Why though? I travelled on GNER a few times and can't say I was ever blown away by the on board experience offered to me, in fact (and I might get crucified for this but) I didn't notice any real difference between GNER and NXEC in terms of on board experience.
I've not read the thread beyond the above gentleman's post, and I too question tbtc's "Enthusiasts *love* GNER" comment.
Relatively new forum members may not have heard/read my views on GNER before. I've not aired my thoughts on them for an absolute age now, so let's see what I remember of my most disliked TOC of all-time:
One thing I hated the most, possibly even dispised, about GNER was their "We're better than you" attitude. Most people seem to have found their staff to be excellent, but I had major problems with them. Without going into mahoosive detail, I'd summarise a fair number of their staff as the railway's equivelent of the Conservatives.
Their buffet service was not too awesome either, I found it stupidly expensive and didn't carry much at all I liked. I'm a bit fussy with food, but I'm not *that* bad. You know it's bad when you want to get something substantial to eat for tea and walk away with a packet of crisps and a KitKat!
I also used to have a massive disliking of the Mallard-ising of the MK4s and HSTs. That much I've chilled out on now, as I've had some decent rides on ECML stock in the last few years.
Dare I mention the livery?
Most people you ask will talk endlessly about how excellent it was. If you are thinking I'm such a person, you're most definitely incorrect. I forget currently at this unsociable hour why I hated it so much, but I did. I'll have a look in a bit to find a post explaining my dislike, I know it's somewhere!
What also got my goat with GNER was how I never, EVER, managed to get on a train of theirs which was on-time. Something I believe most people found the opposite with, but even one minute late = late in my book. None of this "within 10 minutes for you, within 5 minutes for you" kind of nonsense.
Oh yes, I almost forgot. That campaign of theirs they promoted at every opportunity to keep the franchise. Not even Stagecoach would resort to such back-slapping measures. I refused point blank to respond to that campaign, I didn't want GNER to keep the franchise!
Memory fails to recall if there was anything else that I disliked/hated GNER for. I do remember seeing that GNER were being kicked out of the franchise on BBC News 24, I was celebrating that day!
I should point out that I didn't get a chance to try GNER's First Class, so the above is all from Standard Class experience. Whether the staff got down on their knees and answered to your beck and call throughout a journey I don't know. Somehow I doubt they treated you any differently, but I can't comment fairly there. With NXEC, I got to sample the delights of First Class from Newcastle to Edinburgh on a Tyne Valley diversion once, although I can't say the female First Class Host was at all impressed with my travelling in jeans and t-shirt in First Class! I don't recall too clearly the experience, as it was following a virtually sleepless night on Megabus, but I can't say that memory provides an experience superior to GNER.
Now, Central Trains. I used them an awful lot on a variety of journies when I used to live in Herefordshire, as they were the only real way to get to the Midlands from Hereford. They had a lot of problems, of that there cannot be any doubt. One thing I did like that happened under Central Trains though was that the Hereford services got 170s, a huge improvement in terms of comfort to the 150s which we had before them. I also seem to recall for some years Hereford to Birmingham was via Kidderminster to get to Birmingham New Street. Changing that to run via Bromsgrove and the Lickey was certainly one thing that was a big improvement. I don't know when that change came into being, but it was definitely sometime between 1996 and 2001, with my memory suggesting sometime in 2000.
So yes, we had problems with Central Trains. The one thing that always lives in my memory of them was the amount of times they'd turn back Hereford trains at Ledbury or Great Malvern due to late running. Thankfully, that's changed to being a much less regular issue under London Midland.
Virgin XC, that was a franchise change I didn't approve of. Still not a fan of it. Some people on here may recall my voicing of the opinion that things would get worse (or was it not improve? It's been a while) under Arriva, suggesting I seem to recall that I'd give it 6 months and see how things were then. Memory suggests that things didn't improve and pretty much all of the problems we had under Virgin still existed. I believe Arriva have done jack squat to make the franchise a winner. Yes they re-introduced HSTs, but the fact they don't use them all due to the cost is just ridiculous, and quite frankly a waste of resources.
The removal of the shop, well I'll be honest and I'm not sure whether that was a good or bad thing. Good in that you no longer have people queuing up to get drinks, food etc whilst others trying squeezing past to get on/off at stations. Bad in that whilst there is also more luggage space, the trolley service isn't exactly adequate and often can't get to passengers anyway.
