Would it make sense for Network rail to have 1 x shared 1st class lounge at stations ( where demand is sufficient ) shared by all 1st class train providers. For each ticket logged, the operating company gets a small bill per passenger that used it ?
Not all stations are operated by Network Rail, only main stations such as Glasgow Central, Manchester Picc, All London Terminus Stations - Birmingham NS to name a few are run by NR.
Atleast its better than in the Netherlands… really bad here… and the toilets are most of the time -5 ot of 10… lots of garbage in there… and the graffiti… 😢
It's a little known fact, but those who travel in Scum Class get to the destination as fast as those who travel in Scrounger Class (their fares are usually paid by someone else).
@@hamishmctibble6072 if you are comfortable, time flies by a lot faster, though ;) And honestly, it depends on the type of trip I make, for short hops, I don't really care, for longer trips, or when I have some work to do, I do like the extra comfort and quiet first often gives. It's like food. I don't mind a good chippy every now and then, and I'll gladly eat a sandwich if I'm hungry, but when I want to celebrate, I'll go to a proper restaurant and spoil myself a bit. Nothing wrong with people willing to spend the money for a little extra service. If it wouldn't make the operators money, they'd have stopped it a long time ago.
Huddersfield in 2022 had 3m passengers a year and Carlisle 1.7m, and Trans Pennine Express manage Huddersfield station where Avanti manage Carlisle, so a lounge being at Huddersfield and not Carlisle makes sense. I think Glasgow Queen Street had 6m pax a year in 2022, so Huddersfield isn’t so random. Beautiful grade I station too. I think with lounges especially - this is a good advert for why we need to go back to being British Rail. One entity who own and manage everything. Either that or rail operators come to some sort of agreement on sharing first class facilities at stations they themselves don’t manage.
The politicians get backhanders for handing out the contracts to private rail companies, with which they buy their big houses and fancy cars, so it's unlikely that 'British Rail' will be coming back ever.
Could you compare the 2nd class experience between the different train lines on the same routes ? That would be more relevant to most of your followers.
Good Video. As somebody who lived in Huddersfield for a while, I can tell you it's actually quite logical to have your Lounge there. Essentially, 90%+ of the E-W Transpennine services between Newcastle/Middlesborugh/Hull and Liverpool run via Leeds and Huddersfield which makes the Leeds-Manchester stretch one of the busiest in the country apparently (I can tell you the trains are standing room only bar a brief window between about 10-4). Huddersfield is also basically a glorified commuter town (something like 20% of the population communute to Leeds if you believe local media) and while Huddersfield itself ranks as relatively poor statistically, this is actually skewed by the council boundaries taking in Kirklees and the money so to speak being in the picture perfect villages between Huddersfield and Sheffield (a large number of which get classed as something other than Huddersfield even though any leisure activity or shopping likely occurs in Huddersfield). So with commuters that are not as poor as statistics would suggest, a glorious station managed by TP and lower rental costs than a proper station, that is likely why its there.
I think TransPennine Express has one of the most striking liveries on British rails, I love the look of that train. That said, it's about the only positive thing I can think of when talking about TPE. They're unreliable, often more expensive on shared routes, etc. I am giving them points for communicating properly about the disturbance and the reason for the slow-running, it's relatively easy to do a decent job when everything goes well, it's when things go south that proper service can shine.
Compensation repay,doesn't really cut it for the stress one endures, when your train is cxd and your stuck 200 miles from home.plus,in my case I need to be near a toilet as I've just had radio therapy treatment for prostate so a bus doesn't really do me any favours!
It seems to me that your extra £30 to travel first class bought you a little bit of extra space in a carriage with poor suspension, a cup of coffee and a small slice of cake. At that price I hope the coffee and cake were the best you had ever tasted. Are there any worse ways to blow £30?
Agreed. You basically pay for a slightly larger seat, free coffee, and usually a quieter and less congested carriage (but not always!). When standard class is very busy with standing passengers all the way down the coach, going 1st can be worth it if the price is not crazy.
First class on the continent is mostly cheaper, but won't get you an extra snack. Then again, many countries' railways are basically just commuter railways, and it's a surprise they have 1st class at all. Most don't even have catering. The extra legroom can be nice for the larger people among us (like me), I don't mind a short hop in Standard, but for longer journeys, being able to stretch your legs a bit makes a huge difference.
