An Hour in EC First Class

[Darandio]

Wasn't sure where to put this, so here goes.

I am travelling down to Doncaster, from Darlington on Feb 12th on the 08:00 EC service, returning on the 16:34. Booking in advance gave me the option of going first class for a small amount extra and although it isn't a long journey, it's not something I have managed to do so far.

On the outward leg, it is timetabled as a journey of 63 minutes. Now, does that give me time to do anything on the way down in terms of having a breakfast or should I just stick to maybe having a hot sandwich due to the timescale involved?

I must stress that due to engineering works, a different timetable is in place on the day so would this affect availability of catering?

Thanks in advance.

 

[lyesbkz]

does that give me time to do anything on the way down in terms of having a breakfast or should I just stick to maybe having a hot sandwich due to the timescale involved?

Should be plenty of time for a hot breakfast, but I guess it depends on how quickly they take your order - if you've been on the journey for half an hour before you're asked, then it probably won't be enough time to comfortably have a full breakfast.

I must stress that due to engineering works, a different timetable is in place on the day so would this affect availability of catering?

When the EC timetables were all messed up as a result of the snowfall, they still managed to offer me the full at-seat menu in First. They'll most likely be offering full catering regardless.

 

[DarloRich]

When i lived in York and worked in Darlo i often used to treat myself to a first class weekely season if i was feeling flush. I always got a hot drink & a a couple of packets of bisucits both morning and evening, and a paper in the morning and the journey was only 26 minutes

 

[bengolding]

I wonder how East Coast will offer the enhanced complimentary food and drink service in a few months, similar to the Virgin offering. E.g. will Kings Cross-Peterborough First Class customers receive a complimentary breakfast (similar to Euston-Rugby journey time of 45 mins)? In contrast to Virgin, the stopping pattern is greater so will customers doing relatiely short journeys in First receive the complimentary enhanced service?

 

[Simon11]

I don't fully understand the full ec dining, however understand the Virgin Model.

Based on Virgins Dining: 12th Feb is a saturday. Therefore its unlikely a full breakfast will be provided, more snacks and drinks.

This would explain why the price difference between First/Standard are not huge.

 

[MCR247]

I don't fully understand the full ec dining, however understand the Virgin Model.

Based on Virgins Dining: 12th Feb is a saturday. Therefore its unlikely a full breakfast will be provided, more snacks and drinks.

This would explain why the price difference between First/Standard are not huge.

Virgins is completely irrelevant as they are completely different

 

[Simon11]

If you don't have any knowledge about the topic at hand, please don't post.

I've just done a quick bit of research and Virgin has the same policy for breakfast as East Coast.

East Coast website
"If you’re travelling with us in the morning, you’ll find a wide choice of breakfasts to suit your appetite. Breakfast is served Monday to Friday on the following services"

So next time, please do your research before critising some's post.

Virgin and East Coast are run very similarly regarding business models

 

[MCR247]

So on East Coast I get free food now do I?

And FYI, you can get breakfast on any East Coast service before 1030 7 days a week

 

[Simon11]

It depends what you mean by breakfast. The poster seems to define breakfast as a hot/full meal, rather than a snack.

 

[MCR247]

Where does it say that?

 

[Failed Unit]

Normally first class is just snacks and tea/coffee complimentary.

have a look at the timetable to see if your train has at see catering. It will have hot on the electronic timetable or be shaded on the printed (which can be downloaded) you will need to pay for food however. You northbound service will only offer the cafe menu not the at seat. Southbound I am not sure I don't have the timetable to hand.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It depends what you mean by breakfast. The poster seems to define breakfast as a hot/full meal, rather than a snack.

But it also refers you to the timetable which has the services it is offered on highlighted. East coast only include food on the highest priced tickets or the Scottish exec. Everyone else must pay.

 

[rail-britain]

I've just done a quick bit of research and Virgin has the same policy for breakfast as East Coast.

East Coast website
"If you’re travelling with us in the morning, you’ll find a wide choice of breakfasts to suit your appetite. Breakfast is served Monday to Friday on the following services"

On West Coast Trains (Virgin Trains) First Class ticket holders get ALL their food and drink free

On East Coast First Class ticket holders only get free tea, coffee, and biscuits
If you want breakfast then it will cost, and the cooked breakfast (equivalent to Virgin Trains) is £12.00

I do appreciate the plan is to give this free shortly, but as per the OP not in February
Equally, as this is a Saturday just the basics will apply on this specific service

 

[At_traction]

On East Coast First Class ticket holders only get free tea, coffee, and biscuits
If you want breakfast then it will cost, and the cooked breakfast (equivalent to Virgin Trains) is £12.00

I was wondering whether I was missing something, as per the b-fast being now free, but that's indeed the case. Only complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits.

The breakfast choices:
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/on-board-our-trains/Food1/At-seat-dining-2/

There's also a timetable for services offering the At seat dining.

If the OP's train dining is a time-saving measure or an "experience" thing, then go ahead, but otherwise £10...12 for the breakfast + the 1st class extra may be a remarkable sum in itself. Or maybe it's just me.

 

[Darandio]

More experience than anything, just wanted to see how nice it was.

Just to clarify, I wasn't expecting any hot sandwich/breakfast/meal as part of my ticket, merely seeing if my timescale was sufficient to fit one in.

As for timetables, the 08:00 service on a Saturday would normally have at seat dining. However, on the 12th, a completely different timetable is in place and even though the 08:00 exists, it also includes an additional stop at Northallerton and actually arrives at Doncaster 9 minutes later than normal, hence a completely different service and the reason for the original query.

