London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[DaveNewcastle]

As I have stated previously, it does appear that the target for service delivery has improved and as a consequence, the actual service delivery has oftem improved.
The problem that the passenger faces is that the service is 'complimentary' and therefore not a committment. It only takes one of many factors in the supply chain to fail and you'll find that you are presented with 'a complimentary offering' and 'and apology'.
This is a very inequitable arrangement between the supplier and the consumer:
I forget to bring my Railcard - I pay another £140.
RG forgets to put the potato chips in the cart - EC apologises.

Specificallly on the fast services, then you'll find a trolley run after London and York and Newcastle. (or in reverse, Edinburgh, Newcastle & York). but there are some crews who'll be more accomodating. The crew members I know well tell me that their job has just become formulaic and lacks discretion and interest.

 

[YorkshireRider]

For anyone intrested the menu will change in 2 weeks.

The breakfast menu will more or less remain the same except the salmon and scrambled eggs will now be served on a crumpet with hollandese sauce and there will be a option of hot waffle with berry compote and creme fraise, these 2 option will rotate week on week off with each other. The mid morning menu will rotate these 2 options also along with the usual bacon toastie and porridge options.

The All Day menu:
Rotation 1 : Ham, Turkey and Dill or Cheese and onion sarnies - Jacket spud with coronation chicken - Roasted tomato and parmasan tart. Fruit cake.
Rotation 2 : Chicken, Rocket and lemon mayo or Egg and spinach sarnies - Hot Pork pie with piccalilli - Courgette, broad bean, pea and basil tart. Honey cake.
Rotation 3 : Salmon and pickle or Cheese ploughmans sarnies - Jacket spud with tuna mayo and red onion - Caramelised onion and rosemary tart. Apple and cinamon cake.
Rotation 4 : Ham and piccalilli or egg and tomato sarnies - Smoked Haddock Mornay pie - Tomato and asparagus tart. Choc marble cake.
The same buscuits, crisps and fruit will be available.
The tarts will be served with a warm bread roll and salad. Chips are no longer on the menu, the pies and jackets will just come with salad.

The afternoon tea menu will be the exact same sandwiches and cake as the all day menu with either a fruit scone or black forest gateau. No hot options.

The evening menu will have all the option of the all day menu with the addtional main dishes of:
Rotation 1 : Beef cassorole with pots and brocolli
Rotation 2 : Trout with pots, green beans and nectarine and mint salsa
Rotation 3 : Herb chicken with couscous and salad
Rotation 4 : Pork Parmigiana with mozarella, tomato and basil sauce, pots and sugar snaps
There will still also be a dessert or cheese and buscuits option.

As far as the Leeds services go there are a few which will go from the all day menu to the afternoon tea, in fact i think all services leaving Leeds or KX between 1400-1600 will be afternoon tea. The 1903 KX-LDS service will revert to the all day menu and no longer offer evening meal however the 1733 KX-HARROGATE service will go the other way and now offer the evening meal menu. Im not sure of any changes if any to the Newcastle and Scotland services but when i spoke to the catering delivery manager yesterday he said all the changes would be in the passenger timetable including afternoon tea trains.

 

[Bungle73]

I admit I was a bit misled by that last pic and the plate wasn't as big as I thought it was, so the chips weren't as chunky as I thought they were.

Anyway, I had the chicken & mushroom pie myself today, and I think I was provided with an adequate amount of chips.

I had to ask a member of the train crew to place my order though, as the guy with the food trolley zoomed right past me for some reason.

I had a bit of accident too: I knocked over my glass of wine and it went all over my trousers.

 

[Failed Unit]

From the download of the new timetable on East Coasts website, no change in colour for the hunger express's (afternoon tea)

Other change is the 1900 no longer serves dinner but the 2000 does (both ex kings cross). Hope that is a mistake otherwise dilemma time use the 1830 or go to get a meal and catch 1900.

 

[Aberdonian]

Hello Yorkshire Rider
Can you confirm that this menu will apply to the Aberdeen to Edinburgh part of the route? If not can you tell me how to find out what is likely to be available.
Thanks

 

[Blindtraveler]

id guess it would. Cant say0im amazed by the hot options this time so on at least 2 rotations its sandwitches or back to Virgin.
That said they should id guess go ok

 

[Nym]

Anyway, I had the chicken & mushroom pie myself today, and I think I was provided with an adequate amount of chips.

I had to ask a member of the train crew to place my order though, as the guy with the food trolley zoomed right past me for some reason.

I had a bit of accident too: I knocked over my glass of wine and it went all over my trousers.

What's all that green stuff at the bottom of the plate though?

You're eating something made from pure fat and something else fried in fat and they're providing green stuff, that's like blowing on an oil rig fire...

And are you sure that was wine?

And last of all, I wouldn't say that was adequate chips, it looks like a tiny plate...

 

[cookiescrumble]

I didn't get any green stuff with mine , plenty of chips though

 

[mirodo]

For anyone intrested the menu will change in 2 weeks.

Is that w/c Monday 28th May? Trying to work out what I'm likely to get on the 8th June.

 

[calc7]

Is that w/c Monday 28th May? Trying to work out what I'm likely to get on the 8th June.

"likely" could be a bit optimistic...

 

[Bungle73]

What's all that green stuff at the bottom of the plate though?

You're eating something made from pure fat and something else fried in fat and they're providing green stuff, that's like blowing on an oil rig fire...

And are you sure that was wine?

And last of all, I wouldn't say that was adequate chips, it looks like a tiny plate...

What's made from pure fat? It's a chicken pie. The chips are oven chips, are they not. The number of chips seemed fine to me (I'd already eaten some before I took the photo, and the pie as well as you can see). I've no idea what the green stuff is. It filled me up and was enough to do as my main meal of the day, which I didn't expect. I only needed some sandwiches in the evening.

