EMT poor service for northbound passengers from London

[tom73]

Sheffield to London weekdays
05:31, 06:23, 06:49, 07:29, 07:46, 08:26 all offer First Class passengers a cooked breakfast.
London to Sheffield weekdays
05:52, 06:23, 07:32 No breakfast
08:02 (could also apply to later services) there is a cooked breakfast for First Class passengers BUT in only one of the two units operating the service.
Why do early morning passengers going north from London to Sheffield get such a raw deal compared to those coming south?

 

[Merseysider]

Majority of people are travelling into London at that time rather than towards Sheffield

 

[cuccir]

There's general demand - more people want to travel to London for the day than from London to elsewhere in the country. It's the same all over eg there are 17 services from Birmingham to London leaving before 08:00, and 10 services the other way.

With catering I don't know if that also is affected by where EMT have staff and suppliers - but from the pattern you describe it might seem likely?

 

[NoOnesFool]

I think it could be a good idea for TOCs in general to appeal to customers travelling northbound from London more. The problems are things like predicted journey patterns, i.e. more people will travel from Loughborough to London and return, as opposed to the other way round. Some companies like Hull Trains don't even employ staff at the London end, making it difficult to provide a full catering service on early morning northbound trains, without staff lodging in hotels or making very long taxi journeys.

 

[DarloRich]

That seems a decent service - surely the money flows the others way at those times?

BTW is this wonderful cooked breakfast offered to those of us in scum class?

 

[cactustwirly]

I think it could be a good idea for TOCs in general to appeal to customers travelling northbound from London more. The problems are things like predicted journey patterns, i.e. more people will travel from Loughborough to London and return, as opposed to the other way round. Some companies like Hull Trains don't even employ staff at the London end, making it difficult to provide a full catering service on early morning northbound trains, without staff lodging in hotels or making very long taxi journeys.

But the breakfast service costs money, there's no point spending money for a service used by a small amount of people.

 

[NoOnesFool]

That seems a decent service - surely the money flows the others way at those times?

BTW is this wonderful cooked breakfast offered to those of us in scum class?

Assuming you're referring to Standard Class, there are some hot options, including MOMA Porridge, hot Bacon Ciabattas and some cold breakfast items, such as fresh pastries and fruit juices.

 

[DarloRich]

Assuming you're referring to Standard Class, there are some hot options, including MOMA Porridge, hot Bacon Ciabattas and some cold breakfast items, such as fresh pastries and fruit juices.

Microwaved roll prepared to fresh cooked first class breakfast? Sorry. Not going to cry that first classers cant get their freebies.

The train service seems adequate to me.

 

[mpthomson]

Microwaved roll prepared to fresh cooked first class breakfast? Sorry. Not going to cry that first classers cant get their freebies.

The train service seems adequate to me.

They aren't 'free', they're accounted for via the higher ticket price.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Microwaved roll prepared to fresh cooked first class breakfast? Sorry. Not going to cry that first classers cant get their freebies.

The train service seems adequate to me.

Why don't you try First Class one day? It is often quite affordable via Advances and Weekend First. You might even like it!

 

[AlterEgo]

Amused by the idea that being unable to get a fry-up constitutes "poor service"

 

[A Challenge]

Why don't you try First Class one day? It is often quite affordable via Advances and Weekend First. You might even like it!

Weekend first won't have a cooked breakfast though will it?

 

[[email protected].]

Believe there is 1 train on a Saturday which offers first class cooked breakfast.

 

[Robertj21a]

Assuming you're referring to Standard Class, there are some hot options, including MOMA Porridge, hot Bacon Ciabattas and some cold breakfast items, such as fresh pastries and fruit juices.

For the length of the journey, surely you just need a snack before you get on board, or take a sandwich with you ?

 

[NoOnesFool]

For the length of the journey, surely you just need a snack before you get on board, or take a sandwich with you ?

It can be the best part of 2 hours from London to Sheffield, and many passengers appreciate the opportunity to purchase on board. It all adds to the appeal of rail travel, compared to car/coach travel.

 

[Robertj21a]

It can be the best part of 2 hours from London to Sheffield, and many passengers appreciate the opportunity to purchase on board. It all adds to the appeal of rail travel, compared to car/coach travel.

Quite, it's only 2 hours. Hardly needs a cooked meal does it !

 

[221129]

Quite, it's only 2 hours. Hardly needs a cooked meal does it !

I'm not sure about you but I for one don't fancy a full a English at 4am however come to 6.30 or 7am having been up for a few hours I'd be more inclined to want a decent breakfast, especially if I have paid the extra ticket cost for it.

 

[gazthomas]

There's a Wetherspoons opening up in St Pancras shortly, so you can pop in there for a cheap brekkie before departure

 

[Bletchleyite]

Weekend first won't have a cooked breakfast though will it?

