Normally do a full service after Newcastle so I'd hope you'd get at least tea/coffee if not sandwiches/snacks.
What's the chances of getting anything at all on the 12.25 from Newcastle to York on Tuesday? It's only an hour so not too optimistic, but a cup of tea would be nice.
They ask fairly frequently where you are going but I've never seen anyone asked for their ticket, the food trolley though probably won't appear until you have departed Darlo so make sure you are at the top of K if you want a sandwich.
I'll pass on the Scotch (or save it for Butts ) but the rest would be good. I'd have to go some to consume it all before York though!
Thanks
Furgus got a good result with £50 - worth complaining !!
Talking of Scotch I had asked if there would be a service on the last Virgin Service from Birmingham International (2320) to Euston.I can happily report there was. With only four passengers in the whole of 1st Class it was like having a "Butler" on call.
Copious quantities of Scotch, Sandwiches, Crisps, Biscuits etc were forthcoming on a regular basis. I had to stop after five doubles or I would have been k-lined on arrival
The last trip a group of us were in 1st between Newcastle & York, there was one cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate on offer only. So you did well!Update - in my hour between Newcastle and York I got a cup of tea (could have had a second one), two ham and 'spot the egg' sandwiches (they didn't get to coach M for the orders until well after Durham so I thought it unlikely I'd get a hot meal in time to eat it, although apparently I could have ordered one), cake, crisps and a drink from the trolley. Not bad for £10.35 Railcard price, only booked last week!
That's not to replace the meal service on the 20:00 I hope?From December, there will be a Chef (again) on the 19:00 departure Kings Cross - Edinburgh.
Glad someone else has mentioned the return of evening meal to the 19:00, I've been sitting on this for a while as I know one of the Edinburgh Sheffs personally and was asked to keep quiet! I cant see the dinner service on the 20:00 going as I understand its popular.↲
The last trip a group of us were in 1st between Newcastle & York, there was one cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate on offer only. So you did well!
I would have struggled to even call it an offer, it was more of a "You are OK for hot drinks aren't you yes goodbye."
I'm on the same Newcastle - Doncaster train soon so we'll see what happens then.
An unallocated seat or the accidental removal of your seat ticket is the way to go and if anyone (bar the guard) asks you make sure you say you are going all the way to the cross/Newcastle/Edinburgh - or a destination over the 70 minute mark.
Unfortunately the train in question terminates at Doncaster, hence the poor service probably!
Saturday evenings there is a Edinburgh-Doncaster service which then
runs ECS to Neville Hill
Yes. The crew boarded at Newcastle. However they were anything but "fresh and ready to go" (!) The journey to Doncaster is over 70 minutes, so in theory food should be provided. No chance of that whatsoever, and a solitary hot drink offering was grudgingly made.There's a southbound donny terminator?
Cheers, I remember there used to be a 2100 from Edinburgh to Doncaster a few years back which started at Glasgow IIRC, now of course it's the Aberdeen to Leeds run instead. It's amazing how much busier that one is from Aberdeen compared to the one it replaced. Some nights first is nearly full leaving Aberdeen, when it only used to go to Edinburgh and missed the Doncaster it was almost empty.
usually a decent crew on it as far as Edinburgh also. I've seen the wheels on the drinks trolley rolling before the wheels on the train.
I'd say I have found some disappointing elements to EC first recently but would still rate ECs worse above Virgins best. Just goes to show that people fall for the media and hype.
Cheers, I remember there used to be a 2100 from Edinburgh to Doncaster a few years back which started at Glasgow IIRC, now of course it's the Aberdeen to Leeds run instead. It's amazing how much busier that one is from Aberdeen compared to the one it replaced. Some nights first is nearly full leaving Aberdeen, when it only used to go to Edinburgh and missed the Doncaster it was almost empty.
usually a decent crew on it as far as Edinburgh also. I've seen the wheels on the drinks trolley rolling before the wheels on the train.
Yes. The crew boarded at Newcastle. However they were anything but "fresh and ready to go" (!) The journey to Doncaster is over 70 minutes, so in theory food should be provided. No chance of that whatsoever, and a solitary hot drink offering was grudgingly made.
Of course, they know there's little chance of being 'mystery shopped' on that train, so they feel they can get away with it. I'd invite any EC managers reading this to give it a try and see that you're paying your staff to sit around basically, as they feel they've been overworked. Yet the departure screens all say "complementary offer available" - yeah, right!
By the way, if the crew really shouldn't be on duty by that time, just say so. Change the screens, and update the website, and amend the fares to reflect this, and that'd be fair enough. But it appears people are being paid to sit around and do nothing.
This cropped up at the forum meal in Brough, several people have reported bad experience by this person. I won't post a description here - he's very recognisable/distinctive though!That it is lazy, will be a Leeds crew too . It's the last leg of a long shift but still no excuse for that. Plenty of time to clear up when the train is going ECS don-lds
With all due respect I think that statement is nonsense.
Effectively you are saying someone could just get a cup of tea on East Coast and that would be better than receiving a full Evening Meal service on Virgin.
Yeah going back a few years in GNER days on that 1950 service off Glasgow, a Newcastle crew took over at Newcastle, they slept on it at Doncaster for a few hours and worked the 0615 Glasgow service back in the morning as far as Newcastle. In those days it just stabled in plat 8 overnight and didn't go to Neville Hill. Good to hear loading are good on that last Aberdeen service, suppose it gives an option for a decent amount of time, for a day out from stations between Leeds and Edinburgh if you take the 0710 service up in the morning.