Crosscountry first class catering changes (April 2018)

[Chrism20]

Just had an email about XC First Class catering changes effective 9th April and must say it looks pretty good.

Obviously dependent on there being a host on board.

Midweek journeys over 50 minutes - choice of hot or cold sandwiches
Midweek journeys over 90 minutes - choice of hot food.

Weekend journeys over 90 minutes - choice of hot or cold sandwiches.

Webpage with the new offering on the link below.

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/on-board-with-crosscountry/first-class-food-and-drink

Coming soon across the network, we will be rolling out a new First Class menu which will give customers more choice than ever before, including an enhanced weekend offer. An overview of what will be available is below.

On the majority of weekday services a dedicated First Class Host will be on-hand to look after you during your journey. Where a First Class Host is not available but catering is provided, including at weekends and on our smaller trains, the Retail Service Manager will deliver a service...

 

[Bungle965]

Overhauled first class offering now on their website.
https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/on-board-with-crosscountry/first-class-food-and-drink
Sam

 

[Ash Bridge]

Overhauled first class offering now on their website.
https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/on-board-with-crosscountry/first-class-food-and-drink
Sam

Thanks for posting this Sam. That does look very interesting indeed, looking forward to sampling this during the summer!

 

[Butts]

Thanks for posting this Sam. That does look very interesting indeed, looking forward to sampling this during the summer!

No free Alcohol and Meals only on journeys of 90 Mins or more - still tight compared to VTEC or VTWC !!

 

[GBRailfreight]

The Catering on there Trains are Pretty nice, When i was on my way to Southampton Central, they had a good selection of Refreshments,

 

[dk1]

No free Alcohol and Meals only on journeys of 90 Mins or more - still tight compared to VTEC or VTWC !!

XC is never going to be able to have a 1st class offer comparable with operators that serve the very lucrative London market. The revenue stream simply isn't there.

 

[Ash Bridge]

No free Alcohol and Meals only on journeys of 90 Mins or more - still tight compared to VTEC or VTWC !!

I don't know if I agree with that really as I'm sure a sandwich, crisps, pastries & biscuits are absolutely sufficient for a 1 hr 30 or less trip, and I'd imagine that it would compare more than favourably with what would be offered on the equivalent air journey. Regarding the alcohol, although I do enjoy a drink or two whilst onboard (or anywhere else for that matter!) FWIW I'm not convinced that it's always a good idea to offer it for free.

 

[Chrism20]

I think it’s a pretty good offering tbh even though the journey I normally make comes in at 1h29m

Sandwiches are fine for a journey of ninety minutes imo and although I like a drink it’s certainly not a deal breaker.

Better range of sandwiches - bearing in mind one week with VTEC at the moment is cheese salad or salmon and cream cheese.

The hot options also look pretty good and again a better range if they are all available. I’d have probably have put a veggie breakfast on there though. It’s the standout thing thats missing even though there is a hot veggie muffin.

It looks deliverable and manageable with XCs staffing levels so should be fairly consistent.

 

[ScotTrains]

Looking at the timetable it appears many of the Glasgow extensions now have catering. Even the 0820 from Aberdeen finally has catering onboard.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The "new" first class offering isn't as good as it was when Arriva first took over, but is getting there. Hot food used to be standard in first class, and used to be nice (for microwave food). Hope it gets back there.

 

[1e10]

Any indication which routes will see hot meals?

 

[Butts]

XC is never going to be able to have a 1st class offer comparable with operators that serve the very lucrative London market. The revenue stream simply isn't there.

To be fair I suppose GWR serve London and they don't have free Alcohol on HST's apart from wine on certain nights.

 

[takno]

No free Alcohol and Meals only on journeys of 90 Mins or more - still tight compared to VTEC or VTWC !!

I'm a very long way from being averse to a drink myself, but free alcohol is appealing to me less and less as a concept. If you don't take advantage of it then it really starts to feel like they've centred the product offering on somebody else and you aren't getting anything for your money. If you do take advantage than it's way too easy to "make sure you're getting your money's worth" and roll off the train at the other end of the journey, only to find that it's 3 in the afternoon and you've got to try desperately to sober up.

It's worse on Cross country because are catering to lots of passengers spending 5 plus hours on the train. Even paying for it myself and arriving late evening I still don't always feel terribly proud of myself staggering off an XC train at Edinburgh.

Just give me some tea coffee, snacks (bananas would be nice), and a nice meal from a half-decent selection and I'm grand. In fact, just having a first class host to make it easy to buy the alcohol when I want it is good service, and they get to make an extra tenner out of me for something I value.

 

[Butts]

I'm a very long way from being averse to a drink myself, but free alcohol is appealing to me less and less as a concept. If you don't take advantage of it then it really starts to feel like they've centred the product offering on somebody else and you aren't getting anything for your money. If you do take advantage than it's way too easy to "make sure you're getting your money's worth" and roll off the train at the other end of the journey, only to find that it's 3 in the afternoon and you've got to try desperately to sober up.

It's worse on Cross country because are catering to lots of passengers spending 5 plus hours on the train. Even paying for it myself and arriving late evening I still don't always feel terribly proud of myself staggering off an XC train at Edinburgh.

Just give me some tea coffee, snacks (bananas would be nice), and a nice meal from a half-decent selection and I'm grand. In fact, just having a first class host to make it easy to buy the alcohol when I want it is good service, and they get to make an extra tenner out of me for something I value.

Sounds like you need the AA - and not the breakdown service

With regard to over indulging on the free booze just slip every other scotch in your bag , that way you still get your moneys worth and don't get rat arsed in the process. I have a good collection of Minaitures in the cupboard courtesy of Virgin Trains.

I must admit I have got off a Train after 10 scotches and been hit by a problem locating my onward connection - they go down so easily !!