I used to travel TransPennine a lot back in the late 90's early 2000s and this is luxury compared to then! A food service *And* working toilets? Unheard of!
The almost Childish obsession with first class lounges is strange----------------------- 20 years ago there were hardly any------ what would this person have done then?. Also people are often dissapointed at a lack of complimentary first class food and drink------- again this is a fairly new thing and is not offered as standard in most european countries.-------- crazy and a bit infantile.
In America first class train seats are only offered by Amtrak with Acela on the northeast corridor, and with all of the sleeper car accommodations on their overnight long distance trains... Only a few stations have first class lounges, the vast majority don't. None of the stations in Texas do, even though Texas is the second largest populated state... Amtrak metropolitan lounges are located in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, St. Paul, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington... Notice none in Texas, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Georgia...Keep in mind Amtrak's busiest long distance trains run to Florida...
Thanks for your videos Scott. From what I've seen in all of them, the only conclusion I can make is that lounges are overrated. IKEA chairs and pre-packed snacks that probably have a 15p cost price - yawn. Complimentary stuff on board is another matter, but the most important thing for me that I'd pay extra for is the comfort and space of the seat, and the cleanliness of the loos, although the latter should be standard really, but hey ho welcome to Britain.
Yes agree the benefit is a guaranteed more comfortable spacious seat with some degree of privacy. Although given the limited capacity on all trains there is a case of taking out 1st class and giving that spa e to standard so more people get seats. It's what happening in the south east already.
@@wizardofthenorth8352Difficult one for the TOCs. On mainline routes (away from the busy commuter lines) they would worry about losing high revenue pax. I expect you've noticed how EMR has reduced F class accommodation but not withdrawn it completely.
I’m not sure why the only first class lounge is in Huddersfield but Huddersfield is a beautiful train station so maybe there’s more room for one there. The majority of Transpennines custom is surely on that Liverpool to Leeds corridor
Mid 2000's The owner travels daily from Blackburn, but indeed quality brew. Think us rail staff have helped pay his holidays and mortgage over the years lol
Yet another interesting film. Have enjoyed this review of 1st class of the 5 operators. £43 1st off peak equals 45p per mile which compared with xcountry off peak is 75p a mile (bhm to Stockport). It just shows how much each operator tries to extract as much money as possible - not dissimilar to train companies in 1920s and 1930s. Just before they were nationalised. Only LNER and maybe AVANTI offer anything close to a 1st class product. The reality though most people would rather travel by car (business or pleasure). So sad.
Rail fares now all controlled by our DfT. All rail operators (open access firms excepted) have been operating on a management fee basis since March or April 2020 so revenue handed to the gov't. Railway press can tell you more.
Nationalised British Rail operated so-called 'market pricing' in the 1970s and 1980s which had the same effect. It was notorious that on the stopping line between Woking and Waterloo, if you lived within driving range of several stations which are only a few miles apart, you could save a lot of money by having a season ticket from a less prestigious station rather than somewhere wealthy like Weybridge.
You are right with the "keep dreaming" text overlay, when you said complementary refreshments etc . Every time I've travelled TPE 1st, M/Bro to MCR airport I've had to pay for a coffee from the trolley.. Truly disappointing 1st class service to be honest (And truly awful company in terms of delays and cancellations!)
This was a very interesting video. I had my first journey on a Transpennine Class 397 back in June, albeit only between Wigan North Western and Preston, and I too also noticed that it had a rather rough ride. I have to wonder if it's a problem specifically with their Class 397s. If you consider travelling with them again, you should try booking a journey on one of their Class 802 services to compare it against the 397 (it seems the 802s are used on their ECML routes whereas the 397s stick to the WCML routes).
TPE disappointing? Well that is the least shocking revelation I've heard in a while. The fact that it wasn't cancelled the night before is a result though....
The trains are far too short! We must revert to loco-hauled trains for long-distance travel, so that extra coaches can be added to reflect demand. To make things worse, there is no catering except a trolley service. The railways obviously expect passengers to starve. How can one survive a journey from Manchester to Glasgow without sustenance?
A lot of the new trains seems to be built very poorly. Azuma, class 195/331 to name but a few. It can only be cost cutting. As this is the only direct train from Manchester I would take National Express instead.
