London-Glasgow trip (outward 3 Jan, return 4 Jan): will strikes affect me?

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I have ALWAYS wanted to have the full Virgin Pendolino First Class experience, as in - the works. Breakfast on the way up. Evening meal on the way down. (Yes I know apparently VTEC food is better but I can get cheap ECMl tickets any time...)

So I’ve got a ticket to Glasgow for the 3rd January from London, returning the next day. The up journey is a scheduled Weekday breakfast working, the down one is a scheduled Evening Meal working.

BUT!!!

This is 3rd/4th January! The day before my trip is a bank holiday in Scotland when they only offer picnic trays (the day before that is a bank holiday everywhere). The day after the trip is a strike when they offer NOTHING!

This won’t affect the catering on my journeys will it???? The 3rd and 4th are not bank holidays nor strike days but they are right in the middle of the two!

I’m really panicking now, the whole point was to enjoy the first class meal service otherwise I could have just bought a cheap Birmingham train and upgraded on a weekend! A member of staff on live chat said it should be fine and first class meals should be as normal but that’s just one opinion!

What do you think?

 

[gazthomas]

I would expect you’ll be okay!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I would expect you’ll be okay!

Really? Ok thanks. It’s just it’s crammed in the middle of two reduced catering days so I was worried they’d think “Ah might as well lump those two days in too!”

 

[DanNCL]

I have ALWAYS wanted to have the full Virgin Pendolino First Class experience, as in - the works. Breakfast on the way up. Evening meal on the way down. (Yes I know apparently VTEC food is better but I can get cheap ECMl tickets any time...)

So I’ve got a ticket to Glasgow for the 3rd January from London, returning the next day. The up journey is a scheduled Weekday breakfast working, the down one is a scheduled Evening Meal working.

BUT!!!

This is 3rd/4th January! The day before my trip is a bank holiday in Scotland when they only offer picnic trays (the day before that is a bank holiday everywhere). The day after the trip is a strike when they offer NOTHING!

This won’t affect the catering on my journeys will it???? The 3rd and 4th are not bank holidays nor strike days but they are right in the middle of the two!

I’m really panicking now. A member of staff on live chat said it should be fine but that’s just one opinion!

No catering on strike days?? I find that hard to believe

With regards to the bank holidays, I can't see them affecting the catering offer. If VTEC is anything to go by (which they may or may not be) it would be the weekend catering on the 2nd, and the normal weekday afterwards.

If your travelling on the 3rd and the 4th, then you have to need to worry; it should be the normal weekday catering

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

No catering on strike days?? I find that hard to believe

With regards to the bank holidays, I can't see them affecting the catering offer. If VTEC is anything to go by (which they may or may not be) it would be the weekend catering on the 2nd, and the normal weekday afterwards.

If your travelling on the 3rd and the 4th, then you have to need to worry; it should be the normal weekday catering

Oh phew! I was really worried! Thanks! I just have to pray you’re right!

 

[cactustwirly]

No catering on strike days?? I find that hard to believe

Well the catering staff are on strike...

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Well the catering staff are on strike...

I think it may have been sarcasm

 

[DanNCL]

I think it may have been sarcasm

It wasn't intended as humor at all; it was me getting my facts wrong

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It wasn't intended as humor at all; it was me getting my facts wrong

Oh, I see, haha!

 

[Chrism20]

If it’s not a strike day you should be fine.

The cod is really nice and the stroganoff isn’t too bad either. I’m not keen on the chicken tbh but I think that’s more to do with my dislike of dumplings rather than it being poor.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

If it’s not a strike day you should be fine.

The cod is really nice and the stroganoff isn’t too bad either. I’m not keen on the chicken tbh but I think that’s more to do with my dislike of dumplings rather than it being poor.

Thanks.
What are these “fondant potatoes” like. They sound rather curious.

I must say I’m disappointed at the dessert - trifle. Normally it’s weird sounding posh things such as Glazed Pear Brownie or Hazelnut Chocolate Torte!

 

[Chrism20]

Thanks.
What are these “fondant potatoes” like. They sound rather curious.

I must say I’m disappointed at the dessert - trifle. Normally it’s weird sounding posh things such as Glazed Pear Brownie or Hazelnut Chocolate Torte!

The best way to describe them is to say they are a slow-roasted potato, normally roasted in butter or a stock. Not as crispy as a proper roast potato though if that makes sense. If you google them you’ll see a picture of what they look like.

The trifle is nice but it could be doing with being a bit bigger - like three times the size.

The best dessert I’ve had on the West Coast in the last few years was the treacle bread and butter pudding. It was really nice.

 

[xotGD]

Why not just skip the journey on the EMU and go for a meal in a good restaurant?

