Posted by: dan, West end on 11:47am Mon 7 Jul 08
I can see both points of the argument here,one where some passengers are looking for a catering service and the other where it is said the services are not viable.
From a personal point of view and based on previous experience I never buy anything on a train journey as most items priced are so marked up giving rise to the old rip off syndrome.
I can see both points of the argument here,one where some passengers are looking for a catering service and the other where it is said the services are not viable.
From a personal point of view and based on previous experience I never buy anything on a train journey as most items priced are so marked up giving rise to the old rip off syndrome.
Posted by: Meep, Shawlands on 12:22pm Mon 7 Jul 08
I dont see what the problem is. They do serve food, but dont commence the service until Edinburgh. Thats about 50 mins without food. Is Mr Irvine such a "tubbyboy" that he cant wait 50 minutes for service? This is a non story. Surprised this was published.
I dont see what the problem is. They do serve food, but dont commence the service until Edinburgh. Thats about 50 mins without food. Is Mr Irvine such a "tubbyboy" that he cant wait 50 minutes for service? This is a non story. Surprised this was published.
Posted by: glamkitty, Glasgow on 12:32pm Mon 7 Jul 08
If Im going on a longish train journey, Id take my own food and drinks. The stuff you buy on the train is super-extortionate, and sandwiches etc are foul. Just take your own.
Mind you, for the price of fares, you'd expect a three course dinner with champagne. We were looking recently to take the train to south wales to visit relatives, rather than flying or driving - even well in advance, it was going to be £250 EACH, and take 13 hours on the way back.
We can drive for less than £100 between us, taking 8 hours, and fly for even less. Wheres the incentive for anyone to take the train?
If Im going on a longish train journey, Id take my own food and drinks. The stuff you buy on the train is super-extortionate, and sandwiches etc are foul. Just take your own.
Mind you, for the price of fares, you'd expect a three course dinner with champagne. We were looking recently to take the train to south wales to visit relatives, rather than flying or driving - even well in advance, it was going to be £250 EACH, and take 13 hours on the way back.
We can drive for less than £100 between us, taking 8 hours, and fly for even less. Wheres the incentive for anyone to take the train?
Posted by: The X Factor, Glasgow on 2:31pm Mon 7 Jul 08
Who cares if its an hour os so, I trevel from newcastle to glasgow regularly and we are entitled to this!
Lets be clear, its beardie's Virgin trains that stop services north of newcastle.
GNER who lost the franchise were excellent in all classes, good seats, felt like a train and not an airposrt bus (YOU LISTENING VIRGIN?)
Pity its Des (only gets to stay in a job a few months) mc Numpty thats pursueing this cos he is a F*nny.
Who cares if its an hour os so, I trevel from newcastle to glasgow regularly and we are entitled to this!
Lets be clear, its beardie's Virgin trains that stop services north of newcastle.
GNER who lost the franchise were excellent in all classes, good seats, felt like a train and not an airposrt bus (YOU LISTENING VIRGIN?)
Pity its Des (only gets to stay in a job a few months) mc Numpty thats pursueing this cos he is a F*nny.
Posted by: Steve L, Cambuslang on 2:46pm Mon 7 Jul 08
Cross Country trains aren't run by Virgin, and the old GNER ones never were - so suggest you get your facts right.
GNER ran the East Coast Main Line: Glasgow - Kings Cross service. This is now ran by National Express group.
Virgin Cross Country ran the Edinburgh to Plymouth service, but lost it some time ago and is now ran by Arriva who trade as CrossCountry.
The core service is from Edinburgh to Plymouth. The Glasgow extension is merely an extension for the convenience of passengers.
For people to moan about no food over this extremely short leg is crazy.
However, I agree that if you're paying a 1st class ticket, you shouldn't have to wait till Newcastle for a free drink.
Cross Country trains aren't run by Virgin, and the old GNER ones never were - so suggest you get your facts right.
GNER ran the East Coast Main Line: Glasgow - Kings Cross service. This is now ran by National Express group.
Virgin Cross Country ran the Edinburgh to Plymouth service, but lost it some time ago and is now ran by Arriva who trade as CrossCountry.
The core service is from Edinburgh to Plymouth. The Glasgow extension is merely an extension for the convenience of passengers.
For people to moan about no food over this extremely short leg is crazy.
However, I agree that if you're paying a 1st class ticket, you shouldn't have to wait till Newcastle for a free drink.
Posted by: Brad, Glasgow on 3:43pm Mon 7 Jul 08
Jack Irvine should go hungry
Jack Irvine should go hungry
Posted by: food lover, west coast on 4:07pm Mon 7 Jul 08
I think you will all find that this story is more about getting some PR in the paper for Jack than it is about train catering.
