Reply to: Comparison of UK train operators' 1st class services

[Troll]

Greater Anglia Norwich to London Liverpool Street line.

The last time I commuted up there you could upgrade your ticket to First Class for some pittance (think it was £1.50) which sort of removed the exclusivity of FC

[Old Greg]

Can you get a first class return to Watford at lunch time that would include and get all those extras?

It would be a cheep lunch a shower.

I think they only pick up from Watford outbound from London and set down inbound.

[craig1]

Greater Anglia Norwich to London Liverpool Street line.

Intercity
- All ancient old intercity trains on this track.
- Worn seats, clearly right at the end of the cannibalisation available from other services' end-of-line trains. It's so bad that often seats are left unoccupied as the regulars know which ones have the springs sticking through.
- Frequent failures of power and wifi, twice over the winter the heating completely failed. Wifi is very poor on busy trains, not helped by having to go through some areas with abysmal network connections.
- Train staff check tickets on 95%+ of journeys meaning it's a rare time you get chancers after a good seat on a busy train
- Free soft drinks and snacks
- Train cleaning services are unacceptably poor at Liverpool Street, often leaving filthy trains after they've been "cleaned". The toilets on trains from LST are often locked by staff if they can't be bothered cleaning very dirty ones. I always check the table tops carefully before putting my laptop down. Trains starting from Norwich are typically very clean though.
- Intercity trains prioritised through problems on the tracks.
- No power sockets
- Individual seat lights often unserviceable.
Edit: First class is NEVER declassified, even on serious incident days when there's one train every 2-3 hours.

Commuter trains
Two types:
- the older ones with the comfier seats. Slowly being phased out but it's a shame as the first class compartments are quite comfortable. Plenty of leg room and space.
- the newer ones. Hard, flat seats that would be looked at sternly on some networks' standard class services. Rarely clean and the facing seats (the only ones on these) are too close together for comfort between strangers.

Edit: That all said, I don't blame the current franchise holders too much. They haven't had a chance to get new trains and wouldn't be expected to until they win the franchise proper. Cleanliness has improved massively on trains departing from Norwich and station staff (outside of London) are friendlier and more helpful these days. They have had a good impact and they'd get my vote for retaining the franchise.

[Old Hack]

There is still a sleeper that runs from Scotland to London. I used to use it when I lived in Aberdeen and loved it. It would leave at about pub closing time and you'd wake up in London the next morning. The 5am train that I get from Manchester to London passes the sleeper at Stoke.

The Caledonian Express. A colleague at this gig uses it.

[Paddy]

Virgin Trains from Manchester to Euston - Pendelino (?)

Massive seats,
loads of space,
sockets,
table service,
cooked meal at peak times,
free paper,
Wifi is good,
booze,
The lounge in Euston is not that fab, but it does have showers
The lounge in Manchester is cosy and you get your coffee bought to you.
However the First Class peak fares are astronomical.

Can you get a first class return to Watford at lunch time that would include and get all those extras?

It would be a cheep lunch a shower.

[BoredBloke]

Virgin Trains from Manchester to Euston - Pendelino (?)

Massive seats,
loads of space,
sockets,
table service,
cooked meal at peak times,
free paper,
Wifi is good,
booze,
The lounge in Euston is not that fab, but it does have showers
The lounge in Manchester is cosy and you get your coffee bought to you.
However the First Class peak fares are astronomical.

You missed out their traveller club!!

[d000hg]

I've never been in a 1st-class lounge for trains, didn't even think most stations had them - normally turn up 2min before the train leaves

[Pogle]

Virgin Trains from Manchester to Euston - Pendelino (?)

Massive seats,
loads of space,
sockets,
table service,
cooked meal at peak times,
free paper,
Wifi is good,
booze,
The lounge in Euston is not that fab, but it does have showers
The lounge in Manchester is cosy and you get your coffee bought to you.
However the First Class peak fares are astronomical.

[BoredBloke]

Do any operators still do sensible sleeper services these days? There's a direct line Durham-Penzance (where folks live) which takes ~9 hours which would be perfect, but I never found any sleeper worth catching in the UK.

There is still a sleeper that runs from Scotland to London. I used to use it when I lived in Aberdeen and loved it. It would leave at about pub closing time and you'd wake up in London the next morning. The 5am train that I get from Manchester to London passes the sleeper at Stoke.

[d000hg]

Do any operators still do sensible sleeper services these days? There's a direct line Durham-Penzance (where folks live) which takes ~9 hours which would be perfect, but I never found any sleeper worth catching in the UK.

[oversteer]

London Midland

A power socket
A reading light
Curtains
Antimacassars
Basically the same seats as everyone else, I think they recline a bit.

Also, the first class section on most trains is right in the middle of each unit so you will have commoners walking through all the time.

[tranceporter]

Last Worst Western

Good

First class seats are much more comfy that cattle class.
Free snacks and drinks for first class.
First class tickets allow access to first class lounges, which have free nuts, drinks, a toilet and a dustbin.

Bad

2.5 carriages of first class, which are half empty, even on peak journeys.
No wi-fi. None. Period.
Cattle class overcrowded. I have been left standing for the entire 1 hour journey a few times. This applies to both morning and evening.
Always late, never on time, during rush hours. Hence the name. 10 minutes late is considered to be on time.
Constant breakdowns, employees arriving late, signalling failures, and the most recent, suicides. The last one is not their fault though. Their management of breakdowns is terrible.
Very expensive in rush hours. A travelcard from swindon to London zones 1-6 is £805 a month for cattle class.

[centurian]

If only it were correct. Greater Anglia have a 1st class lounge at Liverpool Street - and you get free drinks/snacks on-board (Intercity / Standard Express trains, but not the commuter units).

[Spacecadet]

Might be handy:

What you get for First Class

[d000hg]

evening trains serve wine (if you want it)

Thanks for the clarification. Teetotalers and dieters were going to avoid it otherwise.