It was Hitachi 800 train same as most other operators are using can't see why ride quality would be any different and the delay wasn't TPE's fault , most delays are due to rail network . One delay will have knock on effect all day to other operators as UK network is over saturated with traffic , it becomes chaotic once trains are off their pathed times ' one reason we needed the original HS2 , but gone now they cancelled it Great video as always though
That was not first class that was rubbish you’re only first class waiting room as in Huddersfield who came up with that rubbish. If there was anyone with common signs, I would use Avante West Coast because that is a proper first class
Good choice picking Huddersfield for only first class lounge, because it is likely to be needed most there, because more things go wrong at this station than anywhere else!!!
As someone who travelled regularly on tpe from Huddersfield I have never seen a first class lounge at Huddersfield and there isn’t one advertised by signage
I'm just waiting for someone to copy the format down south - GWR vs. LHR Express vs. East Midlands vs Grand Central etc. I see someone has already done a LNER vs. Scotrail first class comparison video. Imitation is the sincerest form of flatttery!
Same problem in France 🇫🇷 🤬 Intercity new trains are made like (old ?) suburban ones with no comfort armchairs for example. And it’s worst in double decker models ! What a pity, bring back is old Corail ( COnfort on RAILs) ones from the end seventies ! Nice video and landscape through 👍✌️
I travelled with them from Manchester airport to York. An expensive first class ticket. Very poor service. Train reduced from 6 cars to 3, no perks for first class and tickets never even checked. Very poor
Worse first class out there, I was on for 2hrs 30 mins got one coffee and a lemon drizzle cake, when you look on the TP first class menu online it says what options you have never got offered anything like that,
All looked very austere in that 1st Class carriage. Tbf.., Carlisle isn't really the kind of place that I would ever expect a 1st Class lounge. Nor would I ever consider a 1st Class fare on such a short journey. Really, for me to travel 1st Class, I'd need to see a substantial meal, proper 1st Class service, dancing girls, and no more of these pre-packed nibblies. That's a real lowest common denominator.
Got so called first class today from Huddersfield first class lounge closed no at seat service and had to get off at york due to signal problems then put in packed LNER train stood all way to Darlington
I'm intrigued at the variety of views people have of the ride quality of the 800 series trains. Some people, especially those on the GWR versions think that they are appalling (as did Scott on the TPE version), whilst others find them to be OK - especially those on the ECML (LNER, Lumo etc). They are basically the same train, so is the track quality that different? Scott had no complaints about the ride quality of the Pendolino he used between Glasgow and Carlisle.
Probably slightly varying specifications on them. I presume LNER and the other ones with good reviews specced better shock absorbers or something to smooth out the ride.
The overall impression from the five journeys is that even the "First Class" services are significantly below those you get with economy class in most other developed countries, at least the many that I've been in and travelled in. Why do Brits accept such poor services and conditions, while people in other countries pay less and get a better experience? The rail services in particular have a deservedly terrible reputation. The UK cannot even afford a short stretch of a high-speed train in part of England, whereas France, Germany, Japan, and even less developed countries have high-speed links all across their territories, and timetables that are punctual, clean, and not broken.
Surely TPE get a 5 point bonus for actually running a train (on time or not)? The Huddersfield lounge isn't for the passengers, it's for the station cats... Tongue out of cheek now, a good, honest review.
Not really a 1st class experience was it Scott !! Glad you got a late arrival refund. Some of these train operators need a kick up the backside with regards to their "1st class" product and their prices ! :)
That hotel behind you at Carlisle is,or was, called the Lakes Court and it manages to combine high prices with a 10 hr check out.TPE is really a regional English operation which has expanded into Scotland in recent years.Previously they only covered northern England and a little bit of the north Midlands using the sardine can 185's.At least their trains are bigger now but sadly there's still 185's around.
The 185's aren't that bad, I can't comment on first class but standard class is better than commuting in London, and the new AT300 stock. The only issue I could see with them was speed on electrified lines, and a lack of capacity prior to the introduction of the new NOVA stock.
