TfW 1st Class

[VideozVideoz]

I did a search but nothing has come up. Are people aware of this sneaky change to their only 1st class service? I was gonna book a return trip to CARDIFF thinking meals are covered but luckily came across this nugget! No idea when it was posted but must be fairly recent

Food and drink on our trains | Transport for Wales

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tfw.wales

 

[voyagerdude220]

I did a search but nothing has come up. Are people aware of this sneaky change to their only 1st class service? I was gonna book a return trip to CARDIFF thinking meals are covered but luckily came across this nugget! No idea when it was posted but must be fairly recent

Food and drink on our trains | Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales | Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Check Train Times

tfw.wales

Yes it has been mentioned on here before about TFW no longer offering the First Class meals as part of the complimentary service onboard.

I note TFW still haven't uploaded any menus, it's been like that on their website for at least a couple of months I think.

Maybe they're trying to ensure that they're able to reliably run the loco hauled sets before properly advertising what food is on offer? (It appears to have been rather hit and miss over the last few months whether the loco hauled services have been loco hauled or substituted with a DMU)

 

[hexagon789]

I thought they'd started charging separately for meals a while ago? Possibly even back in 2019?

 

[Iskra]

I thought they'd started charging separately for meals a while ago? Possibly even back in 2019?

Standard passengers could upgrade to first for a reasonable price I think, or purchase just a meal to consume in standard.

I don't see an issue with this latest model, a 3 course dinner for £20 is decent. It allows people to use 1st without having a dinner forced on them (and it may allow more people to claim the ticket on expenses) and it reduces complaints when the catering isn't available. It was a pain when I didn't eat in preparation for a meal on Gerald, but then the train broke down and was switched for a 175 with no catering at all. That was a hungry trip! Now at least you would get some snacks to keep you going if the the full meal service isn't available.

However, I do wish they would stop messing about with this offering now, it seems to change every 5 minutes!

 

[Andy Pacer]

I thought they'd started charging separately for meals a while ago? Possibly even back in 2019?

I think it's since catering restarted following Covid. I was going to use it in March 2020 as part of an All Line Rover, but then they suspended the catering.

 

[Techniquest]

Personally I'd rather buy a decent meal before the journey, and if I was on a long journey on the train supplies such as water and snacks before boarding, than be offered food that doesn't suit me anyway. If said meal on board does indeed set one back around £20, I could get a far more satisfying meal before boarding for much less. There's also the advantage of smelly food stinking the carriage out less, which is definitely a big plus. Personally speaking, I'd rather not be sat in First Class with the smell of other people's meals smelling the carriage out!

So not offering complimentary meals is a good thing as far as I'm concerned

 

[Andy Pacer]

Personally I'd rather buy a decent meal before the journey, and if I was on a long journey on the train supplies such as water and snacks before boarding, than be offered food that doesn't suit me anyway. If said meal on board does indeed set one back around £20, I could get a far more satisfying meal before boarding for much less. There's also the advantage of smelly food stinking the carriage out less, which is definitely a big plus. Personally speaking, I'd rather not be sat in First Class with the smell of other people's meals smelling the carriage out!

So not offering complimentary meals is a good thing as far as I'm concerned

In fairness though their meals were restaurant standard, and whilst the complimentary offering was excellent it's still very good value at £20.

 

[Dai Corner]

Personally I'd rather buy a decent meal before the journey, and if I was on a long journey on the train supplies such as water and snacks before boarding, than be offered food that doesn't suit me anyway. If said meal on board does indeed set one back around £20, I could get a far more satisfying meal before boarding for much less. There's also the advantage of smelly food stinking the carriage out less, which is definitely a big plus. Personally speaking, I'd rather not be sat in First Class with the smell of other people's meals smelling the carriage out!

So not offering complimentary meals is a good thing as far as I'm concerned

I think the service is aimed more at the politician or civil servant who's just finished a meeting in Cardiff and wants to get home as soon as possible rather than save the taxpayer expenses by eating in a Cardiff restaurant or the Senedd canteen.

 

[hexagon789]

I think the service is aimed more at the politician or civil servant who's just finished a meeting in Cardiff and wants to get home as soon as possible rather than save the taxpayer expenses by eating in a Cardiff restaurant or the Senedd canteen.

