more if you ask.

That's what I thought - the trolley did more runs and I thought I wouldn't be asked. But I was asked again and I got three slices overall.

 

[Nym]

Breakfast as served today - there were also three slices of toast served but I didn't bother photographing them!

That honestly doesn't look very appatising...

No beans...
No black / white pudding...
No fried bread...

Only ONE sausage?????

 

[westv]

That honestly doesn't look very appatising...

No beans...
No black / white pudding...
No fried bread...

Only ONE sausage?????

You only get one sausage and no beans in some breakfasts you pay for.
Black pudding? Yuck!

 

[Nym]

You only get one sausage and no beans in some breakfasts you pay for.
Black pudding? Yuck!

Even in poshish cafés in Holborn I can get black pudding, and they don't run services through the North and North East...

 

[HST Power]

That honestly doesn't look very appatising...

No beans...

I can do without them!

No black / white pudding..

I can definitely do without that!

No fried bread...

Meh, toast cuts it nicely for me!

Only ONE sausage?????

I'll give you that!

 

[Darandio]

You only get one sausage and no beans in some breakfasts you pay for.
Black pudding? Yuck!

Black pudding is probably the heartiest and most tasty part of a breakfast.

Most people (not saying you) say yuck when they have never even tasted it, only because they know what the key ingredient is which we all know to be oatmeal.

 

[westv]

On the beans front, I do feel there is an air of snobbery about them in some eating establishments.

 

[Darandio]

On the beans front, I do feel there is an air of snobbery about them in some eating establishments.

Is it because they believe that they make "one" fart?

 

[westv]

Black pudding is probably the heartiest and most tasty part of a breakfast.

Most people (not saying you) say yuck when they have never even tasted it, only because they know what the key ingredient is which we all know to be oatmeal.

The sausage is the king of the breakfast not scrappy old black pudding - and yes I have tried it.

 

[Butts]

The sausage is the king of the breakfast not scrappy old black pudding - and yes I have tried it.

Disagree....

Decent BP is a must - EC's sausage is nothing to do cartwheels about !!

Haggis would be another welcome addition - but if BP is a problem (although not for Virgin) then no chance

 

[Nym]

The sausages EC use aren't exactly the nicest in the world anyway, most of the time when it's on the brekkie or mid morning when I'm coming from NCL in the morning, I just get breakfast from greggs and save my money, never had anything that perswaded me to spend the extra money.

 

[HST Power]

I never foresaw my pictures kicking off such a debate!

I seldom eat a full English breakfast - if I do I usually stick to egg, bacon and toast. For me the breakfast above was ideal. And I would stake money on average Joe deeming it a good breakfast, even if he can't have his beans, or his BP, or his eggs placed on the plate 4.56cm from the edge.

Has anyone ever tried the salmon or the porridge? The crew took orders but I've never had it myself. Might try the salmon next time.

 

[JB1601]

A change in my job meant I'm spending an couple of days in Leeds every week which means I'm using East Coast a lot more, and as long as I book the £35/48 advance tickets they're happy for me to use the first class service. So I'm seeing it a lot more than previously which was once every few months, usually visiting the in-laws.

I have to say...I'm generally quite impressed by the service. I'll say from the start I never used it in the days of the restaurant car, but the food is always served punctually (although I would say the veggie brekkie is a bit smaller than the full english - not that I should complain as I'm keeping an eye on my weight!), and this has only not been the case on one occasion, where there was only one crew member who was clearly trying hard to provide the full service on her own so it took about 90 minutes for the food to come out. Would be nice to have the omlette that's on the full english but from bitter veggie experience I suspect they're probably trying to pre-empt those asking for a vegan brekkie.

The evening meals (i.e. the All Day menu on the return) could do with being a touch larger at times but generally they're pretty good. Haven't experienced food not being offered at all yet but I daresay given law of averages it'll happen at some point. I do find the newspaper provision a bit hit and miss - I can understand not getting one in the evening but even in the morning it seems to be about half of the 0803 services I've travelled on provide you a Times.

I'd probably stick my neck out and say it is better than Virgin's offering, which I always used to be a big fan of. EC most of the day provide hot food and the weekend is fairly decent with sandwiches still on offer. Virgin's light bites seem to have got smaller of late, and advance fares on the breakfast and evening meal services (to Manchester and Liverpool at least) cost an absolute fortune compared to the EC equivalents. The weekend snack box is better than what we had before but no match for EC at the weekend!

There's also something to be said for EC's superb reward points scheme. Now it allows you to split into singles and check availability before you redeem tickets it is a genuinely good system. Virgin's bizarre "buy enough tickets and we'll invite you into our club we don't tell you about" Traveller scheme doesn't encourage you much and even seems a bit underhand in comparison.

I've probably been lucky but after all I've read on here over the last couple of years I'm generally a happy customer, not that I'd say others don't have the right to be unhappy given their experiences.