I would amend these on the catering side (with the obvious safety critical roles of TM and Driver being on all) to:
| Five Car | 3 Hosts | 2 first class, 1 bar, but one may float due to loadings, e.g., if standard is heavier they may help with the first service out of origin, then help at the bar most of the rest of the way |
| or Five Car | 2 Hosts | Only Sundays generally run with only 2 Hosts, and do so especially on lighter loaded services in the middle of the day. |
| Nine Car | 4 Hosts | 2 first class, 2 bar |
| or Nine Car | 1 CEL
3 Hosts | 2 first class, 2 bar |
| Nine Car – Dine Menu | 4 Hosts
1 Chef | 2 first class + chef, 2 bar |
| or Nine Car – Dine Menu | 1 CEL
3 Hosts
1 Chef | 2 first class + chef, 2 bar |
| Ten Car | 1 CEL
5 Hosts | Cannot run without CEL. FRONT 5 will always have the CEL, and 2 other hosts with same premise as 5 car, and REAR 5 will have 3 hosts, also same as 5 car |
| Ten Car – Dine Menu | 1 CEL
5 Hosts
2 Chefs | Cannot run without CEL. FRONT 5 will always have the CEL, and two hosts + chef, REAR 5 3 hosts + chef, organised as they see fit based on loadings and similar premise to general five cars. (There were some of these with LDS crews in the morning, but not sure if any still exist) |
Presumably five car services don't offer LEAYS then if there's only one host in standard?
The nine cars do seem to have fewer hosts than they used to, although this may have changed when the Azumas came in. This old handbook from East Coast days shows where staff should be positioned and it shows the plan for up to six onboard (Page 24:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/requ...to/response/264369/attach/5/Appendix A i.pdf?) unless this is for when some staff are repositioning?
What is the Customer Experience Leader's role and how does it differ to the hosts? It's interesting they are needed on a ten car but not on a five or a nine - I guess they have extra safety training because the TM will only be riding in one set so the CEL will ride in the other?
As also mentioned, if a first class is full leaving KGX on a Dish Menu for example, 3 hosts may remain in 1st until the first service is done, leaving it much more manageable with one cooking, one taking orders, and one running drinks, then after the first service one host going down to the cafe bar which depending on the standard loading could explain why at seat is not always available till a little after departure from origin and major stations.
It makes sense for them to be flexible and vary their workload to meet demand, and you'd expect first class to be prioritised so that makes sense.
I also do not know how the new NCL-YRK shuttles fit into these, with them only being a 5 car and only an hours journey, so it would either be 2 or 3 hosts, possibly depending on predicated loadings when diagrams were made.
The Newcastle - York shuttles don't offer any catering I believe?
The list on LNER's website showing what is available on each service shows limited provision for the Newcastle to York services, so I guess there's a bit of something but minimal.
Probably around 2023 one of the cafe bar staff told me the trolleys were in the cupboards opposite and had been since the pandemic struck. Things had moved on and personally I find the at-seat order offering superb. Okay it’s not always available throughout the journey but then neither was the trolley.
Oh right, so they are still stored in the cupboards then, disused?
