The last iteration of sandwiches they did offer on EMR were (IMHO) a very low grade product - so in terms of profit (or costs to the 1st class 'budget') that must have been maximised already. Well below the standard of a high street supermarket offer - unsurprising of course because on the high street you do need people to actually buy something, and if it's rubbish they won't part with case on a second occasion...
Yep - snack boxes. I suspect nothing in them that needed chilling.
That's not correct, it's a temperature control issue that's needing rectification, caused by O/H Neutral Section and Power changeover issues
Oh the children's pack is awful!!
...when they load them. Which doesn't happen more often than you'd expect.
Yes 1000%, especially when you compare LNER’s offering (from last May) to EMR’s… (and that doesn’t include topping up drinks twice and coming round with snacks).
Yes, that is absolutely the main thing - as I’ve said before, I’d rather have a 3+2 unrefurbished 360 that gets me to STP without problems as opposed to a shiny one which is part of a dysfunctional operation.
EMR Intercity is a glorified regional express though - journey times and frequencies are comparable to Paddington to Bristol, or Waterloo to Southampton/Bournemouth.
£135 return earlier this week Kettering to St P. Noisy air conditioning, awful seats on the outward. 2 trains in a row cancelled on the return. Everyone crammed onto a 5 car 222 which apparently the rear coaches were going to be detached at Kettering so was obviously 5 vice 10. The Sheffield service that departed 2 mins before had empty seats, ours was crush loaded with a load of extra stops. Sure it made sense to someone.
But as I’ve always said to death (and will always do so unashamedly), if you’re paying IC fares, you should expect an IC standard, regardless of whether the whole route’s journey time is only half an hour. And also, why should London-Bristol get a full First class service, but not London-Nottingham/Sheffield. Different railways and particularities I know, but still not an acceptable disparity.
Disgraceful, isn’t it. I’ve said before that I’ve booked to travel from London to Nottingham via Grantham. I (and everybody else who does so, for that matter) should have never had to even consider making that decision - the direct route should always suffice without question. A sorry state of affairs.
Yeah family member went to London today, when I was helping them book their tickets (being the resident train nerd usually is my job) I specifically said ‘don’t use EMR’ because my trust that they’ll get all the way is just not there any more, which is just disgraceful. Surely you should be able to rely that your local operator can get you from A to B, especially on an hour thirty journey or whatever, instead it’s easier (and usually cheaper) to drive to Newark or Grantham and go from there. Just wonder what it’ll take to gain back that trust, and how long it’ll be before people see it as a viable option.
Done it myself!
It’s not just the 810s of course. The abysmal availability of 222s also plays a big role. But yes.
I always associated EMR with a difference farce tbh, about ten different liveries and ten different interiors — none of said interiors their own. It took them an abysmal amount of time to start getting trains up to scratch. They‘re still far from even halfway, and now they can’t seem to run them at all!Will kind of be a shame if the last thing EMR were known for before the GBR takeover eventually happens is completely botching all their intercity services but it’s looking to be that way so far, bring back the HSTs then maybe people will be happy…
Absolutely was; and remember the free tea & coffee for all passengers. According to a member of the onboard team, catering freebies cost them £2m a year back in 2006, but the justification was that the customer was at the centre of Midland Mainline’s ethos.
Imagine wasn't the same in the days of the REPs and 442s?
Those certainly had buffets, as did the 444s as built, though I don't know how much use they had. SWR took them out when the 444s were refurbished, along with downgrading first class from 2+1 to 2+2 seating.
