Up to London on the 7.53 LondonMidland service to Euston. The Class 350 four carriage set for thsi service starts at Crewe so is fairly full of Birmingham commuters on arrival at New Street. Slightly confusingly, it is announced as a terminating service but that didn't seem to stop a good crowd of passengers joining, mainly, it transpired, for Birmingham International, Coventry and Rugby.
As I had known on Wednesday that I was travelling today, I had booked a £16 First Class Advance Single. Clearly, this fare is not a complete secret as one or two other passengers were with me for the whole of the 2 hour 14 min journey. Otherwise, the compartment complement came and went at various key stations en route. Hardly busy however so I had one side of a table to myself and access to a working socket for my laptop.
The big surprise on leaving New Street was the distribution of a menu card by the on-board caterer tfp followed up by a visit by the catering trolley itself. Apparently this is a trial service following customer feedback and runs on the 7.53 and 8.53 services from New Street and the balancing services back. Food and drink seem reasonably priced - a coffee and a flapjack being £2.85 which is 15p cheaper than Chiltern and certainly less than Virgin - and the trolley appeared regularly throughout the journey. Alas, a First Class ticket doesn't mean its free.
Ticket checked after New Street and again after Northampton; toilets clean and working; on time arrival. Overall, heading towards matching Chiltern for value-for-money...
Had booked back on the 1303 Pendolino. Much to my delight, I had discovered that this service still had £26.50 First Class Advance Singles when I looked on Wednesday. Clearly a bargain as for the extra £10.50 not only do you get a faster service, free food, free Wi-Fi, more room, and a quieter environment but you also get use of the First Class Lounges at both ends of the journey.
First however you need to persuade a ticket machine at Euston to supply the booked ticket... Apparently, machines at the concourse side of the booking hall have had their card readers changed and none would accept my credit card. Fortunately, there are a few 'old' machines at the far side of the booking hall and one of these happily read my credit card. According to the harassed staff, 'management' are well aware of this problem but refuse to do anything about it...
Very disappointed with the main Euston First Class lounge. Naturally, being Friday lunchtime, it was busy but even so it was particularly poorly stocked with only the main area coffee/tea machines and orange juice dispensers in operation and little stock in the fridges. No food or biscuits and few staff to be seen (certainly not on the bar). A great contrast to previous visits, and certainly a huge difference to the New Street Lounge which was generously stocked when I dropped in on arrival.
The 13.03 wasn't particularly busy. The First Class hosts were efficient and friendly though I was surprised to find a dirty mug in the setting for my booked seat. Coffee on departure from Euston followed by a selection of drinks and a choice of Sweet Potato and Falfa Wrap or Ham sandwich and fruit or toffee muffin. Coffee again offered before Rugby.
Though the Pendolinos are fast, their speed does highlight the poor track condition at various points of the journey - surely the dips in the track being hit a speed can't be doing the wheelsets much good...
So by booking in advance I enjoyed two first class journeys for the equivalent of the any permitted standard class off-peak fare, and both ran to time!
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Monday 13th September
Up to London Marylebone on the 8.12 Chiltern Clubman from Snow Hill today. This train comes from Kidderminster so is full of commuters to Snow Hill, Moor Street, and Solihull. Nevertheless, tables are to be had, and I got one with working sockets from Moor Street.
Also joining at Moor Street is the trolley service which made its way to my end of the train before Warwick Parkway. Not quite the same as using the Wrexham and Shropshire buffet car but reasonable enough and not too pricy at £3 for a coffee and flapjack.
Reasonably filled by Warwick Parkway customers for London but not so that tables became crowded. Skipped the Leamington Spa stop as a CrossCountry service was stuck in the platform due to a passenger being taken ill - an interesting judgment by Chiltern control as this made sure that Banbury and beyond passengers were not delayed but at the cost of an extra hour's journey for any Leamington Spa passengers...
Returned on the 14.50 Clubman which is a far better service to catch back to Birmingham than the preceding 14.20 Class 165 service (see last Monday's comments). No trolley service on pm Chiltern trains of course but a Spiced Apple drink from Marlyebone's AMT kept me going.
Reasonably quiet so no trouble getting to a table with sockets. Good on-time journey back to Snow Hill. Interestingly, in the light of the Chiltern proposed timetable changes in December, I was one of the few passengers remaining on the train after Moor Street. Clearly, the termination of key off-peak trains at Moor Street is not going to inconvenience many people...
At £31.90 off-peak return with clean trains, working toilets, and friendly staff, Chiltern continue to set the value for money standard from central Birmingham!
Also joining at Moor Street is the trolley service which made its way to my end of the train before Warwick Parkway. Not quite the same as using the Wrexham and Shropshire buffet car but reasonable enough and not too pricy at £3 for a coffee and flapjack.