 

[dave87016]

The trifle is not a trifle as such it's like jam with a bit of cream in one of those miniature jam pots u can get from supermarkets , personally to call it a trifle is an insult to the real thing

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

DONT TELL ME ANYTHING BAD PLEASE!!! I DON’T WANT TO REGRET BOOKING IT!!!

 

[robbeech]

DON'T ASK THEN

AND DON'T SHOUT!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Sorry, I wasn’t using capitals to shout! I was trying to emphasise! I never shout, I am a very calm person.

 

[robbeech]

You should try using sarcasm and marginally surreal terminology and examples to emphasise your points. It works for me.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

You should try using sarcasm and marginally surreal terminology and examples to emphasise your points. It works for me.

Wonderful.

 

[185143]

The weekday breakfast is good but isn't particularly big.

I travelled on a bank holiday once and they were offering bacon rolls (and weekend upgrades) but they'd cooked far too many, so they came through again-twice-asking if anyone wanted another!

Me and my mate got a very good fill that morning, lets put it that way!

I've attached the weekday breakfast.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The weekday breakfast is good but isn't particularly big.

I travelled on a bank holiday once and they were offering bacon rolls (and weekend upgrades) but they'd cooked far too many, so they came through again-twice-asking if anyone wanted another!

Me and my mate got a very good fill that morning, lets put it that way!

I've attached the weekday breakfast.

Thanks! Aw, that’s fine, it looks big enough! I mean, if it comes with cereal and toast too, it doesn’t need to be massive.

 

[cambsy]

Unless things have changed the breakfast is nice, but smal, not filling like a Full Fry up, think it toast and Grill, don’t think you get toast, cereal then grill, You maybe lucky after Preston and get another breakfast or decent hot food offering, otherwise fill up with snacks they offer.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I’ve been told by Virgin:

Alpen, Special K or Crunchy Nut cereal. Followed by the main things such as the full English/Smoked salmon/Eggs Flourentine etc.
Followed by toast and fresh fruit.

Then bacon rolls and New Covent Garden Soup later in the journey.

 

[TheAdelante]

I never shout, I am a very calm person.

**COUGH COUGH** apart from when a Voyager turns up and he’s expecting a Pendolino!

 

[DanNCL]

The strike has now been called off

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The strike has now been called off

Oh thank goodness for that! I was worried it would interfere with my journey.

 

[AndrewE]

I have ALWAYS wanted to have the full Virgin Pendolino First Class experience, as in - the works. Breakfast on the way up. Evening meal on the way down...

So I’ve got a ticket to Glasgow for the 3rd January from London, returning the next day. The up journey is a scheduled Weekday breakfast working, the down one is a scheduled Evening Meal working.

I'm afraid you are going to be sadly disappointed... if you try to get on an up train you won't leave Euston, so it then will cost you the full whack to get a walk-up fare down to Glasgow on the next one. On the bright side, there is lots to do in Glasgow and you can easily fill 2 days if it's your first visit (when you get there) ... but maybe you mean you are taking an evening down train and a morning train back up?

This is a railway forum and after getting on for 2000 posts you should have either learnt this from reading other posts or done a (tiny) bit of background reading.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I'm afraid you are going to be sadly disappointed... if you try to get on an up train you won't leave Euston, so it then will cost you the full whack to get a walk-up fare down to Glasgow on the next one. On the bright side, there is lots to do in Glasgow and you can easily fill 2 days if it's your first visit (when you get there) ... but maybe you mean you are taking an evening down train and a morning train back up?

This is a railway forum and after getting on for 2000 posts you should have either learnt this from reading other posts or done a (tiny) bit of background reading.

What do you mean I won’t leave Euston? That makes no sense! Why will I be sadly disappointed?!

I’m booked on a quarter to eight in the morning train out of Euston on the 3rd, returning on the 4th on an evening train!

And no I live in the south so it is taking a morning up train and returning to London on an evening train.

 

[DanNCL]

I'm afraid you are going to be sadly disappointed... if you try to get on an up train you won't leave Euston, so it then will cost you the full whack to get a walk-up fare down to Glasgow on the next one. On the bright side, there is lots to do in Glasgow and you can easily fill 2 days if it's your first visit (when you get there) ... but maybe you mean you are taking an evening down train and a morning train back up?

This is a railway forum and after getting on for 2000 posts you should have either learnt this from reading other posts or done a (tiny) bit of background reading.

Take your own advice and read the op before posting. The op quite clearly states that he is going to Glasgow in the morning, and back in the evening. Not everyone understands the whole up is towards London, down is away from London business, so there is no need to be critical for it.

 

[Harbouring]

What do you mean I won’t leave Euston? That makes no sense! Why will I be sadly disappointed?!

I’m booked on a quarter to eight in the morning train out of Euston on the 3rd, returning on the 4th on an evening train!

And no I live in the south so it is taking a morning up train and returning to London on an evening train.

In railway terms “up” is towards London and “down” is away from London. Even if you are north of London