London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[greyman42]

More the smell it was leaving in the carriages, boarding early morning services and all you could smell was fish.

Remember years ago when they used to do Kippers.

 

[jimbogreen]

Quick question - would the 11am KGX departure to Newcastle be breakfast or lunch? The LNER site says 'Dine' but it doesn't specify which menu. Hopefully breakfast! Thanks!

 

[800001]

Quick question - would the 11am KGX departure to Newcastle be breakfast or lunch? The LNER site says 'Dine' but it doesn't specify which menu. Hopefully breakfast! Thanks!

That would be lunch, breakfast would not be served on that.

 

[williamn]

I recently took the 09.52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross which served a breakfast menu and rather oddly continued to serve it all the way to London, arriving at 16.48! This got a fair number of complaints last time I was on it - surely the food stock can be changed in Edinburgh or Newcastle?

 

[ajrm]

I recently took the 09.52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross which served a breakfast menu and rather oddly continued to serve it all the way to London, arriving at 16.48! This got a fair number of complaints last time I was on it - surely the food stock can be changed in Edinburgh or Newcastle?

You'd think so. Even more absurd is that 1W11, the 1000 KX to Aberdeen, is booked to serve the brunch menu these days, which means no hot food other than breakfast options all the way to Aberdeen (arrive 1703!).
There was a time not so long ago (in VTEC days) when that train offered a silver service cooked breakfast from London or a hot lunch from Newcastle. Unfortunately a decade of constant cost-trimming is having an effect.

 

[jimbogreen]

That would be lunch, breakfast would not be served on that.

Thanks for the info! Would the 10.30am departure be the last for breakfast?

 

[800001]

Thanks for the info! Would the 10.30am departure be the last for breakfast?

Am not sure, I was under impression anything before 11 was breakfast, but why would you want to serve breakfast all way to Edinburgh.
Ive just checked menu and it doesn’t state what time breakfast is served to or what time lunch is served from.

 

[jimbogreen]

Am not sure, I was under impression anything before 11 was breakfast, but why would you want to serve breakfast all way to Edinburgh.
Move just checked menu and it doesn’t state what time breakfast is served to or what time lunch is served from.

Thanks for checking - I've asked their social media team so will report back!

 

[jimbogreen]

11am is definitely lunch, but they haven't said what time breakfast finishes so I assume 10.30am

 

[ajrm]

11am is definitely lunch, but they haven't said what time breakfast finishes so I assume 10.30am

In my experience the boundary is a bit hazy and if it's on the boundary they certainly won't be offering you both. I suspect you'll get lunch only.

 

[Bishopstone]

I recently took the 09.52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross which served a breakfast menu and rather oddly continued to serve it all the way to London, arriving at 16.48! This got a fair number of complaints last time I was on it - surely the food stock can be changed in Edinburgh or Newcastle?

Did the alcoholic drinks trolley start circulating after 11am? What better way to start the afternoon than a fry-up washed down with a G&T.

 

[williamn]

Did the alcoholic drinks trolley start circulating after 11am? What better way to start the afternoon than a fry-up washed down with a G&T.

If only there was a fry-up to wash down! The usual meagre bacon rolls, or the Frittata with beans which was quite good but now off the menu. I think there were drinks later on, yes.

 

[KGX]

You'd think so. Even more absurd is that 1W11, the 1000 KX to Aberdeen, is booked to serve the brunch menu these days, which means no hot food other than breakfast options all the way to Aberdeen (arrive 1703!).

The Homity Pie features on the brunch menu & is served hot. It's probably the best, and most filling, dish they've had in a while.

 

[moleman212]

Does anyone know if the 1115am LDS to KGX would serve alcohol in First please from past experience? It'll be on a Saturday.

 

[Willie Bee]

The Homity Pie features on the brunch menu & is served hot. It's probably the best, and most filling, dish they've had in a while.

Yesterday my wife and I travelled from Edinburgh to Newcastle and I picked the Homity pie. It was quite nice although I think I would have preferred mushy peas to the pea / green bean salad. I think a meal should be hot OR cold ... not a mixture of the two

 

[yorkie]

No food offering (unless a shortbread biscuit and miniature brownie counts) from Peterborough to York this evening (journey time 1hr 15min). One cold and one hot drinks round.

So anyone making such a journey who is hungry should not rely on the service and bring their own food.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I used to find this was quite common on a weekend when the menu was rotating fortnightly but far less so now it's fixed for a much longer time scale
Poor service

 

[ainsworth74]

No food offering (unless a shortbread biscuit and miniature brownie counts) from Peterborough to York this evening (journey time 1hr 15min). One cold and one hot drinks round.

