NXEC opinions

[spoony]

Do they really deserve the bad press that they get on here? I'm pleased to say I have had quite a few pleasant journeys with them recently. Newcastle -London and Newcastle - Dundee in the past few weeks alone. I have been quite impressed with the efficiency shown. I would be interested to hear some balanced opinions on them, especially from some of their more frequent travelers than myself.

 

[northernbored]

I had a really good journey with them yesterday, excellent on-board facilites avaliable, clean toilets.

Even when the some plonker pulled the alarm as they got off a peterborough jamming the breaks, the train guard was extremly helpful in planning the best journey back as we had missed the last train and even notiftying platform staff to meet us and offer us drinks, carry bags and escort us to the next platform.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Yeah, I'm a regular traveller on NXEC, and I have to say that the service I get is pretty much the service I expect. Reliable, efficient, friendly.
I've had problems of course, but never serious, and when there have been significant delays they were before NX took over from GNER.
In fact, there have been times (usually very early mornings!) when the staff have been the friendly and cheerful people and I've been the morose and grumpy one! (Sorry folks!)

I DO find the prices, especially walk-up prices, a real disincentive to travel, and the inconsistency of buffet/shop availability and choices can be frustrating.

But who else could let me do this:- my next journey is in 2or3 days. I'll go to work in Newcastle for an hour or so, cycle to the station, put bike and myself on a NXEC train, get a window seat with table, power socket & WiFi, drink coffee and have a nice sandwich, cycle from Kings Cross to an afternoon meeting in the former GLC County Hall, cycle back, enjoy a small bottle of wine at my table & window seat on the return journy and be home in Newcastle for my late evening meal. Just over £100 and I KNOW it will be stress-free. That's good service.
(I also get to pop in and out of the DVT with the bike! - last time I had to get the driver to unlock it!)
PS. I'd be going on GC if I could be sure their full service will restored for Mon morning!

The issues that ARE stressful are my frustration at the agèd NR infrastructure and unrealistic premiums the TOCs have to recoup for their franchises.
I guess I also prefer their HST stock's comfort over the tapered profile of the MkIVs, esp. in standard class, but even the MkIVs are better than a Voyager on account of the much lower noise levels.

 

[me123]

People moan about decreased service standard, but when I travel with them the crews are always exceptional. It's a known fact that the Scottish crews are fantastic (Aberdeen in particular!), but this also applies to some Northern based traincrew as well. The trains have barely been altered internally. I quite like the livery myself. When I travel, I've been on time more often than I was with GNER (although I can't really make a fair comparison as I've not been on too many trains).

People moaned about the loss of the on board restaurants, but is it a loss? It was making the company a loss and can't really have been well used. The "at seat service" is much better in my opinion.

I think the sudden decline in service standards (almost overnight) is unreal, and a figment of people's imagination. There's no way that this would happen, and I think the perception is not helped by the fact that National Express are a "rotten bus company". I think I should make the point the National Express run c2c, the most punctual rail operator in the UK at the moment. This company have also revolutionised travel on the line witht he introduction of new rolling stock.

That said, I can't say that I agree with charging seat reservations. And fares are beyond a joke (although, of course, the structure was inherited from GNER). I think this, and other cutbacks, are all down to issues on a government level. The company need to make a profit, understandably. Like it or not, that's one of the flaws of the franchise system. The subsidies they are paying to the DfT are, in my opinion, the real source of the problems on the route.

 

[richa2002]

Wanted a meal back on a mid-afternoon service but there was no such facility, best they could do was a Bacon sandwich. The crew on-board commented on how many people have been complaining to them about this lack of proper catering but they said that NXEC management had absolutely no interest in what they thought and too obsessed with profit to care.

On the plus side though, their dedicated crew are always very friendly, where they are let down which was the same on GNER is the agency staff who seem to act like they're only there because they have to be, not that they want to be or have much enthusiasm for the job.

So basically, if you want to have a nice, comfortable journey with maybe a snack to eat then it's perfectly fine but the loss of a restaurant service takes away from the overall experience. It wouldn't be so bad if At-Seat Dining was on every train like the restaurant pretty much was but even that is on a relatively limited number of services and restricted to First Class passengers only.

 

[DannyBoy]

I've never had a bad experience with NXEC themselves, I think they're great and the staff are very friendly, even at the most stressful times.

Many companies get moaned at because they keep passengers in the dark when theres disruption. As I said in another topic though (the longest delays thread), the staff then were very helpful, kept us in the know at all times, and didn't appear stressed whatsoever.

Shame the infrastructure is useless on the east coast, because the company that runs it is first class for me!

Dan

 

[John @ home]

Wanted a meal back on a mid-afternoon service but there was no such facility, best they could do was a Bacon sandwich.

You were lucky! They usually stop serving bacon sandwiches at 11am.

