None, but if possible, I would immediately move to a seat away from them, and if that were not possible, I would just stand somewhere like the lobby until they finished and packed away. The thought of sitting next to a stranger eating other than a non-odorous snack, unless I am dining as well, makes me heave. We are all different. That view incidentally supports the provision of restaurant cars and buffets.
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CrossCountry's catering offering (2015-2017)
- Thread starter bnm
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None, but if possible, I would immediately move to a seat away from them, and if that were not possible, I would just stand somewhere like the lobby until they finished and packed away. The thought of sitting next to a stranger eating other than a non-odorous snack, unless I am dining as well, makes me heave. We are all different. That view incidentally supports the provision of restaurant cars and buffets.
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Ash Bridge
Established Member
I can see your point there, and I do think GWR do it the right way with optional Pullman dining on their HST sets, sadly that's never going to be possible on XC with their less than ideal 4/5 car Voyagers, but in my opinion you still have to give them credit for this trial, perhaps it should be offered to first class passengers only where you're not rubbing shoulders with your fellow travelers like in the cramped standard accommodation?
Definitely not. The worst thing to happen to on train catering was when most TOCs removed the option of a hot meal (and I don't mean a microwaved burger) from standard ticket holders.
Ash Bridge
Established Member
What I actually meant was, is it possible to eat a plated meal on a fold down table in standard class on a Voyager?
Well, indeed this could be the answer, in that if one serves meals only in the aircraft type seating*, it would be most unlikely to disturb fellow pax. You had the meal on XC. Would it have fitted OK on a seat back tray?
*Unless serving a party of four, as in your case. I am thinking of second class here, rather than first.
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Post 100# describes the standard 'dish' which sound a bit like an airline style container ? Would make sense as they are described as 'airline' seats.
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Ash Bridge
Established Member
Ah, fair enough, I hadn't seen post #100, I was thinking the same type of plate was used in both classes, I couldn't imagine those plates fitting on a standard seat pull down table.
andrewkeith5
Member
Excellent! Maybe I'll try travelling on XC again if it means I can stop people from sitting next to me! I'm still yet to find a standard class seat where it is possible to sit next to someone with room to move your arms without either the window seat passenger being crushed or having to sit off the end of the aisle seat.
Food doesn't have to be hot/warm to have an odour.. try anything involving gorgonzola cheese for example...
Quite. I didn't mention its temperature did I? The other poster who says he crowds people out in a standard class seat; may I assume is a larger person? I see what he means though, if that person was trying to eat a meal, as well.
I don't remember being cramped when I travelled Voyager, but I did find it claustrophobic and on the Brum to Briz route, it was very noisy to boot. A dozen fish supper meals surrounding me would probably drive me to the vestibule.
misterredmist
Member
Well looking at the offerings on Ash's post 92 & 93 and the comments, they look pretty substantial meals....... let's hope they don't start to "downsize" over the next few months.
Ash Bridge
Established Member
And just in case you are still hungry after that, they also do Cornish cream teas or cheese and biscuits for I think £4:50.
Is it possible to only order these?
Ash Bridge
Established Member
Yes, but I think they are only available in 1st Class, there is another menu pdf entitled exclusive range which is only accessible from the 1st Class travel page of XC's website.
ScotTrains
Member
Cross Country need to fix their appalling lack of catering in Scotland. Traveling beyond Edinburgh and there is no catering whatsoever! Travelling on the 0820 between Aberdeen to Edinburgh takes over 2.5hrs yet you'll not even get a cup of tea let alone breakfast. This is shocking! Their Glasgow services are just as bad. Virgin and Scotrail can provide catering in Scotland so there is no excuse here. They really should have sorted out this issue first.
Ash Bridge
Established Member
Similar situation at the other end of the network, nothing at all from Plymouth to Penzance, the only exceptions are the summer holiday services to Newquay, it does beg the question if those trains can have catering why do the regular trains to Penzance not have?