A bigger scandal is about making all Glasgow passengers change at Birmingham for journeys to the south west and using noisy diesel multiple units to Manchester.
Transport Minister Tom Harris is of course happy with these arrangements too...
I think you will all find that this story is more about getting some PR in the paper for Jack than it is about train catering.
A bigger scandal is about making all Glasgow passengers change at Birmingham for journeys to the south west and using noisy diesel multiple units to Manchester.
Transport Minister Tom Harris is of course happy with these arrangements too...
Posted by: Aunt Sally, Glasgow on 4:56pm Mon 7 Jul 08
Im surprised they actually make it from Glasgow to Edinburgh !!
I got the train 2 weeks ago and it broke done 30 mins outside Glasgow , told us they were holding another train for us and didnt, then the one after was fully booked !!
didnt get to my destination!! maybe its a good thing I mean 5 hours sitting on their rubbish service !!
Now awaiting my reply to complaint yes complaint because thats the way I have to get my money back !! fill out a form love !
Im surprised they actually make it from Glasgow to Edinburgh !!
I got the train 2 weeks ago and it broke done 30 mins outside Glasgow , told us they were holding another train for us and didnt, then the one after was fully booked !!
didnt get to my destination!! maybe its a good thing I mean 5 hours sitting on their rubbish service !!
Now awaiting my reply to complaint yes complaint because thats the way I have to get my money back !! fill out a form love !
Posted by: alexparade, Glasgow on 7:11pm Mon 7 Jul 08
[quote]But passengers disagree, with one Glasgow businessman, who paid £172 for a return CrossCountry ticket from Glasgow to Newcastle, branding the lack of catering a "rip-off".[/quote]
Shouldn't that read "a passenger disagrees"?
I'm sick of this paper. All they seem to do is run stories when one of the journalists (or their wealthy pals) are cheesed off about something. You pay £172 for a ticket to Newcastle from Glasgow, and it's the lack of catering that's the rip-off? You could make that journey for £40 advance, even less on the bus and even nowadays, it wouldn't cost you £40 in petrol to get there and back (a journey I have made sevaral times). This Jack Irvin obviously likes to be flashy with his money, I can just picture him pulling out a £20 note for his shortbread and cup of tea and loudly telling the vendor to keep the change.. not that there would be much change, if it was a Scotrail train.. Jack Irvin should try travelling by bus some time!
But passengers disagree, with one Glasgow businessman, who paid £172 for a return CrossCountry ticket from Glasgow to Newcastle, branding the lack of catering a "rip-off".
Shouldn't that read "a passenger disagrees"?
I'm sick of this paper. All they seem to do is run stories when one of the journalists (or their wealthy pals) are cheesed off about something. You pay £172 for a ticket to Newcastle from Glasgow, and it's the lack of catering that's the rip-off? You could make that journey for £40 advance, even less on the bus and even nowadays, it wouldn't cost you £40 in petrol to get there and back (a journey I have made sevaral times). This Jack Irvin obviously likes to be flashy with his money, I can just picture him pulling out a £20 note for his shortbread and cup of tea and loudly telling the vendor to keep the change.. not that there would be much change, if it was a Scotrail train.. Jack Irvin should try travelling by bus some time!
Posted by: daz, glasgow on 9:03pm Mon 7 Jul 08
[quote][bold]food lover[/bold] wrote:
I think you will all find that this story is more about getting some PR in the paper for Jack than it is about train catering. A bigger scandal is about making all Glasgow passengers change at Birmingham for journeys to the south west and using noisy diesel multiple units to Manchester. Transport Minister Tom Harris is of course happy with these arrangements too...[/quote] hey funny that! you set me thinking and lo and behold...
jack irvine is an ex journalist!!
food lover wrote:
I think you will all find that this story is more about getting some PR in the paper for Jack than it is about train catering. A bigger scandal is about making all Glasgow passengers change at Birmingham for journeys to the south west and using noisy diesel multiple units to Manchester. Transport Minister Tom Harris is of course happy with these arrangements too...
hey funny that! you set me thinking and lo and behold...
jack irvine is an ex journalist!!
Posted by: Brad, Glasgow on 9:37pm Mon 7 Jul 08
[quote][bold]glamkitty[/bold] wrote:
If Im going on a longish train journey, Id take my own food and drinks. The stuff you buy on the train is super-extortionate, and sandwiches etc are foul. Just take your own. Mind you, for the price of fares, you'd expect a three course dinner with champagne. We were looking recently to take the train to south wales to visit relatives, rather than flying or driving - even well in advance, it was going to be £250 EACH, and take 13 hours on the way back. We can drive for less than £100 between us, taking 8 hours, and fly for even less. Wheres the incentive for anyone to take the train?[/quote] Glamkitty, try booking the legs of the jounry separately. You shouldn't really have to but where there's changes of trains and especially train operators, it often works out cheaper that way. I'd to go to Cheltenham recently and saved quite a bit by buying separate tickets for each part of the journey.