Granted, Virgin introduced the Voyagers, but let's not go there. Would Arriva have done any better? Considering they can't afford to use all of their fleet of HSTs, one cannot imagine they'd have ordered a better fleet of trains than Virgin!
Midland Mainline, I was less than amused that they went. They really were a good franchise which had a good reputation for timekeeping and customer service. I didn't get to travel on their services a huge amount, however what I did travel on with them was usually a good experience. Free coffee helped, I really didn't believe that offer was real when I first tried it!
They had their flaws, of course. The introduction of Meridians still winds me up, more so the fact so many people seem to think they're excellent trains. If you like your table vibrating excessively on departure from a station, causing your coffee to go everywhere, then fine. I, however, like to drink my coffee! Mind you, Meridians don't seem to suffer the smelly lavatories problem that Voyagers do, which has to be a good thing. Doesn't mean I like Meridians though, especially since EMT put those overly-perfume-y things in the lavatories. By gosh, those stink!
First Class, I used it a few times with MML. One particular instance was from Nottingham to Loughborough and back, as I'd never used MML before, travelled on their HSTs or Meridians in First Class and found a bargain £10 day return to do just that. Wearing a t-shirt and jeans, as I often do on a trip out, the staff didn't seem to even move their eyebrows at such an idea. Quite happy to serve the complimentary coffee and so forth almost straight away from Nottingham, which I of course made sure I had before alighting at Loughborough. Absolutely stunning experience in First Class, I'd always recommend it.
On the Meridian, however, no. The service was extremely stunning again, but departure from Beeston on the way to Nottingham caused excessive vibrations and I lost the coffee to the table. The First Class host seemed perfectly happy to clean it up and pour me another, offering some absolutely delicious chocolate snacks. I don't know what they were, but dang, they were nice!
This reply's starting to get long, so let's finish for now at least on the remaining two I've seen mentioned in this thread. Silverlink first. I never really had the opportunity to travel on their trains, but no complaints from me. Not that I'd expect to have many when most of the time I only travelled between Harrow and Wealdstone and Euston with them mind!
Connex South Eastern, they were gone before I got into the rail scene I believe so I have no comments there ("phew!" I hear you thinking!).
Oh yes, Arriva Trains Northern. I never travelled on their trains, so again no comment. Same for the pre-First TPE services. (hears sighs of relief across the globe
)
Finally, almost forgot to mention Wessex Trains. I can't say they were my favourite (nor Wales and Borders for that matter), but I dunno, it was a shame to see them go. I travelled on both Wessex Trains and Wales and Borders services quite regularly, however I fail at this uberly unsociable hour (it's been over 40 minutes since I started typing, and it's 0231) to remember anything hugely negative or hugely positive about either of them right now.
Right, that'll do. I can't recall the names of any other former franchises as things stand, so I'll leave it at that. Sorry for the very long post, I obviously had a lot to say!
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Only people who have their own particular drum to beat berate GNER. Many probably only travelled by them occasionally.
GNER constantly won accolades for its customer service.
I travelled extensively in both standard and First Class on GNER and in my overall experience I have nothing but praise for them, indeed I preferred travelling with them in comparison to Virgin. So much so that I would motor over to a GNER station rather than use Virgin because the difference in customer service was that big.
I have travelled first class with many other operators and sometimes one wonders exactly WHAT you are getting for the extra money.
Not everyone who visits here and posts is a spotter and some of us have far wider experience of travelling generally. Viewing favourably does not automatically mark one down as a spotter.
I'm sorry, but I've just read the rest of the thread and found your post. I must disagree with what you say with regards to GNER, particularly the part I've emboldened in the above quote. I don't think it matters particularly how regularly or not one travelled with GNER, one bad experience is enough to mark the TOC for life in my book! I have little doubt either yourself or others will disagree with that comment and/or the comments I've made already on GNER, feel free to debate them.
As for GNER vs Virgin, I believe I found things better on the Virgin side of things. I await someone brandishing a big wooden stick that's on fire in my direction for that view
GNER winning awards on multiple occasions for customer service, I could very easily air my thoughts on that, however I think it's fairly obvious how I feel about that.
Finally, as for wondering what other TOCs offer for First Class passengers, I've found my experiences in First Class to be broadly very good with FGW. MML a close second. I've already commented in my previous post that I didn't travel in First Class with GNER, so I can't comment on that fairly. The Pullman dining service, when I used it most regularly, on FGW was always very good and still reigns as the best service I've had in First Class. Indeed, it's the benchmark I use for comparing First Class service with other TOCs.