You're right though, it was a tiny plate.

 

[Nym]

Pastry is fat and flour, and the chips are 12% fat (roughly) then the filling of the pie has a lot of fat in it.

 

[YorkshireRider]

Hello Yorkshire Rider
Can you confirm that this menu will apply to the Aberdeen to Edinburgh part of the route? If not can you tell me how to find out what is likely to be available.
Thanks

Yes one of the menus will apply between Aberdeen and Edinburgh depending which service your on (excluding the evening meal menu which you only get ex Kings X).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Is that w/c Monday 28th May? Trying to work out what I'm likely to get on the 8th June.

Yes..

 

[calc7]

The whole chips argument is academic anyway as they've been removed from the upcoming menu. Another example of attrition in the "spoiling" "First Class" service.

 

[mirodo]

"likely" could be a bit optimistic...

I'll be nice if I get it (pork pie, according to the new rotation), but I'll not be overly fussed if I don't.

I got a Standard London - York plus a First Class York - Alnmouth* for the same price as a standard London - Alnmouth ticket (booked deliberately to give me an hour's stopover in York to check out the York Tap. ), so I've not exactly paid over the odds for the first class leg.

 

[williamn]

Just booked Aberdeen to London in June (07.52) Will be first experience of the first class service. What are chips being replaced with?

 

[Nym]

Green stuff never before seen North of York?

 

[calc7]

Green stuff never before seen North of York?

On some services (distributed at random), this "green stuff" will actually be an empty plate with a pathetic apology (it's "subject to availability", after all) and, crew-dependent, rude customer service.

 

[HST Power]

One further query from me, I would be very grateful to any help I can get.

I have booked a FC Advance on July 30th, for the 0634 Stevenage-Newcastle. In the East Coast planner menus this train does not have a trolley service. On the day, I will not have time to eat before I leave to catch the train, as it is an earlier departure and I have to drive to Stevenage.

Despite the fact that a trolley service is not listed, will I still be able to get the complimentary breakfast? Will I still be served at my seat?

Thanks all!

 

[Failed Unit]

According to the timetable, should be a full breakfast.

 

[calc7]

...Again, with the usual caveat that whether or not this offering is actually provided and/or deemed sufficient for a three hour journey will only be told on the day.

 

[Blindtraveler]

was thinking just the other day that EC must have been failing to read this thread - just when it goes quiet they announce a menue change which, no doubt wil make it busy again!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
anybody tried the new offering yet?

 

[cjp]

Well this last week I had a couple of chances to sample the food and I would not let the thought of their food sway me compared to Virgin's better offering
Features
Trains were on time. Seats were comfortable
Plenty of staff around ex Berwick just no food until after Newcastle. I had to ask for a cold drink (when it was explained only tea and coffee Berwick - Newcastle) which was hard as I was thirsty and all the Edinburgh passengers were tucking into to their food.
No hot food offered later - When I asked about it I declined the offered Jacket potato with Coronation chicken after the experience up when the jacket potato had just been shown the chilli.
Sandwiches & cake tasted OK and filled a hole.
Plenty of opportunity to have wine etc on which I passed.
Good staff who seemed to work hard.
Shame going North on the 1000 the breakfast menus were in place showing what we had missed and wetting our appetites
Conclusion
Travel was faultless
Service was better going South than going North.
Clean
The £10.00 worth of food and drink would not be a deciding factor in not travelling cattle class.
The service might be.
The relaxing atmosphere will be.

 

[calc7]

Plenty of staff around ex Berwick just no food until after Newcastle. I had to ask for a cold drink (when it was explained only tea and coffee Berwick - Newcastle) which was hard as I was thirsty

Is it just me who thinks that in this warm weather it's bad customer service to be only offering hot drinks after the minor stops as a token "First Class" service. Would it really be that hard for them to follow with juice, cans and water, even if they are adamant on being stingy with the alcohol?

 

[Blindtraveler]

or even just water?

 

[Alan1310]

hi sorry to jump on the band wagon i am booked fc coach M on 14/5/12 i will be boarding at 07:45 at pbo travelling all the way to Edinburgh it arrives 11:25 what am i suppose to get and what will i get
will i get breakfast as we depart pbo or will i be left hungry cheers guys&gals

 

[ainsworth74]

Well all things being equal you should get breakfast on that service (though I assume you mean 14/6 as 14/5 has been and gone ).

 

[HST Power]

Is it just me who thinks that in this warm weather it's bad customer service to be only offering hot drinks after the minor stops as a token "First Class" service. Would it really be that hard for them to follow with juice, cans and water, even if they are adamant on being stingy with the alcohol?

Whenever I have travelled with East Coast they've brought hot drinks around after every stop. Though I do agree that it might be an idea to do a few more runs with the cold drinks trolley. Normally there's only one or two.

 

[calc7]

Whenever I have travelled with East Coast they've brought hot drinks around after every stop. Though I do agree that it might be an idea to do a few more runs with the cold drinks trolley. Normally there's only one or two.

Sorry - that's what I meant. I should have put "offering only hot drinks" instead of "only offering hot drinks".

 

[sidmouth]

The £10.00 worth of food and drink would not be a deciding factor in not travelling cattle class.
The service might be.
The relaxing atmosphere will be.

Totally agree: I would value the the present food and drink at £5 as I cannot rely on it (and thus if necessary having to eat in advance). If I could rely on the advertised food being offered then I would value at £20. But for PBO to KGX I value it as a negative £20 as nothing worse than watching othe people stuffing their faces whilst being denied the same level of service.