Meanwhile, if one happened to be on the same train as @yorkie but travelling to Darlington, they would have been served food after York and another round of hot and cold drinks. Meaning a travelling to Darlington got a much more reasonable (though still a little stingy on the drinks front!) two rounds of both drinks and a serving of food on their trip (journey time 1hr 50min).

 

[rg177]

Bit naff on the northbound Chieftain today.

The previous train was binned at Newcastle so full and standing up the aisles as far as Edinburgh and naturally no service.

One drinks and food run after Edinburgh, all done by Falkirk.

One drinks run after Perth. The staff look to be merrily packing away so I suspect that's our lot, though I'm happy to be proven wrong. No offers of two drinks at once or anything like that, just a single Scotch slammed down on the table without a word

For 5h10m (plus delay) seems a bit miserly, granted Newcastle to Edinburgh not the crew's fault but still feels quite stingy.

 

[yorkie]

For 5h10m (plus delay) seems a bit miserly, granted Newcastle to Edinburgh not the crew's fault but still feels quite stingy.

It's very variable but yes some crews are very stingy and/or inattentive.

I wouldn't necessarily mind but the reality doesn't match the advertising hype.

Furthermore, if I was paying full fare I wouldn't be happy; given the prices I am actually paying, it's worth it for the extra space, being able to work on the train etc. But you certainly can't rely on the advertising hype on terms of having your meal paid for!

 

[rg177]

Happy to say I've been surprised and we've had another drinks run around Dalwhinnie.

I went for the Homity Pie earlier which was decent enough, though I'm glad I ate before getting on the train (and will probably again in Inverness!)

I didn't pay any actual money for this journey though it was two years or so worth of Perks credit cashed in. I do feel for anyone travelling from Darlington to Edinburgh or similar - as they'd have likely got naff all!

 

[sigma421]

I recently took the 09.52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross which served a breakfast menu and rather oddly continued to serve it all the way to London, arriving at 16.48! This got a fair number of complaints last time I was on it - surely the food stock can be changed in Edinburgh or Newcastle?

This is odd as the 0708 Leeds-Aberdeen serves the breakfast Dine menu between Leeds and Edinburgh and the lunch/dinner Dish menu (with alcohol) from Edinburgh-Aberdeen so the system is clearly capable of changing mid-way if it wants to!

 

[800Travel]

On DAR <-> KGX, are crews likely to end up serving food twice or once please? Seems to be a lot of variability from comments on here, hoping for a generous crew!

 

[Andy Pacer]

On DAR <-> KGX, are crews likely to end up serving food twice or once please? Seems to be a lot of variability from comments on here, hoping for a generous crew!

I think its once per passenger.

 

[MrJeeves]

Am I right in thinking the Glasgow service ends catering post-Edinburgh? I'm planned to be on this but just travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow and I was hoping to grab dinner on board but that's seeming rather unlikely!

 

[D6130]

I think its once per passenger.

It does depend on the crew though in my experience....and to a certain extent on how much stock they have left over towards the end of the journey. I've had two rounds of food on a Leeds-Kings Cross morning ('Dish') service and three rounds of drinks on an evening Kings Cross-Leeds service....not to mention a couple of cans of 'Hop on Board' ale to take home at journey's end.

 

[WestCoast]

Am I right in thinking the Glasgow service ends catering post-Edinburgh? I'm planned to be on this but just travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow and I was hoping to grab dinner on board but that's seeming rather unlikely!

I travelled on the service last month and most of the catering staff left at Edinburgh, but there was a drinks run after Haymarket served by a single staff member who remained onboard.

 

[MrJeeves]

I travelled on the service last month and most of the catering staff left at Edinburgh, but there was a drinks run after Haymarket served by a single staff member who remained onboard.

There is a chance then! I'll cross my fingers.

I have done the service once from KGX to Glasgow, and that time everyone seemed to leave at Edinburgh (well, I didn't see anyone after but they may well have been there!) and they were walking round asking if anyone wanted anything for the rest of the journey just before Edinburgh.

That time, I managed to bag one of the egg mayonnaise roll things and some drinks and snacks for the last hour or so, but it's not too helpful if you don't board until Edinburgh.

 

[MrJeeves]

I'm planned to be on this but just travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow

Well it's ended up cancelled for tonight. Guess I'll have to somehow get there in time for my connection all while ScotRail is falling apart.

 

[FtoE]

No full cooked breakfast currently available on the Highland Chieftain. I was told it was because a chef has retired and they are having trouble recruiting a replacement.
Hardly the end of the world, just another little disappointment in today’s rail travel.