They'd have to pay for First Class themselves though, they can't get that on expenses anymore.

 

[Techniquest]

I think the service is aimed more at the politician or civil servant who's just finished a meeting in Cardiff and wants to get home as soon as possible rather than save the taxpayer expenses by eating in a Cardiff restaurant or the Senedd canteen.

You mean they're cheeky enough to charge it to expenses? I can see the logic in taking food on the train, of course, but if they're expecting people to fund their after-work meals too doesn't that seem unfair?

Expenses during work, yes of course, but I'm sorry a meal after work, on the way back home, is different. I mean, are we all expected to fund their breakfast before leaving the house too? Maybe I should try charging my employer for all my meals every day, on the basis that I need breakfast before starting my hands-on job and of course I need to refuel afterwards! Even my evening meal, long after work has finished, needs to be had. Far as I'm concerned, they should learn to pay for their own meals! Yes, by all means get food for the train, I would, but get it out of their own money like the rest of us. Pop into Tesco/similar on the way to the station, surely?

 

[Dai Corner]

They'd have to pay for First Class themselves though, they can't get that on expenses anymore.

https://senedd.wales/media/hh4kan0n/gen-ld15066-e.pdf

5.9. Rail travel
5.9.1. Subject to paragraphs 5.2.1, 5.2.2 and 5.2.3, Members are entitled to claim the actual level of expense incurred by them. In order to demonstrate financial responsibility, Members are expected to choose standard class travel unless they are able to satisfy the Members’ Business Support Team that there is a demonstrable need to do otherwise.

I suspect they manage to demonstrate a need'

 

[Techniquest]

https://senedd.wales/media/hh4kan0n/gen-ld15066-e.pdf

I suspect they manage to demonstrate a need'

I wonder what the need would be classed as!

 

[Dai Corner]

You mean they're cheeky enough to charge it to expenses? I can see the logic in taking food on the train, of course, but if they're expecting people to fund their after-work meals too doesn't that seem unfair?

Expenses during work, yes of course, but I'm sorry a meal after work, on the way back home, is different. I mean, are we all expected to fund their breakfast before leaving the house too? Maybe I should try charging my employer for all my meals every day, on the basis that I need breakfast before starting my hands-on job and of course I need to refuel afterwards! Even my evening meal, long after work has finished, needs to be had. Far as I'm concerned, they should learn to pay for their own meals! Yes, by all means get food for the train, I would, but get it out of their own money like the rest of us. Pop into Tesco/similar on the way to the station, surely?

Even I, as a lowly employee in the private and public sectors, got a meal allowance if travelling for work purposes.

 

[Dai Corner]

I wonder what the need would be classed as!

Something like adequate space , privacy and quiet to work on confidential documents I expect.

 

[telstarbox]

I think long-distance first class is justifiable for politicians for the reasons raised by Dai. Being an MP / AM is a unique job where you have to represent one area but do the bulk of the work in another location - and this can be more difficult in Wales where the main transport corridors run west-east rather than north-south.

The point of meal allowances is that you're away from your home base, so can't benefit from your own kitchen or work canteen in the same way that you could on a normal working day.

 

[AY1975]

Yes it has been mentioned on here before about TFW no longer offering the First Class meals as part of the complimentary service onboard.

I note TFW still haven't uploaded any menus, it's been like that on their website for at least a couple of months I think.

Maybe they're trying to ensure that they're able to reliably run the loco hauled sets before properly advertising what food is on offer? (It appears to have been rather hit and miss over the last few months whether the loco hauled services have been loco hauled or substituted with a DMU)

In the FAQs it says charging for meals "makes it more sustainable and makes it fairer for people who use first class on trains where we don’t have a kitchen on board and aren’t able to offer the on-board dining experience".

But surely there are no TfW trains that have First Class but no kitchen, unless they mean if the kitchen car has a fault and has to be removed from the formation (or remains part of the set but with the kitchen not in use).

 

[hexagon789]

In the FAQs it says charging for meals "makes it more sustainable and makes it fairer for people who use first class on trains where we don’t have a kitchen on board and aren’t able to offer the on-board dining experience".

But surely there are no TfW trains that have First Class but no kitchen, unless they mean if the kitchen car has a fault and has to be removed from the formation (or remains part of the set but with the kitchen not in use).

The 197s won't have kitchens.