Breakfast Specials (served before 11am)
Freshly prepared bacon sandwich with or without tomato on white or brown bread £3.75

 

[Daimler]

The crew are almost always great - I've no complaints at all there. My complaint is with the company, for reasons both rational and irrational. For a start, I hate their livery - I always loved the sheer class of the GNER livery (especially on the Mk3s, with the cast crests on the coach side), and the NXEC livery just looks foul - the trains look like they're made of plastic bag material. Furthermore, I hate their attitude with regards to barriers - my tickets are regularly checked by friendly staff on the trains, I don't need this disincentive to travel. Still furthermore, I believe charging for reservations is appalling (though I'm not sure if they're still doing this). However, my biggest problem is with the way they're spoiling first class. Taking away restaurant cars is tragic, in my view, and the new 'style' of at seat service in first class I find much less pleasant. They've replaced nice china tea sets with cheap feeling mugs, milk now comes in sachets, and there's a strict one-pack-of-biscuits-per-passenger policy! All little things, but all disappointing. This is supposed to be the premier service in the UK.

 

[First ScotRail]

This is supposed to be the premier service in the UK.

I have to say, I think VT has taken that title at present with their boosted service levels and first class service.

 

[spoony]

Anyone know why at Darlington station which is of course NXEC they have removed the red seats from the platforms? Most strange

 

[northernbored]

The seats are all being changed at york aswell, i nearly fell off the back when i sat on one they hadn't fastened down oh and benches seem to be disapeering thick and fast at doncaster.

 

[spoony]

The seats are all being changed at york aswell, i nearly fell off the back when i sat on one they hadn't fastened down oh and benches seem to be disapeering thick and fast at doncaster.

This is a most worrying turn of events:-x

 

[Passenger John]

I have just booked a holiday trip to Scotland used internet for National Express, we are having a 10 day Scot Rail Pass to tour the Highlands and leaving car at home.

Have always wanted to go on Flying Scotsman to Edinburgh and now I am 62 have a Rail Pass. Booked for me and the misses for July and WEB fare for both of us single FIRST CLASS as a special treat is £84.00. So then booked the return journey from Edinburgh taking into account that the train we are on starts from Inverness, checked with a very helpful and friendly person on the NXEC enquiry line that we could do this and have got a fare of £39.00 for both of us second class who says they are expensive if one can book well in advance. Well report later when we have made the trip.

 

[LilLoaf]

The trouble with NXEC is that you either have a really good journey or a really bad journey. If something goes wrong it goes specatually wrong (if that spelt wrong i aint bovered lol).

A bit ago i was on a NXEC service from Kings X to Newcastle and there were no tickets checks at all. So basically you could have gone from Kings X to Newcastle for free. Brill if you were intending to buy a ticket on the train. On top of this the train got itself stuck just before Newcastle for 15 mins so we were late.

On the plus side another time i travelled it was brill. Trains clean, tidy, well looked after, on time, tix checked, annoucements made to welcome pax to train etc.

On the whole most of my journey with NXEC have been good. I like the new livery for the trains. Still carn't understand how a bus company runs trains like but thats the mad world we live in.

One more thing if you don't like the new livery tough, the colour of the train does not affect the service given to the passengers. Remember MML, awfull livery in my opinion but usually a good service. At the end of the say if the service is good who cares about the colour of the train.

 

[gordonthemoron]

what exactly is the point of the ticket gates at leeds, all open from 18:55 til 19:30 (and probably loads more on either side).

No ticket checks between leeds & Newark, no ticket checks at Northgate. If NXEC are losing revenue, they have only themselves to blame

 

[90019]

Still carn't understand how a bus company runs trains like but thats the mad world we live in.

Like all the other ones run by bus companies

 

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . . . Still carn't understand how a bus company runs trains like but thats the mad world we live in.

. . . by using pre-bus company staff. (and pre-bus company trains. and on a pre-bus company network. and with a committment to continue the pre-bus company service - For their first 2 years anyway).

BTW I had another excellent day out on NXEC today NCL-KGX-NCL, got their friendliest catering team who always make me feel welcome (tho I seem to recall having to explain to one of them why we were in Carstairs once - now that IS a NXEC madness, but they inherited that from BR)!

 

[me123]

Still carn't understand how a bus company runs trains like but thats the mad world we live in.

I think you'll find that most TOCs are run by companies with buses. First group are the most obvious example, running amongst others a successful Scotrail franchise. Stagecoach run SWT and EMT, and have a significant stake in Virgin. Go-Ahead Group have several bus companies and rail companies. Arriva are a bus operator. National Express also head the successful c2c franchise. In fact, the only non-bus franchises that come to mind are Chiltern, Northern and Merseyrail (although I'm open to correction!).

 

[stut]

I notice, on my way through KGX in the evening, that the Skipton service is still occasionally an 'unmallardised' HST - does this also do the ABD runs?

I'm on an ex-ABD train (NCL to PBO) on Sunday, and was wondering what to expect...

(Other than drunk riggers on shore leave...)