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London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service
- Thread starter MidnightFlyer
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Butts
Veteran Member
So should those joining at Morpeth travelling to Edinburgh - in practice they do sometimes look out for boarding passengers and offer them a reduced service - this means they don't have to "bring the trolley out"
It depends on the train you're travelling on, and not necessarily just on the time of day. For example, the 10:00 from KGX has an All Day Menu, despite the breakfast offerings still being served on the 10:03 and 10:08 trains. You have to look at the timetable to see what's available on departure from your station.
It's a pain to read, I'm afraid. It's been like that from last franchise too, in all fairness. The highlighted colour at your departure time from your station tells you what is available:
Red is the full breakfast offer.
Green is the mid-morning (light breakfast) offer.
Orange is the all day menu.
Blue is the light afternoon tea menu.
Gray is the full evening meal menu.
FWIW, some services seem to have the "All Day Extra" menu, which isn't noted on the timetable. This consists of the All Day Menu for that week plus the hot options from the next week's menu. I've seen it on the 18:33 departure from Edinburgh and the 18:18 from Aberdeen - some have suggested that it's only available North of Edinburgh, to give a greater choice for those travelling the full length of the route who are entitled to two hot meals (although this would only affect the Northbound Chieftain and the 18:18 South from Aberdeen, so it doesn't explain why it was available on the 18:33 Northbound).
It's a pain to read, I'm afraid. It's been like that from last franchise too, in all fairness. The highlighted colour at your departure time from your station tells you what is available:
Red is the full breakfast offer.
Green is the mid-morning (light breakfast) offer.
Orange is the all day menu.
Blue is the light afternoon tea menu.
Gray is the full evening meal menu.
FWIW, some services seem to have the "All Day Extra" menu, which isn't noted on the timetable. This consists of the All Day Menu for that week plus the hot options from the next week's menu. I've seen it on the 18:33 departure from Edinburgh and the 18:18 from Aberdeen - some have suggested that it's only available North of Edinburgh, to give a greater choice for those travelling the full length of the route who are entitled to two hot meals (although this would only affect the Northbound Chieftain and the 18:18 South from Aberdeen, so it doesn't explain why it was available on the 18:33 Northbound).
I think you've misunderstood. The intention is, according to my hypothesis, that passengers travelling from London to somewhere 70 minutes north of Edinburgh and vice versa will get more than one hot menu option during the journey. I've had the menu items switched between York and London from what was available Edinburgh - York, although admittedly it was unclear if the previous options (as on the printed menu!) were still available. Basically its a bit of a mess, like most of the rest of the catering :P I could also be completely wrong.
^ Whilst I understand where you're coming from, it wouldn't necessarily make sense on the 14:00 from KGX, where the afternoon tea option is served South of Edinburgh. Therefore, people going to Dundee and Aberdeen are only getting the one hot meal option. The only services I can see where you're going to get two rounds from the "All Day" menu would be the Northbound Chieftain and the Southbound 18:18 departure from Aberdeen to Leeds.
I wonder if it's about giving more options for "dinner" service, given the times I've seen it out; has anyone seen the menu on any other routes?
I wonder if it's about giving more options for "dinner" service, given the times I've seen it out; has anyone seen the menu on any other routes?
Cheers for that. Bloody stupid how the 1030 is not mid morning but there you go. Normally I wouldn't be bothered but then I normally don't travel up on a Monday so the missus wanted to know so she could plan whether to have a breakfast before we left the house :roll:
RochdalePioneers
Member
- Joined
- 2 Jan 2009
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- 527
At the beginning of October I've got gig tickets (David Gilmour) in London on a Friday night and a pass out from the spending committee, as well as reward points to burn. So I'm going Darlington - Inverness - London to get to the gig.
So, nearly 6 hours on the down Chieftain then 8 hours on the up the following day. Timetable shows all day menu as far as Pitlochry on the down and Breakfast from the Ness, mid morning from Pitlochry and all day from Edinburgh. How would the 2 meals rule work in both directions...?
So, nearly 6 hours on the down Chieftain then 8 hours on the up the following day. Timetable shows all day menu as far as Pitlochry on the down and Breakfast from the Ness, mid morning from Pitlochry and all day from Edinburgh. How would the 2 meals rule work in both directions...?
Is it? The All Day Menu is far superior to the mid-morning one. You get a better range of drinks and hot food, plus crisps and cake which have no equivalent the mid-morning menu at all. Plus your desired booze - you don't imagine they serve that with mid-morning do you?
The problem with the all day menu on a 10:30-ish departure is that you end up having lunch at about 11 which is slightly odd! I remember having a toad-in-the-hole at 11:00 which just didn't feel right. But it was nice and I certainly wasn't complaining :P
Butts
Veteran Member
Very true, as starmill says at least you get "trimmings" with the All Day. The Mid-Morning has to be even worse than the fabled "Scone Expresses"
Very true, as starmill says at least you get "trimmings" with the All Day. The Mid-Morning has to be even worse than the fabled "Scone Expresses"
Yeah I have to agree with you there I will actively avoid the mid-morning runs. I'm off to London in a couple of weeks and am going on the 0800 rather than one later on as it's a joke.
As for the scone express at least you can wash down the cake with a nice Scotch.
Is it? The All Day Menu is far superior to the mid-morning one. You get a better range of drinks and hot food, plus crisps and cake which have no equivalent the mid-morning menu at all. Plus your desired booze - you don't imagine they serve that with mid-morning do you?