Trains to Wales aren't great at any price. I travel to LDN quite a bit and always take the train. With decent notice I don't pay over £50 (no city-airport connections either), and even at shorter notice, it often not much more if you're flexible when you travel. Flying is no fun these days.
glamkitty wrote:
If Im going on a longish train journey, Id take my own food and drinks. The stuff you buy on the train is super-extortionate, and sandwiches etc are foul. Just take your own. Mind you, for the price of fares, you'd expect a three course dinner with champagne. We were looking recently to take the train to south wales to visit relatives, rather than flying or driving - even well in advance, it was going to be £250 EACH, and take 13 hours on the way back. We can drive for less than £100 between us, taking 8 hours, and fly for even less. Wheres the incentive for anyone to take the train?
Glamkitty, try booking the legs of the jounry separately. You shouldn't really have to but where there's changes of trains and especially train operators, it often works out cheaper that way. I'd to go to Cheltenham recently and saved quite a bit by buying separate tickets for each part of the journey.
Trains to Wales aren't great at any price. I travel to LDN quite a bit and always take the train. With decent notice I don't pay over £50 (no city-airport connections either), and even at shorter notice, it often not much more if you're flexible when you travel. Flying is no fun these days.
Posted by: Pete, Glasgow on 11:00pm Mon 7 Jul 08
[quote][bold]Brad[/bold] wrote:
Jack Irvine should go hungry[/quote] Jack Irvine. Not a man who is shy of a bit of generating a wee bit of self publicity.
But who is, tragically, a man denied a sandwich for 90 minutes. That's it, that's the size of this story. Jack can't get a sandwich and the weight of Scottish politics (oh, no, sorry just Des Mc Nulty) has written a letter. Despite the fact that Des could probably be serving his party more usefully and that his party can't even seem to organise themselves to buy a ticket to Shettleston.
Brad wrote:
Jack Irvine should go hungry
Jack Irvine. Not a man who is shy of a bit of generating a wee bit of self publicity.
But who is, tragically, a man denied a sandwich for 90 minutes. That's it, that's the size of this story. Jack can't get a sandwich and the weight of Scottish politics (oh, no, sorry just Des Mc Nulty) has written a letter. Despite the fact that Des could probably be serving his party more usefully and that his party can't even seem to organise themselves to buy a ticket to Shettleston.
Posted by: timothy, united states on 3:07am Tue 8 Jul 08
You are sexy...Just feel curious. I saw your photos and profile at a black dating site called blackgaymingle.com last week. Your many photos are found there. Is that you? What happened?[bold]
You are sexy...Just feel curious. I saw your photos and profile at a black dating site called blackgaymingle.com last week. Your many photos are found there. Is that you? What happened?
Posted by: Gordon Kirk on 8:32am Tue 8 Jul 08
Another "own goal" by this incompetant Labour spokesperson as all the cross-border rail franchises are the responsibility of the Labour Minister in London not the SNP Minister in Scotland.
Another "own goal" by this incompetant Labour spokesperson as all the cross-border rail franchises are the responsibility of the Labour Minister in London not the SNP Minister in Scotland.
Posted by: RapidAssistant, Glasgow on 11:34am Tue 8 Jul 08
[quote][bold]food lover[/bold] wrote:
I think you will all find that this story is more about getting some PR in the paper for Jack than it is about train catering. A bigger scandal is about making all Glasgow passengers change at Birmingham for journeys to the south west and using noisy diesel multiple units to Manchester. Transport Minister Tom Harris is of course happy with these arrangements too...[/quote] This isn't CrossCountry or Virgin's fault - it was the rail regulator back in the 1990s that specified these horrible Voyager diesel multiple unit trains for the Cross-Country routes and they don't have a separate buffet car - cast your minds back to the old British Rail InterCity services that did, and catering was available before you even got to Motherwell.....OK it was overpriced even then but you do have the ability pick up a (cheaper) coffee and a sarnie in a shop on Gordon Street before you get on the train!!!
But don't get me started on everything that's went to the dogs since railway privatisation and the Government's inability to see sense and re-integrate it into one company again.
I'll repeat the point on the inaccuracy of the article in the first place that others have made - CrossCountry DON'T go to London. National Express East Coast (formerly GNER) operate this service via Newcastle and they DO have a buffet car and it IS open shortly after leaving Central.
