WAG1 First Class Supplement

[bb21]

Does anyone know how the supplement is priced? Are they on a zonal basis? Is there a map showing how much the supplements are?

 

[furryfeet]

Good question.
On reading the Arriva web page
http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/premierservice/
,the statement "First Class travel is available for an extra supplement on the standard fare, priced between £30 to £50 depending on the length of the journey" is made.
This implies that this does not follow the normal rules for upgrade prices as stated on the nationalrail web site i.e. for single fares it is the difference between the 1st and 2nd class, which for cardiff to crewe or cardiff to llandudno junction is less than 30 pounds.

 

[bnm]

Good question.
On reading the Arriva web page
http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/premierservice/
,the statement "First Class travel is available for an extra supplement on the standard fare, priced between £30 to £50 depending on the length of the journey" is made.
This implies that this does not follow the normal rules for upgrade prices as stated on the nationalrail web site i.e. for single fares it is the difference between the 1st and 2nd class, which for cardiff to crewe or cardiff to llandudno junction is less than 30 pounds.

If you hold a Standard Class walk-up fare then you can of course upgrade to a regular 1st Class fare if that is cheaper than paying the supplement. The supplement is there for holders of many other types of tickets; Rovers, Rangers, Standard Advance etc, to upgrade if they so wish. It's not made particularly clear that you can do this, but I enquired of the Conductor on my recent trip and he said that anyone with a ticket valid for travel on the service was able to upgrade provided space was available.

I sure Arrive have worded it such on their website as they'd rather all the upgrade came to them instead of having to ORCATS share when a normal excess is done. But doing a normal Standard - 1st Class Excess is fine, provided there is a 1st Class fare for the journey you are making.

And not to forget, if you are doing a return journey, then in most cases a Standard Class Return plus 2xSupplements will be cheaper than excessing to the First Class Return.

 

[bb21]

I'm doing it on a Rover at the end of this week. My issue with it really is that it is unclear how much extra a particular journey will cost, as my decision on how far to go on this service will depend on how much things cost.

 

[bnm]

Starting in Cardiff or Newport, the supplement is £30 as far as Shrewsbury, £35 as far as Rhyl, £40 to Llandudno Junction, £45 to Bangor and £50 to Holyhead. Railcard discounts at the usual rate are applicable if you hold one.

On my recent trip, I paid to upgrade as far as Chester, £35 (£23.10 with my railcard) then moved into Standard for the remainder of my journey to Llandudno Junction. I was travelling on Wales Flexipass 4in8 Rover.

Other prices on the same scale £30-£50 when starting at other stations for longer journeys. Some shorter journeys starting at Shrewsbury/Crewe/Chester or along the North Wales coast are cheaper but you won't get fed much, if at all! Should you be travelling in the other direction on the breakfast service the scale is again £30-£50 on longer journeys. You say a Rover, so the Holyhead-Cardiff WAG would only be valid with an All Line....

 

[bb21]

Railcard discounts at the usual rate are applicable if you hold one.

With Y-P?

I'm considering Heart of England + ticket for Abergavenny (or Newport) - Hereford (permitted on Condition 19(c)). Question really is how far I want to go depending on the price (possibly Crewe).

When do they start serving dinner?

 

[bnm]

With Y-P?

I'm considering Heart of England + ticket for Abergavenny (or Newport) - Hereford. Question really is how far I want to go depending on the price.

When do they start serving dinner?

Hmm, not sure about Y-P, the Supplement fares don't come up on Avantix if you select Y-P as a discount. best ask ATW about that.

Times of service are pretty flexible in my experience. Tea, Coffee (or paid for alcohol) offered soon after Newport, with food orders taken shortly after. Perfectly possible to get all three courses in by Shrewsbury when starting at Newport. I paced myself and had my main just before Shrewsbury and dessert before Chester.

 

[bb21]

Further to this query from a few months back, does anyone know if a Hereford - Abergavenny First Class Anytime/Off-Peak (Day) Return can be created?

There are only Standard Class fares available for this flow at the moment as ATW don't operate any trains with First Class accommodation between these two places. However I have a First Class leisure travel pass that is valid as far as Hereford so need the ticket mentioned above in order to travel on the afternoon WAG Express from Abergavenny.