Yeah but I like to have me food at roughly set intervals during the day which as me123 said having your dinner early isn't really good and the missus wants to plan as she doesn't like eating heavy meals too early on in the day.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
Butts
Veteran Member
dave87016
Established Member
The 3 finger sandwich ( very poor in my opinion) is now a feature on the Weekday all day menu on VTWC, they used to be a proper sandwich with a generous filling
Sorry to keep posting about things that's aren't East Coast First Class, but this is what you get on West Coast breakfast service 
It's better presented, larger, and tastier (I find, as a vegetarian). Thankfully they appear to have ended the bizarre practice of giving out a croissant on the plate! It includes a hash brown under the egg. Also you get 3 pieces of toast.
It's better presented, larger, and tastier (I find, as a vegetarian). Thankfully they appear to have ended the bizarre practice of giving out a croissant on the plate! It includes a hash brown under the egg. Also you get 3 pieces of toast. Attachments
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Aye all in a little box - was crap.
Very quick service last Friday on the 08:55 Stevenage to Leeds.
The trolley arrived at my seat before the train left the platfrom and was eating the breakfast before Hitchin.
Admittedly there were only 3 of us in the coach the 07:55 was cancelled so the 08:10 from Kings cross had made an additional stop so most passengers with flexible tickets had caught that train.
Not sure about the egg flan - seemed more like a quiche without the pastry case. I preferred the previous omlette though normal scrambled or poached egg would be better.
slightly off topic - I came back EMT 1st Sheffield to St pancras on Friday evening. the 1st classs food (I had the chicken tikka with rice) was good and reasonable price at £6.50 though I had to ask someone if I could order - no one actually came round asking if anyone would like to order anything. I think I was the only one in the coach to order any food. no green tea in 1st and the wifi was awful - it logged out every few minutes so comparing the two VTEC is much better
The trolley arrived at my seat before the train left the platfrom and was eating the breakfast before Hitchin.
Admittedly there were only 3 of us in the coach the 07:55 was cancelled so the 08:10 from Kings cross had made an additional stop so most passengers with flexible tickets had caught that train.
Not sure about the egg flan - seemed more like a quiche without the pastry case. I preferred the previous omlette though normal scrambled or poached egg would be better.
slightly off topic - I came back EMT 1st Sheffield to St pancras on Friday evening. the 1st classs food (I had the chicken tikka with rice) was good and reasonable price at £6.50 though I had to ask someone if I could order - no one actually came round asking if anyone would like to order anything. I think I was the only one in the coach to order any food. no green tea in 1st and the wifi was awful - it logged out every few minutes so comparing the two VTEC is much better
£6.50 is fine for the size of portion of that sort of thing EMT usually give you - and you will notice that the range of meal options there is rather greater than on East Coast. You might want to be careful with the payment though, because it seems if you want to pay by card, they send the TM down to do it with Avantix - and we all know what that means...
dave87016
Established Member
Yes on the couple of occasions ive travelled 1st class with EMT on a HST Nottingham to London ive paid for my meal by card and they said they will be back for payment usually just before London but I would sure hate it if I arrived at London and then sought the guard out to pay only to find he had packed away his avantix thankfully that hasn't happened as yet
RochdalePioneers
Member
- Joined
- 2 Jan 2009
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On this mornings 1E03 to London. Mid morning menus only with no mention or apology on PA. Politely asked if they were doing breakfast and bloke just said "that's the menu" pointing at it. He then said "we can change it if we like".
True, but a sorry wouldn't go amiss...
True, but a sorry wouldn't go amiss...
That's one for a written complaint asking why they are not providing the service that is advertised. I'd also be asking where the "We can change it if we like" is stipulated in the advertised timetable.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
- Joined
- 28 Feb 2011
- Messages
- 10,544
Maybe covered by the catch all subject to availabilitty and we reserve the rite not to offer the service bla bla?
Indeed and all they had to do was say due to supply issues.
We can do what we like isn't on and complimentary or not they should be attempting to provide the full service or at least explain why they can't.
I take it VTEC have binned the mystery shopping programme as the service standards appear to be plummeting. The journey I done last week was pretty poor.
What's really needed is video mystery shopping and unannounced so that VTEC can actually see how little is actually being done by some crews.
RochdalePioneers
Member
- Joined
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I can cope with "operating issues" creating a variance. What annoyed was the attempt to pass off the mid morning service as normal. The PA announcement said "morning menu" and mid morning menus were out in tables.
When I politely queried it as orders were taken the guy just said "that's the menu". I asked had it changed form the timetable and his response was "that's the menu". OK I said, I appreciate that's what your offering, has the menu changed since the timetable was published?" I asked. "That's the menu. We can change it if we like".
Right. Having promised the boy the works on the trip to London we got a small bacon roll and scowls every time the guy came past with coffee.
When I politely queried it as orders were taken the guy just said "that's the menu". I asked had it changed form the timetable and his response was "that's the menu". OK I said, I appreciate that's what your offering, has the menu changed since the timetable was published?" I asked. "That's the menu. We can change it if we like".
Right. Having promised the boy the works on the trip to London we got a small bacon roll and scowls every time the guy came past with coffee.
trainophile
Established Member
Sounds like a serious attitude problem. I'd let VTEC know if I were you.