The lack of catering on the Aberdeen and Dundee services is a bit of a joke especially the southbound workings as they are pretty busy. I'm guessing they look at both legs of the journey and feel it isn't viable.
I have occasionally seen catering on the Edinburgh to Glasgow leg but it's quite rare and usually it's the "Static service" rather than the trolley coming through.
I have occasionally seen catering on the Edinburgh to Glasgow leg but it's quite rare and usually it's the "Static service" rather than the trolley coming through.
Really?
You'll get a hot food item in the morning or a sandwich/cream tea in the afternoon. Other food items such as porridge/cereal and croissants in the morning. That's in addition to light snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.
What complimentary hot food items or sandwiches can one get with GWR, AGA, SWT, TPE?
What you probably mean is CrossCountry isn't as good as VTEC and VWC.
Presumably the Saturday morning train from Newquay loads well enough to justify sending a crew out on the cushions from Plymouth (and reverse in the evening). Whereas the Aberdeen set is ex berth so would require a dedicated crew and supply base.
Yeah the Aberdeen one is a funny one IIRC.
It runs ECS to Dundee and then in service up to Aberdeen in order to form the southbound so a catering crew would be sitting doing nothing/very little all the way from Craigentinny up to Aberdeen.
I'm guessing they have done their sums and they don't think it's viable.
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Butts
Veteran Member
He said "worst by far of the long distance operators" which are the above two and not the others.
At the very least they should supply free alcohol in 1st Class
He said "worst by far of the long distance operators" which are the above two and not the others.
At the very least they should supply free alcohol in 1st Class
Exactly. Midland Main Line are also very good with the best breakfast by far.
I don't tend to travel with GWR so cannot judge them.
Jonfun
Established Member
Re: Aberdeen, It needs a Driver and Train Manager anyway, so in the grand scheme of things sending a Retail Service Manager too wouldn't be all that much extra hassle, though would probably mean an increase in the number of catering staff required at Edinburgh depot. You wouldn't need a dedicated supply base for a simple run like that, you'd just have to up the delivery when the train reached Edinburgh by a token amount to reflect the stock sold on it's now catered journey to there.
But it's a moot point, I don't think the figures add up enough for them to justify it tbh. You never know, though.
Is Manchester to Scotland (TPE) not long distance? Or London to Penzance (GWR)? What about Exeter to London (SWT)? All those journeys are over 3 hours. And their 1st Class offerings are worse than CrossCountry's.
Is the catering loaded at Craigentinny or Waverley though?
The train doesn't stay in Aberdeen overnight (It returns to Edinburgh in service at 2131) it goes from Craigentinny first thing in the morning as ECS to Dundee.
If it's Waverley (Which I'm sure it is) that would mean the stock has to be loaded the night before and it would then have to be that set that went to Aberdeen in the morning. Logistically when you factor that it reduces the flexibility XC have if there is a problem.
It's a shame as this new menu would probably be popular north and southbound on the Aberdeen runs.
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Butts
Veteran Member
None quite match Aberdeen to Penzance, but you are correct their offerings could be better. I suppose it may be due to the fact they also operate more commuter routes and this has an impact on the offerings.
It may well have changed now but ISTR that it has an approximately 10 minute wait on one of its two passes through Waverley in the morning (for some reason it comes out of Craigentinny, through Edinburgh, around the Sub and back through Edinburgh). I'm sure if they wanted to they could load the catering then.
Edit: Just looked in RTT and it seems they do it the other way around now - reverse at Edinburgh and around the sub the other way. I guess to turn the set.
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Jonfun
Established Member
The catering stores are at Waverley, but as they'd be out of temperature control you couldn't load perishable stuff for the morning train like breakfast sandwiches or the hot meals the night before, you'd have to load them either first thing in the morning or wait until it got back to Edinburgh. Wouldn't stop them loading breakfast pastries the night before though like they do at trains starting in Leeds or Manchester.
headshot119
Established Member
It goes round the sub for route retention purposes.
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