 

[rail-britain]

It is easy enough to fit in, the main issue is if the staff are quick enough to take the order and serve it in time!

I've only made one journey by East Coast, so far, but the service level is pretty much unchanged from NXEC
There should be a menu at your table
The staff are quite attentive and so you should be offered a round of drinks within 20 minutes of boarding
At that point I would make the staff aware you want to order a breakfast
Equally, there is often a senior host that specifically walks all of First Class to take orders and to then serve them

Alternatively, once you've got your seat, take a note of your coach and seat number, walk to the restaurant and place your order
It will then be served at your seat

However, this all assumes this service has a chef and is serving breakfast
As a Newcastle service it should be...

 

[Failed Unit]

They try to keep the chefs as close to the departure time as they can during engineering works. Last year I was on the 1700 ex kx which was retimed on the Sunday to leave at 1625. The chef joined at York. Can't say it will happen just my experience.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I travel on the 7:20 weekday service (from Newcastle) quite regularly, usually in standard and sometimes in First.
Yes, there is a 'proper' dining car and, yes, there's a chef (unless they cut their finger with chopping knife near Durham as happened last week!!!).
If you tell the table crew when you are getting off they will tell you what they can serve you in that time. Its that simple! I'd hope they could offer you the entire selection from the menu.

But on Saturdays, no. The corresponding service is the 7:30 off Newcastle and there is (only) at-seat dining. That is fine for many passengers (and frankly, at that time of day I'm a bit quiet too!), but there is NOT the option to go to a laid and waited table in a Restaurant Car. Nevertheless, there is easily going to be an opportunity to attract the attention of one of the catering crew as soon as is convenient and place your order. It will be fine.

But this post gives me the opportunity to moan/ weep/ complain at the coming removal of all 'proper' restaurant cars from EC after 20th May. I'd encourage any of you who appreciate full table service on board a train at 125mph to book soon! The joys of having brocolli gracefully presented from a salver onto your plate through the twisting curves of Bedfordshire while your wine dances from one side of the glass to another are incomparable. (actually, no, the best is watching a smiling waiter carry three bowls of piping hot soup down the gangway through the curves!)

I wonder if S11 and M247 have finished their spat, yet? If so, it must be time for After 8's and hot lemon scented towels (ah, no. They stopped the towels last year and they're a less-chocolatey brand of chocolate mints now).

 

[ainsworth74]

But this post gives me the opportunity to moan/ weep/ complain at the coming removal of all 'proper' restaurant cars from EC after 20th May. I'd encourage any of you who appreciate full table service on board a train at 125mph to book soon!

Indeed, I'm going to be having my first (and of course last) experience of this in April and I suspect afterwards I'm going to be sad at no being able to experience it again

 

[jon0844]

I am going to Leeds on Friday night (standard class, with a special offer from a travel company and EC), hopefully getting the 1903 or 1933 train. Can we eat in the restaurant or would that be almost impossible?

 

[YorkshireRider]

I am going to Leeds on Friday night (standard class, with a special offer from a travel company and EC), hopefully getting the 1903 or 1933 train. Can we eat in the restaurant or would that be almost impossible?

Yeah, no problem, very quiet on friday nights, should be plenty of seats

 

[silentone]

I wonder how East Coast will offer the enhanced complimentary food and drink service in a few months, similar to the Virgin offering. E.g. will Kings Cross-Peterborough First Class customers receive a complimentary breakfast (similar to Euston-Rugby journey time of 45 mins)? In contrast to Virgin, the stopping pattern is greater so will customers doing relatiely short journeys in First receive the complimentary enhanced service?

I've queried this and got an answer, which I was surprised about! Although the person couldn't give me specifics but basically it will done in stages much like the current at-seat dining is offered. i.e the train leaves Newcastle and you'll be offered the opportunity to eat/drink. The next round would be after the stop at York, although much like now I'm sure it will be at the crews discretion if you board at Durham or Darlington if you can eat before York. This is just an example before people jump on it as gospel.

As for shorter journeys, eh can't say for sure but it looks like they wouldn't qualify for a full meal - partly because there wouldn't be time!

 

[jon0844]

What's the best train for eating on? The 1903 is a Mk4, the 1933 (on Friday) is an HST.

I've not been on a refurbed HST, so what's the general opinion on the best one to take? I am going to reserve our seats tomorrow, so now I'm confused (I assumed all Leeds trains would be HSTs!)

 

[ainsworth74]

(I assumed all Leeds trains would be HSTs!)

Why? Leeds is wired up so surely you would expect most to be IC225s rather than HSTs. Not having a dig just curious

As for which is better, in actual comfort terms the HST refurb and IC225 refurbs are pretty much identical. As for catering I've had at seat on both and could notice no real difference in quality now for which is better during restaurant service I couldn't comment!

 

[jon0844]

Why? Leeds is wired up so surely you would expect most to be IC225s rather than HSTs.

I know, but I just thought the HSTs did the Leeds trains - having never really looked at a timetable until now. Don't ask me why, but it's probably just because of the trains I see at the times I go to King's Cross.

But since when has having wires meant you always run electric trains under them?

I guess it might be worth trying out the HST this time, just to make a change.

How does it work for the restaurant? Reserve normal standard seats then walk to the restaurant car, and then back to your seats afterwards? I guess we should probably take our bags with us too, given the recent thread about bag thefts!

It's probably worth getting some vouchers to get 20% off too.

 

[ainsworth74]

But since when has having wires meant you always run electric trains under them?

True true Plenty of Newcastle runs seem to be HSTs!