London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[D1537]

Darlington-Edinburgh 13 August

First opportunity to sample the first class lounge at Darlo. Quite small (but I suppose it doesn't need to be that big). Free water, biscuits and crisps. Coffee machine wasn't working.

Train was 1S09. Very busy - nearly every seat taken. Got a coffee straight away. Food orders taken on departing Newcastle, was expecting the dish menu but it was Signature and still on breakfast. Would normally have had the full LNER but we had a restaurant booked in Glasgow at 4.30 so thought I'd better not. Had the bacon roll, my wife had the avocado toast which she was very complimentary about. Also had a couple of cans of the IPA. Train was on time, so couldn't fault it.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

No special attention for the wheelchair passengers, which I know can't be an expectation at all but seemed a bit mean.

I can't speak for other people, but if I were disabled and received a better service just because of that, I'd probably actually find that quite patronising and annoying. People don't want to be treated differently just for a disability, better OR worse.

 

[speedy1]

I can't speak for other people, but if I were disabled and received a better service just because of that, I'd probably actually find that quite patronising and annoying. People don't want to be treated differently just for a disability, better OR worse.

Fair enough. I guess I was just thinking about the times that standard class wheelchair users very happily accepted drinks and snacks on TPE for example. I didn't mean being fawned over

Would you reject food and drinks and be annoyed at the host for that and their warm welcome?

 

[Haywain]

Fair enough. I guess I was just thinking about the times that standard class wheelchair users very happily accepted drinks and snacks on TPE for example. I didn't mean being fawned over

If the company or its staff have upgraded them, by accommodating them in the first class wheelchair space, they are entitled to the same as any other passenger in first class.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Fair enough. I guess I was just thinking about the times that standard class wheelchair users very happily accepted drinks and snacks on TPE for example. I didn't mean being fawned over

Would you reject food and drinks and be annoyed at the host for that and their warm welcome?

No but I would feel odd if no one else got it yet I did.

 

[Willie Bee]

On Wed 11 Nov, my wife and I shall be travelling from York to Newcastle on LNER

There are two options, (see image) at the same price.

One has DISH menu and the other SIGNATURE

Which would folk here pick .. I always thought the fancy Signature meal was only for journeys of over an hour

 

[voyagerdude220]

On Wed 11 Nov, my wife and I shall be travelling from York to Newcastle on LNER

There are two options, (see image) at the same price.

One has DISH menu and the other SIGNATURE

Which would folk here pick .. I always thought the fancy Signature meal was only for journeys of over an hour

Maybe try to contact LNER beforehand to see what is likely to be offered between York and Newcastle?

I suppose you could book the Signature train (if you're not bothered about timings) and hope for the best with them both being the same price.

I suspect you're right that they wouldn't offer you the full Signature menu between York and Newcastle, but I'm no expert when it comes to LNER.

 

[Justin Time]

On Wed 11 Nov, my wife and I shall be travelling from York to Newcastle on LNER

There are two options, (see image) at the same price.

One has DISH menu and the other SIGNATURE

Which would folk here pick .. I always thought the fancy Signature meal was only for journeys of over an hour

My understanding is that you’re not guaranteed anything if your journey time is less than 60 minutes. The one a hour fast, non stop train is well under 60 minutes.
When LNER were doing the scheduled York-Newcastle shuttles last year there was nothing more offered than a hot drink and a biscuit.

 

[A S Leib]

I thought first class tickets used to include entry to LNER lounges for an hour after the journey, which isn't currently mentioned on their station pages for Newcastle or York. Is there no post-journey entry, and has that always be the case (as more or less the only time I've used an LNER lounge was with a fifty-minute connection from Newcastle to Selby at York, so I might be misremembering)?

 

[Justin Time]

I thought first class tickets used to include entry to LNER lounges for an hour after the journey, which isn't currently mentioned on their station pages for Newcastle or York. Is there no post-journey entry, and has that always be the case (as more or less the only time I've used an LNER lounge was with a fifty-minute connection from Newcastle to Selby at York, so I might be misremembering)?

That’s a fair comment, it’s 2 hours before and 1 hour after, but I understood the question to be about the on train offering. Happy to be corrected though.

 

[speedy1]

Why, when LNER have the technical ability to show the right menu for the journey, on their own website, do they choose to falsely advertise the offering?

 

[A S Leib]

That’s a fair comment, it’s 2 hours before and 1 hour after, but I understood the question to be about the on train offering. Happy to be corrected though.

This is a separate question; I'm considering a first class journey from Durham to Newcastle now that the IC225s are back on that route, and just wanted to see how much it would be worth buying an advance ticket and risking it being swapped for an Azuma* compared to buying a flexible ticket and getting less value out of it.

*I don't have particular complaints with them myself, beyond the novelty factor of having travelled in the former far less.

 

[Justin Time]

Why, when LNER have the technical ability to show the right menu for the journey, on their own website, do they choose to falsely advertise the offering?

Haven’t got a clue what you’re on about, but I’ve never seen LNER falsely advertise anything.

 

[speedy1]

Haven’t got a clue what you’re on about, but I’ve never seen LNER falsely advertise anything.

Ah great. The user a couple of posts back can expect the Signature menu to be served between York and Newcastle then, as advertised in the journey planner.

 

[Justin Time]

Ah great. The user a couple of posts back can expect the Signature menu to be served between York and Newcastle then, as advertised in the journey planner.

OK. If you say so. Goodbye.

 

[Egg Centric]

This is a separate question; I'm considering a first class journey from Durham to Newcastle now that the IC225s are back on that route, and just wanted to see how much it would be worth buying an advance ticket and risking it being swapped for an Azuma* compared to buying a flexible ticket and getting less value out of it.

*I don't have particular complaints with them myself, beyond the novelty factor of having travelled in the former far less.

You could always travel to Leeds and take one from there where you have options if one is substituted. Either going to Leeds in cattle class in which case it's reasonably cheap, or take the opportunity to make it a rail gourmet tour and sample TPE's first menu as well which imo is better than LNER's (and maybe return on Cross Country to try one which definitely didn't used to be, but I understand now does curry!).

 

[A S Leib]

or take the opportunity to make it a rail gourmet tour and sample TPE's first menu as well which imo is better than LNER's

I think that would be more expensive than I'd particularly want to spend on one day's travelling, even knowing that I'd then hopefully be spending less on food elsewhere, but trying TPE's and CrossCountry's first class menus is something I'd like to do at some point.

(I suppose one option to get around that would be to get a first class Interrail pass, at which point a journey like Newcastle – York – Manchester – Birmingham – London – Channel Tunnel would be possible and pay for itself on the Avanti and Eurostar legs.)