 

[dave87016]

Nice I like it and certainly an improvement by XC , if the menus are served on a consistent basis or when they can be bothered like the current VTEC service is another matter

 

[Segedunum]

Sounds like you need the AA - and not the breakdown service

With regard to over indulging on the free booze just slip every other scotch in your bag , that way you still get your moneys worth and don't get rat arsed in the process. I have a good collection of Minaitures in the cupboard courtesy of Virgin Trains.

I must admit I have got off a Train after 10 scotches and been hit by a problem locating my onward connection - they go down so easily !!

Giving me flashbacks to when Eurostar plied 18yr old me with copious amounts of free wine

This new XC offer certainly looks quite promising as quite frankly it's been naff when i've used it- a prepacked sandwich if you're lucky.

 

[hexagon789]

Just had an email about XC First Class catering changes effective 9th April and must say it looks pretty good.

Obviously dependent on their being a host on board.

Midweek journeys over 50 minutes - choice of hot or cold sandwiches
Midweek journeys over 90 minutes - choice of hot food.

Weekend journeys over 90 minutes - choice of hot or cold sandwiches.

Webpage with the new offering on the link below.

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.u...&bearertoken=4a31a332cc39dad3997b481131f4c85d

Like the sound of the new menu, hopefully the availability is improved though.

 

[221129]

Hot food looks to be limited to select services initially.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Just received Email from XC regarding the new first class menu. As 221129 advised above these are the initial services that will offer the full range of hot meals.

 

[AlterEgo]

Just received Email from XC regarding the new first class menu. As 221129 advised above these are the initial services that will offer the full range of hot meals.

Useful info - thanks. I may have to give them a try at some point.

There are some significant logistic challenges XC face with providing proper catering in First Class when compared to other intercity operators, but it's good to see them put some effort in again.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Useful info - thanks. I may have to give them a try at some point.

There are some significant logistic challenges XC face with providing proper catering in First Class when compared to other intercity operators, but it's good to see them put some effort in again.

Yes, I would agree with that, I'm a little disappointed that it's only limited to this handful of services between Scotland & SW England currently, but hopefully XC will eventually extend it to more services if it works out successfully. I would also look forward to seeing it featured on one of your excellent videos too!

 

[221129]

Yes, I would agree with that, I'm a little disappointed that it's only limited to this handful of services between Scotland & SW England currently, but hopefully XC will eventually extend it to more services if it works out successfully. I would also look forward to seeing it featured on one of your excellent videos too!

All I can say is give it a bit of time...

 

[Graham H]

Nice I like it and certainly an improvement by XC , if the menus are served on a consistent basis or when they can be bothered like the current VTEC service is another matter

Regrettably recent experience is not good. Oxford to Southampton on Monday 3oth April (94min schedule) no hot offering but did get a sandwich. Return Southampton to Oxford today (85 min schedule) not even a sandwich on offer, just tea and biscuits.

 

[221129]

Regrettably recent experience is not good. Oxford to Southampton on Monday 3oth April (94min schedule) no hot offering but did get a sandwich. Return Southampton to Oxford today (85 min schedule) not even a sandwich on offer, just tea and biscuits.

There is no Hot offering on those trains.

 

[Graham H]

There is no Hot offering on those trains.

hmmm...website certainly doesn't offer much clarity to the average punter as it clearly states
Making a longer journey?
Customers travelling for longer than 50 minutes on a weekday or 90 minutes at the weekend and on bank holidays can choose from a range of complimentary hot and cold sandwiches.
As I said...nothing hot on the way south and nothing at all on the way back
There is a second statement referring to 'selected services'
Hot meals
On selected weekday services, we also offer a range of delicious hot meals which are available as a complimentary item to customers travelling for more than 90 minutes.
I agree these apply to a very limited number of trains on the SW to Scotland route but I wasnt referring to meals....merely the hot and cold sandwich option that appears to be available on ALL services that have catering and was sadly lacking on my trains.

 

[221129]

hmmm...website certainly doesn't offer much clarity to the average punter as it clearly states
Making a longer journey?
Customers travelling for longer than 50 minutes on a weekday or 90 minutes at the weekend and on bank holidays can choose from a range of complimentary hot and cold sandwiches.
As I said...nothing hot on the way south and nothing at all on the way back
There is a second statement referring to 'selected services'
Hot meals
On selected weekday services, we also offer a range of delicious hot meals which are available as a complimentary item to customers travelling for more than 90 minutes.
I agree these apply to a very limited number of trains on the SW to Scotland route but I wasnt referring to meals....merely the hot and cold sandwich option that appears to be available on ALL services that have catering and was sadly lacking on my trains.

Sorry when you said hot option I thought you were talking a hot meal. Hot sandwiches should have been available.

 

[robbeech]

Five services out of well over a hundred is a poor job even if it is a start.
There’s frequently nothing hot available now on other services. This is a massive step backwards for them for all but a few services.

 

[221129]

Five services out of well over a hundred is a poor job even if it is a start.
There’s frequently nothing hot available now on other services. This is a massive step backwards for them for all but a few services.

How it is a step backwards in any way I'm not sure. The offering is still on the whole a lot better than it used to be.

 

[robbeech]

How it is a step backwards in any way I'm not sure. The offering is still on the whole a lot better than it used to be.

It’s a step backwards when put in to practise as nearly all of the trains have no hot food available regardless of your journey length where as before you could get hot stuff on pretty much all of them.

 

[221129]

It’s a step backwards when put in to practise as nearly all of the trains have no hot food available regardless of your journey length where as before you could get hot stuff on pretty much all of them.

Eh? You can get hot food on most services. And before there was only a hot option in first class at Breakfast, now there is an enhanced range throughout the day. But yes, that is a real step backwards.