Reasonably filled by Warwick Parkway customers for London but not so that tables became crowded. Skipped the Leamington Spa stop as a CrossCountry service was stuck in the platform due to a passenger being taken ill - an interesting judgment by Chiltern control as this made sure that Banbury and beyond passengers were not delayed but at the cost of an extra hour's journey for any Leamington Spa passengers...
Returned on the 14.50 Clubman which is a far better service to catch back to Birmingham than the preceding 14.20 Class 165 service (see last Monday's comments). No trolley service on pm Chiltern trains of course but a Spiced Apple drink from Marlyebone's AMT kept me going.
Reasonably quiet so no trouble getting to a table with sockets. Good on-time journey back to Snow Hill. Interestingly, in the light of the Chiltern proposed timetable changes in December, I was one of the few passengers remaining on the train after Moor Street. Clearly, the termination of key off-peak trains at Moor Street is not going to inconvenience many people...
At £31.90 off-peak return with clean trains, working toilets, and friendly staff, Chiltern continue to set the value for money standard from central Birmingham!
Friday 10 September 2010
Chiltern Timetable Consultation
You have until 21st September to respond to Chiltern's invitation to comment on the Dec. 2010 timetable proposals - see http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/news/timetable-consultation-proposed-december-2010-timetable
Key points from Chiltern's page:
* Off peak, one train per hour from Birmingham to London Marylebone will start from Birmingham Snow Hill station and one from Birmingham Moor Street. The Moor Street train will use the newly-reinstated terminal platforms
* On Mondays to Fridays, services that currently leave London Marylebone at 20 minutes past each hour and stop at High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Haddenham & Thame Parkway are proposed to switch to the 50 minutes past each hours service, in preparation for the 2011 Chiltern Mainline timetable
Of interest to those students of Chiltern's practice of adding 'punctuality' minutes to the journey from Moor Street to Snow Hill is the fact that those trains terminating at Moor Street will not get them. Wonder what this will do to Chiltern's punctuality record?
Key points from Chiltern's page:
* Off peak, one train per hour from Birmingham to London Marylebone will start from Birmingham Snow Hill station and one from Birmingham Moor Street. The Moor Street train will use the newly-reinstated terminal platforms
* On Mondays to Fridays, services that currently leave London Marylebone at 20 minutes past each hour and stop at High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Haddenham & Thame Parkway are proposed to switch to the 50 minutes past each hours service, in preparation for the 2011 Chiltern Mainline timetable
Of interest to those students of Chiltern's practice of adding 'punctuality' minutes to the journey from Moor Street to Snow Hill is the fact that those trains terminating at Moor Street will not get them. Wonder what this will do to Chiltern's punctuality record?
Monday 6th September
Took the 9.02 Wrexham & Shropshire service up to Marylebone from Tame Bridge Parkway, travelling standard... A refurbished set so comfortable with plenty of tables with sockets. No wi-fi however, though First Class passengers were enjoying this benefit... clearly the problems with transmitting the length of the train continue.
Staff as ever very friendly and helpful, and the buffet car a delight to use (and not particularly expensive). Not too many more passengers picked up at Leamington and Banbury so had the table to myself for the 2 hours 13 minutes of the journey. Had to feel for those who had joined with reservations (advance ticket holders?) who were packed into Coach B when coaches C and D were relatively quiet!
So with no peak fares, the W&S continue to offer the best standard class experience between Birmingham and London - just a pity that it is so slow and that TBR is so remote for most of Birmingham....
Returned on the 2.20 Chiltern service from Marylebone to Snow Hill. Fares-wise this is a real bargain with Super Off-Peak walk-on returns costing £19.50. Alas, the service was run by a Class 165 NOT a Clubman so lacked any facilities such as tables and sockets. Also, very slow at 2 hours 14 minutes to Moor Street due to numerous stops so definitely NOT recommended for those wanting to work!
Staff as ever very friendly and helpful, and the buffet car a delight to use (and not particularly expensive). Not too many more passengers picked up at Leamington and Banbury so had the table to myself for the 2 hours 13 minutes of the journey. Had to feel for those who had joined with reservations (advance ticket holders?) who were packed into Coach B when coaches C and D were relatively quiet!
So with no peak fares, the W&S continue to offer the best standard class experience between Birmingham and London - just a pity that it is so slow and that TBR is so remote for most of Birmingham....
Returned on the 2.20 Chiltern service from Marylebone to Snow Hill. Fares-wise this is a real bargain with Super Off-Peak walk-on returns costing £19.50. Alas, the service was run by a Class 165 NOT a Clubman so lacked any facilities such as tables and sockets. Also, very slow at 2 hours 14 minutes to Moor Street due to numerous stops so definitely NOT recommended for those wanting to work!
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