I was just trying to cure him of his irrational, almost class-war-like hatred of 1st

Personally I use it when it is good value, I wouldn't be buying FORs any time soon (and even the First Off Peaks some TOCs do are too pricey) but sometimes it is nice and reasonably cheap.

 

[Taunton]

As one who does many business trips outwards from London, out morning back evening, I too am dismayed by the "one way" TOC approach to catering. It's not as if the fares are any less. And getting to St Pancras (or other termini), on average, takes those from London longet to get there from their home starting point than from the northern points. You also get a lot of overseas business travellers on the early morning departures.

Never happened with BR. Same, proper service both ways.

 

[Iskra]

EMT sell specific 1st Breakfast Advances, which are not cheap.

If you buy one of these tickets, I think you can feel aggrieved if you don’t get one. (Although I did not complain on one occasion where it was breakfast sandwiches only).

If you want a breakfast heading north out of London, join the fresh air on the LNER services and change at Doncaster.

The EMT breakfast is one of the best meals on the network, except the Premier Service and GWR Pullman.

 

[yorkie]

EMT do not offer a "poor service" in respect of the catering mentioned on this thread.

Indeed, most train companies will not provide a service as good as this at any time.

There aren't many trains that offer a cooked breakfast at all on a weekend!

 

[Robertj21a]

As one who does many business trips outwards from London, out morning back evening, I too am dismayed by the "one way" TOC approach to catering. It's not as if the fares are any less. And getting to St Pancras (or other termini), on average, takes those from London longet to get there from their home starting point than from the northern points. You also get a lot of overseas business travellers on the early morning departures.

Never happened with BR. Same, proper service both ways.

I think BR was rather a while ago now !!

Time moves on.........

 

[43055]

Weekend first won't have a cooked breakfast though will it?

Believe there is 1 train on a Saturday which offers first class cooked breakfast.

3 Journeys on a Saturday have Breakfast.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Why do early morning passengers going north from London to Sheffield get such a raw deal compared to those coming south?

Can't remember whether it happened towards the end of MML or during Stagecoach's tenure, but the short answer is that the catering crews who do the breakfast service are now all based at the Northern end of the route, rather than having some based at St Pancras.

 

[tom73]

EMT do not offer a "poor service" in respect of the catering mentioned on this thread.

Indeed, most train companies will not provide a service as good as this at any time.

There aren't many trains that offer a cooked breakfast at all on a weekend!

Nobody mentioned weekends.
I have eaten many delicious cooked breakfasts on the 05:50 King's Cross-Leeds service, now running 5 minutes later at 05:55.
Virgin Trains also advertise a cooked breakfast on early morning London-Birmingham/Wolverhampton services
EMT is the only one of the three long distance northbound routes from London not offering a First Class cooked breakfast on its first trains of the day
Aside from GWR (never tried), I would not expect a cooked breakfast on any other operator's services

 

[mmh]

Never happened with BR. Same, proper service both ways.

That's not true, BR had many routes with enhanced service in the peak direction only. Most of the current "named" trains are a relic of that.

 

[Darandio]

Nobody mentioned weekends.
I have eaten many delicious cooked breakfasts on the 05:50 King's Cross-Leeds service, now running 5 minutes later at 05:55.
Virgin Trains also advertise a cooked breakfast on early morning London-Birmingham/Wolverhampton services
EMT is the only one of the three long distance northbound routes from London not offering a First Class cooked breakfast on its first trains of the day
Aside from GWR (never tried), I would not expect a cooked breakfast on any other operator's services

I still don't believe it constitutes 'poor service'.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Sheffield to London weekdays
05:31, 06:23, 06:49, 07:29, 07:46, 08:26 all offer First Class passengers a cooked breakfast.
London to Sheffield weekdays
05:52, 06:23, 07:32 No breakfast
08:02 (could also apply to later services) there is a cooked breakfast for First Class passengers BUT in only one of the two units operating the service.
Why do early morning passengers going north from London to Sheffield get such a raw deal compared to those coming south?

For those comparing with BR, in 1993, at the peak of InterCity under Chris Green, the first train from London to Sheffield was the 0700. This was an ‘InterCity Shuttle’ with trolley service of snacks and hot drinks at seat. There was a buffet, no doubt with the ubiquitous burger. Only the 0800 to Sheffield had a restaurant service at that time of day. Later northbound restaurant services were back workings of early Up trains.

Stations facilities at St Pancras were rather dire in those far off days. In 2018 we are reallly spoilt for choice for a nice carry-on snack.

 

[LowLevel]

A fresh Sourced Market pastry for breakfast is enough of a treat for me if you happen to be travelling north from St P in the morning anyway!