I have contacted ATW and they have been less than helpful in their reply.

Does anyone have any further insights?

 

[All Line Rover]

Further to this query from a few months back, does anyone know if a Hereford - Abergavenny First Class Anytime/Off-Peak (Day) Return can be created?

There are only Standard Class fares available for this flow at the moment as ATW don't operate any trains with First Class accommodation between these two places. However I have a First Class leisure travel pass that is valid as far as Hereford so need the ticket mentioned above in order to travel on the afternoon WAG Express from Abergavenny.

I have contacted ATW and they have been less than helpful in their reply.

Does anyone have any further insights?

Can't the ticket office or guard sell a ticket at 1.5x the price of Standard?

Further to the above posts, note that there is no discount on the supplement for Y-P Railcard holders, and that the full meal is only served to customers travelling at least between Newport and Shrewsbury.

 

[sonic2009]

and that the full meal is only served to customers travelling at least between Newport and Shrewsbury.

I've seen people board at Abergavenny and be served a meal if alighting at Shrewsbury..

 

[All Line Rover]

I've seen people board at Abergavenny and be served a meal if alighting at Shrewsbury..

Fair enough - bit of a rush though! But I've never seen the meal served to people boarding north of Shrewsbury - just sandwiches after that.

 

[bnm]

Fair enough - bit of a rush though! But I've never seen the meal served to people boarding north of Shrewsbury - just sandwiches after that.

Conversely I have seen people provided with a meal, (not full service granted) north of Shrewsbury.

Last time out I even saw someone in Standard Class provided with (paid for) hot plated food after they boarded at Shrewsbury!

I guess what may be official policy dictated from ATW Towers, is interpreted with far more customer focus by those on the ground.

 

[calc7]

I guess what may be official policy dictated from ATW Towers, is interpreted with far more customer focus by those on the ground.

What a shame EC staff can't be similarly empowered.

 

[bb21]

Can't the ticket office or guard sell a ticket at 1.5x the price of Standard?

Further to the above posts, note that there is no discount on the supplement for Y-P Railcard holders, and that the full meal is only served to customers travelling at least between Newport and Shrewsbury.

If there is no answer as to how this can be done then I will just get an undiscounted Standard Class fare and ask the guard before boarding at Abergavenny, or even Newport.

He might be nice and let me into First Class without much hassle if I'm lucky.

 

[bnm]

The usual rule applies:

If you don't ask, you don't get!

 

[EXD]

Does anyone know what menu is offered in First Class on this service?

 

[All Line Rover]

Does anyone know what menu is offered in First Class on this service?

The menu changes every 2-3 days. The chef chooses what goes on it, so you can't find out in advance what food will be served.

Almost always, the starter has 1 fish option, 1 meat option and 1 other option; the main has 1 fish option and 2 meat options (one of which is lamb); and the dessert has 1 cheese option (a cheese platter) and 2 other options.

 

[calc7]

The menu changes every 2-3 days. The chef chooses what goes on it, so you can't find out in advance what food will be served.

Almost always, the starter has 1 fish option, 1 meat option and 1 other option; the main has 1 fish option and 2 meat options (one of which is lamb); and the dessert has 1 cheese option (a cheese platter) and 2 other options.

At the risk of suggesting to water down what must be the best FC food offering on the British railway network; would it not help with stock control and waste not to have so many options for each course? Or is it a case of the ingredients stay on the train so the option rotates when all those 'portions' are taken (say over the three days your quote).

Furthermore, what does a pure veggie do for mains?

 

[34D]

Are there any vegetarian options at all?

 

[All Line Rover]

Are there any vegetarian options at all?

Here is a menu from a few months ago. So, apparently, they do cater for vegetarians.

Seeing as I am not a vegetarian, and want value for money, I don't pay much attention to the non-meat/fish options.

 

[button_boxer]

Here is a menu from a few months ago. So, apparently, they do cater for vegetarians.

Seeing as I am not a vegetarian, and want value for money, I don't pay much attention to the non-meat/fish options.

I don't see any vegetarian main courses on that menu... (it's surprising how many chefs think all cheese is vegetarian, but many aren't. In particular Parmesan is a protected name and any cheese called that must, by law, be made to the traditional recipe using calf rennet).