York to Newcastle 1st class breakfast time trains

[boyaloud]

Just checked on East Coast's site after locating the hard-to-find PDF of mealtimes, am I right that the 7:37 and 8:55 both have full cooked breakfast between York and Newcastle? Want to double check as not mega clear re: journeys under 70mins! Seems a great bargain at £13/£8.55 railcard! Not been 1st class on EC and seems a cheap way to try (I live in Manchester so can combine with a £3.45 FTPE student getaway single to York).

 

[transmanche]

Just checked on East Coast's site after locating the hard-to-find PDF of mealtimes, am I right that the 7:37 and 8:55 both have full cooked breakfast between York and Newcastle? Want to double check as not mega clear re: journeys under 70mins!

Those journeys are 65mins and 59 mins respectively. So not quite the 70 minutes required to qualify for a meal. But you might get away with it if you're lucky, have the right attitude and there's enough food left...

Edit: the 07:37 actually starts from Leeds at 07:10, so if you book from there to Newcastle, then you'll qualify for the breakfast.

 

[bb21]

York to Newcastle is not a full meal journey, however as mentioned above with certain crews you may well get away with it.

 

[boyaloud]

Cool, thanks, just wasn't clear as it states that unshaded times under 70mins don't get it, which possibly implies that times shaded pink but under 70 minutes do. So if I book from Leeds on either I'd definitely get it, York I may/may not?

 

[Anvil1984]

To definitely qualify you'd have to join the EC service at Leeds and not York as York to Newcastle is under 70 minuts

 

[transmanche]

Cool, thanks, just wasn't clear as it states that unshaded times under 70mins don't get it, which possibly implies that times shaded pink but under 70 minutes do.

If you board at a station that's shaded and the journey is more 70 mins, then you should receive the appropriate meal. Pink shading = breakfast.

So if I book from Leeds on either I'd definitely get it, York I may/may not?

Well, it's always "subject to availability", so there are no guarantees. But Leeds to Newcastle is more than 70 minutes, York to Newcastle isn't.

 

[boyaloud]

Great thanks a lot all! The ticket from York is ~£5 cheaper or £7.50 without r/c than from Leeds so probably risk it! As an aside, does anyone know how to easily find out where +connections are valid from/to e.g. I found out recently the nearest to Manchester you can do EC+connections from is Ashton-u-Lyne which brings up some good fares to London via Leeds. I'd like to know of similar connections for Newcastle. Thanks.

 

[bb21]

Use brfares, and go to "Expert Mode". You will see what stations are within the same fare cluster.

For example, for Manchester Piccadilly - London Terminals, you will see that fares routed VWC & CONNECTNS are available between all stations in the cluster T222 and cluster T213.

 

[34D]

I've previously had breakfast on the 07:10 from Leeds

 

[yorkie]

Great thanks a lot all! The ticket from York is ~£5 cheaper or £7.50 without r/c than from Leeds .....

Yes, because the Leeds ticket includes a breakfast!

I find that if the offering is just sandwiches, they tend not to ask. If it's an order for hot food they do tend to ask where you're going to.

Be sure to book the EC ticket on the EC website, and the TPE ticket on the TPE website (and if it's a 16-25 Railcard, click the student promo link), for the best possible price.

 

[Red Dragon]

I've had breakfast a number of times on the 07:10 from Leeds on trips to Scotland. You should be ok, as usually orders aren't taken until after York, but they do ask where you're going and Pax for NCL have been served a breakfast. Good luck.

 

[yorkie]

In that case, might be a good idea to sit at the rear of coach M then, to maximise the chance they didn't get to your seat before York!

 

[Haywain]

In that case, might be a good idea to sit at the rear of coach M then, to maximise the chance they didn't get to your seat before York!

Or at the front of coach K to reduce the time lag? If they don't start taking orders until York it could be 10 - 15 minutes before they get to the back of caoch M.

 

[boyaloud]

Good advice people, have now booked for next Thursday as brilliantly it's at the cheapest price then too so thought I'd go soon rather than wait until April! Eeek so got to decide between M and K now!

 

[boyaloud]

Eeeek still can't decide where to sit and I'm travelling tomorrow! Thinking M is best?

 

[Ebore]

FWIW the last time I caught 07:37 from York the orders were taken from J-M and served from M-J, I sat towards the north end of L and had a full English before Darlington.

 

[boyaloud]

Well I had a great couple of first class journeys! IN the morning an announcement was made that there was no bread/croissant trolley which was annoying! The orders were taken about 15-20 minutes after we left York. I had a green tea, orange juice and the breakfast came about 20 minutes before I was due to arrive in Newcastle. It was of a good standard but quite greasy with bobbles of fat on everything. Maybe this is commonplace but I only ever eat full Englishes in Wetherspoons where this never happens. Nonetheless I ate it all! Was slightly on the small side. Really enjoyed the experience.

Upon returning, I got a glass of white wine, crisps, banana, apple, chocolate loaf cake and earl grey loaf cake, and ordered the quiche (didn't know whether to ask if this came hot but when he said he'd ask for it I assumed it must do, as he was giving out cold sandwiches from the trolley). Hoever this was nearly half way into the journey! I should've said where I was going to. So later I asked the drink man for a rose (finished wine quickly to get another! I'm a very slow eater and drinker normally!) and that I was only on until York. He said he only does drinks but would ask. Sure enough in 5 minutes a piping hot mini but incredibly delicious quiche came! One of the best I've ever had, large pieces of bacon, quality mushrooms, lovely pastry I'd read about in the magazine! And a dressed salad. I finished it in time! The wifi didn't work on this leg though.

 

[Squaddie]

Well I had a great couple of first class journeys!

And yet the rest of your post suggests that the breakfast was small and greasy, with no bread or croissants available, and that you spent much of the journey eating and drinking as quickly as possible in order to get more and to finish everything before you reached your destination...

 

[boyaloud]

And yet the rest of your post suggests that the breakfast was small and greasy, with no bread or croissants available, and that you spent much of the journey eating and drinking as quickly as possible in order to get more and to finish everything before you reached your destination...

It's a fun challenge for me! I get my kicks in odd ways!