And to finish up - anyone who can stomach going on CrossCountry and put up with the fact that every Voyager train I've been on smells like the inside of a sewer deserves and award in my book!!!
food lover wrote:
I think you will all find that this story is more about getting some PR in the paper for Jack than it is about train catering. A bigger scandal is about making all Glasgow passengers change at Birmingham for journeys to the south west and using noisy diesel multiple units to Manchester. Transport Minister Tom Harris is of course happy with these arrangements too...
This isn't CrossCountry or Virgin's fault - it was the rail regulator back in the 1990s that specified these horrible Voyager diesel multiple unit trains for the Cross-Country routes and they don't have a separate buffet car - cast your minds back to the old British Rail InterCity services that did, and catering was available before you even got to Motherwell.....OK it was overpriced even then but you do have the ability pick up a (cheaper) coffee and a sarnie in a shop on Gordon Street before you get on the train!!!
But don't get me started on everything that's went to the dogs since railway privatisation and the Government's inability to see sense and re-integrate it into one company again.
I'll repeat the point on the inaccuracy of the article in the first place that others have made - CrossCountry DON'T go to London. National Express East Coast (formerly GNER) operate this service via Newcastle and they DO have a buffet car and it IS open shortly after leaving Central.
And to finish up - anyone who can stomach going on CrossCountry and put up with the fact that every Voyager train I've been on smells like the inside of a sewer deserves and award in my book!!!
Posted by: RapidAssistant, Glasgow on 11:42am Tue 8 Jul 08
[quote][bold]Brad[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]glamkitty[/bold] wrote: If Im going on a longish train journey, Id take my own food and drinks. The stuff you buy on the train is super-extortionate, and sandwiches etc are foul. Just take your own. Mind you, for the price of fares, you'd expect a three course dinner with champagne. We were looking recently to take the train to south wales to visit relatives, rather than flying or driving - even well in advance, it was going to be £250 EACH, and take 13 hours on the way back. We can drive for less than £100 between us, taking 8 hours, and fly for even less. Wheres the incentive for anyone to take the train?[/quote] Glamkitty, try booking the legs of the jounry separately. You shouldn't really have to but where there's changes of trains and especially train operators, it often works out cheaper that way. I'd to go to Cheltenham recently and saved quite a bit by buying separate tickets for each part of the journey. Trains to Wales aren't great at any price. I travel to LDN quite a bit and always take the train. With decent notice I don't pay over £50 (no city-airport connections either), and even at shorter notice, it often not much more if you're flexible when you travel. Flying is no fun these days.[/quote] Brad,
Couldn't agree more. Flying is such a bad trip these days and I travel to London a lot from Glasgow. On Virgin you can go for £18.50 each way if you hit the 12-week booking deadline. No fuss, straight into the centre of town, no mucking about with airports, stupid security rules and the fastest trains do it in 4 hrs 25 minutes.
Two weeks ago I got the cheapest First Class ticket (on a peak time departure from Glasgow I must add). 5 hours into Euston - inclusive breakfast, lunch, free booze and as much tea and coffee as you can drink. All for £45 one way.
Now that is living!
Brad wrote:
glamkitty wrote: If Im going on a longish train journey, Id take my own food and drinks. The stuff you buy on the train is super-extortionate, and sandwiches etc are foul. Just take your own. Mind you, for the price of fares, you'd expect a three course dinner with champagne. We were looking recently to take the train to south wales to visit relatives, rather than flying or driving - even well in advance, it was going to be £250 EACH, and take 13 hours on the way back. We can drive for less than £100 between us, taking 8 hours, and fly for even less. Wheres the incentive for anyone to take the train?
Glamkitty, try booking the legs of the jounry separately. You shouldn't really have to but where there's changes of trains and especially train operators, it often works out cheaper that way. I'd to go to Cheltenham recently and saved quite a bit by buying separate tickets for each part of the journey. Trains to Wales aren't great at any price. I travel to LDN quite a bit and always take the train. With decent notice I don't pay over £50 (no city-airport connections either), and even at shorter notice, it often not much more if you're flexible when you travel. Flying is no fun these days.
Brad,
Couldn't agree more. Flying is such a bad trip these days and I travel to London a lot from Glasgow. On Virgin you can go for £18.50 each way if you hit the 12-week booking deadline. No fuss, straight into the centre of town, no mucking about with airports, stupid security rules and the fastest trains do it in 4 hrs 25 minutes.
Two weeks ago I got the cheapest First Class ticket (on a peak time departure from Glasgow I must add). 5 hours into Euston - inclusive breakfast, lunch, free booze and as much tea and coffee as you can drink. All for £45 one way.
Now that is living!
Comment | Read Comments (16)
