TPE Plan for the future

[danbarjon]

Menu looks quite impressive! I didn’t see any indication of min journey length. Like how LNER says that you need to travel for more than an hour to be likely to be served. Less than is at discretion.

It is very impressive indeed, I'm looking at my options and I'm eager to try it out but there doesn't seem to be much of a Gluten Free improvement so if I could give feedback based off the menus that would be the only issue I've found but overall it looks great.

 

[northwichcat]

As expected today was the roll out of the new First Class WCML menu which has been named the "West Coast Kitchen" along with any other services having a menu branded "Express Plus".

All information is available here: https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/onboard-facilities/food-and-drink

I think it may have been by error but on a TPE service I travelled on yesterday there was a 'first class host' making annoucements to the whole train. As I was in standard (carriage C) for both journeys I made all I saw was the usual trolley service offering hot and cold drinks for purchase, as well as a few snacks like crisps and chocolate bars.

Wonder whether this WCML test will include a dedicated first class host

So the answer to your question is yes.

One would assume Northern would acquire more rolling stock, potentially ex TfW 150s or 158s.

Cascades to and from Northern seem to have affected their digital train roll out. The trains that arrived from the East Midlands seem to lack USB charging points. Even one I noticed that has been given Northern seat covers and had the grab handles painted yellow, doesn't have them. I only realised it was a recently cascaded train due to the lack of USB points and the lack of fold down tables. At the same time West Midlands are advertised "recently refurbished" 150s on the Bletchley route, complete with USB points.

 

[Northerngirl]

Any improvement to the frequency of the trolley would be good, I was on a Liverpool to York the other week, and it finally came around about 5 minutes before we got to York, its pointless then

 

[td97]

Cascades to and from Northern seem to have affected their digital train roll out. The trains that arrived from the East Midlands seem to lack USB charging points.

There is a separate business case for the ex-EMR fleet to be given digital mods and light refurbishment. It is supposed to happen soon.

One would assume Northern would acquire more rolling stock, potentially ex TfW 150s or 158s.

A very reputable poster has indicated the ex-TfW 158s may move to Northern, which would line up with disposal of 155s and a fleet for this new Northern Leeds - Huddersfield service.

 

[Neptune]

and a fleet for this new Northern Leeds - Huddersfield service.

Fleet? Northern will be working 1tp2h using a 150 3 car with TPE still operating a 185 on the opposite hour.

 

[Watershed]

Fleet? Northern will be working 1tp2h using a 150 3 car with TPE still operating a 185 on the opposite hour.

Is that confirmed? Utterly hare-brained if so...

 

[Jamesrob637]

Is that confirmed? Utterly hare-brained if so...

Cue everybody changing their shifts to suit the 185 diagrams.

 

[Energy]

Cue everybody changing their shifts to suit the 185 diagrams.

185s for comfort, Northern 150s if you don't want it canceled.

 

[northwichcat]

185s for comfort, Northern 150s if you don't want it canceled.

Your experience is very different to mine. Yesterday I caught the first Northern train of the day, instead of the second train to ensure I made a connection with the TPE Edinburgh service at Manchester. It was a good job I did as they cancelled the second train. I'm also awaiting a Northern Delay Repay claim for a different journey in the last 2 weeks where they cancelled the train I was planning to get. I never seem to run out of complimentary Northern single/return tickets with the regular cancellations.

Cue everybody changing their shifts to suit the 185 diagrams.

Depends. If the 150s start empty at Leeds, but the 185s come from Hull then it might mean getting to the platform early means a seat on a 150, while a 185 means a high chance of standing.

 

[Neptune]

Is that confirmed?

That is the plan at this stage.

 

[wellhouse]

No bacon ciabatta, just porridge offered this morning on 1P15 Liverpool-Newcastle (between Huddersfield and York)

 

[Llandudno]

Travelled on the 1934 Carlisle to Manchester yesterday (29 Feb) a very smart gentleman wearing TPE uniform and apron went through the train twice pushinga very well stocked trolley …

However, he refused to serve any snacks or hot/cold drinks because the card reader was not working and he wasn’t allowed to take cash!

Perhaps, from a customer service angle he should have offered complimentary tea/coffee or bottled water as minimum to passengers…?

 

[800Travel]

Travelled on the 1934 Carlisle to Manchester yesterday (29 Feb) a very smart gentleman wearing TPE uniform and apron went through the train twice pushinga very well stocked trolley …

However, he refused to serve any snacks or hot/cold drinks because the card reader was not working and he wasn’t allowed to take cash!

Perhaps, from a customer service angle he should have offered complimentary tea/coffee or bottled water as minimum to passengers…?

What was the point of him moving through the train if it wasn't working? Do they still take Rail Travel Vouchers or something?

 

[Chrism20]

Travelled on the 1934 Carlisle to Manchester yesterday (29 Feb) a very smart gentleman wearing TPE uniform and apron went through the train twice pushinga very well stocked trolley …

However, he refused to serve any snacks or hot/cold drinks because the card reader was not working and he wasn’t allowed to take cash!

Perhaps, from a customer service angle he should have offered complimentary tea/coffee or bottled water as minimum to passengers…?

This is possibly a silly question but why even bother pushing it through?

two rounds of here’s what you could have had.

 

[danbarjon]

No bacon ciabatta, just porridge offered this morning on 1P15 Liverpool-Newcastle (between Huddersfield and York)

I boarded the 07:43 NCL to LIV not so long ago and received nothing other than a bottle of water for the whole journey. I'm hoping they've improved since that as I've booked a ticket for a "West Coast Kitchen" service so we shall see.

 

[northwichcat]

What was the point of him moving through the train if it wasn't working? Do they still take Rail Travel Vouchers or something?

Could it relate to First Class being the front carriage and needing to go to the back to restock or get fresh water? Or just going to serve the guard?

 

[Tramtrain]

If as they suggest they can now increase the Newcastle to Edinburgh semifast service to 2 hourly all day, why was it necessary to remove all the previously planned through services from Liverpool to Edinburgh? Is it because the paths north and south of Newcastle don’t fit together?

Will a 2 hourly service at the likes of Morpeth and Berwick balance out the much criticised LNER reductions?

Will these services stop at Cramlington and Widdrington as was heralded initially? Cramlington in particular is woefully underserved by the hourly Northern service, particularly on Sundays

 

[swt_passenger]

Will these services stop at Cramlington and Widdrington as was heralded initially? Cramlington in particular is woefully underserved by the hourly Northern service, particularly on Sundays

I don't know, this isn’t happening until Dec 2024, so it’s not possible to check the calling patterns yet.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Travelled on the 1934 Carlisle to Manchester yesterday (29 Feb) a very smart gentleman wearing TPE uniform and apron went through the train twice pushinga very well stocked trolley …

However, he refused to serve any snacks or hot/cold drinks because the card reader was not working and he wasn’t allowed to take cash!

Perhaps, from a customer service angle he should have offered complimentary tea/coffee or bottled water as minimum to passengers…?

TPE trolley staff are a strange bunch...

Some of them seem like they have a competition among each other to run down the train in record time, meaning by the time you know they're there they've already entered the next carriage. Wouldn't surprise me to see someone in TPE hi-vis holding a stopwatch in the last vestibule!

 

[childwallblues]

Any improvement to the frequency of the trolley would be good, I was on a Liverpool to York the other week, and it finally came around about 5 minutes before we got to York, its pointless then

Agreed. I did the same journy last Tuesday and the trolley appeared at Colton Junction.