If budget is on your side I recommend Sleeper Edinburgh-London & then depending on your end destination a short walk to St Pancras for a HS1 train otherwise flying/Lumo should be considered with Lumo/LNER terminating at Kings Cross your southeastern connection should just be across the road,
Frankly I wouldn't consider Carlisle a large city station like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, and London... Not every station should have first class lounges... I wouldn't consider Carlisle more worthy of a first class lounge than Northampton, Leicester, and Nottingham...
As a Railcard holder ,and train enthusiast I prefer the f c seats on the pendolinos for comfort ,on a long journey. What upsets me is the frequency of cancellations,and the high price for the uncertainty you're gonna get home.
The extremely bumpy ride is mainly caused by the type of train that TPE operated, called the Class 397 which is a fairly new train built by CAF a Spanish manufacturer. All of their trains they make such as the Class 195 at Northern, the Class 196 at West Midlands trains and the Class 197 operated by Transport for Wales are very rough riding in my actual experience. They also build the Mark 5/5a coaching stock which is operated by Caledonian Sleepers and the other stock operated by TPE for the very short future. The coaching stock is notorious for their bad riding and the sleepers especially for being loaded with all sorts of faults with the water and shower systems, simply look elsewhere on UA-cam and the evidence is there. There have been some unfortunate nicknames used for this builders’ initials of CAF such as ‘Call A Fitter’ or the very unfortunate ‘Cheap as F…’ which sadly do reflect matters all too often. There is now on the railway in the UK very few decent types of trains left and the more comfortable ones are being retired and take out of service for these newer, poorer quality ones. All part of the managed decline of the system sadly.
The interaction between the suspension and the condition of the track is a complex issue, and some are better than others. I might be a bit biased given my experience of the old Mk3 stock, but in the main they were more suitable than anything else.@@derektaylor2941
I imagine the ride is rough because you are used to the pendolinos which tilt along the WCML and TPE stock does not tilt. Just goes to show the difference the pendolinos have in ride quality.
It's not so much down to the tilt as that the trains TransPennine are using a bi-mode so they can run either from track power or from an on-board diesel generator. This (along with the fuel tanks in necessitates) makes the train way heavier than a pure EMU design like the Pendolinos. Couple the high weight with the less than stellar track quality we typically have in the UK and it makes for a rough ride. I've ridden the original EMU only design (on the line between Hakata and Nagasaki), and it had really nice ride quality, although how much of that was down to the lighter train and how much was JR's excellent track maintenance is hard to know.
running on diesel or overhead 25kv AC makes zero difference. weight of fuel has got nothing to do with the train or the ride quality. I have worked on the railways for over 15 years 10 of which as a driver. trust me the smoothness on the WCML is down to the til on the 390s before that we used to have 86/87s running up and down with MK3 coaches these ran at a slower speed due to the track camber and tight curves and it was bumpy as well @@TrimeshSZ
OK, I just looked at the photo and kind of assumed it was one of the bimode Hitachi trains. Couple that with the fact I had been told by one of the Hitachi people that the bimode trains had inferior ride quality to the electric ones and I guess I put 2 and 2 together and ended up with about 7 :) @@limeyfox
It has been an interesting look this series & i hope you cover the last remaining 1st class next year 😉 (the Jacobite steam train) Personally I preferred TPEs 1st class over the offerings of CrossCountry although on the pricy side first class on some operators bagging a seatfrog upgrade is a plus for me.
@@FatLassOnTheTrain that surprises me because I looked on RTT after the video and couldn't find any Avanti ones. I get why Scotrail don't because Carstairs is the next station isn't it?
Such a shame that Transpennine Express had to get rid of the Nova 3 Class 68 Mk5 units which rumours has been said that these are going to Chiltern Railways. But still I do like Transpennine Express and the Class 185 Desiro, Class 802 Nova 1 and Class 397 Civity Nova 2 units.
I took TPE standard class from Lockerbie to Glasgow this week and couldn't really fault them as my last experience was on a rubbish three car diesel train that was packed. £24 off peak return, train on time both ways, an hour's journey and pleasant staff, so far better than in the past. Trains now have five carriages, so no overcrowding, and being electric are far quieter, but the rattling is noticeable at speed.
I think TPE have it a bit rough with their franchise - it's effectively a local, regional and long distance operator. It's hugely overcrowded on local/regional services at peak times and doesn't feel adequate for the longer distances.
Transpennine, now run by DfT OLR Holdings Limited (DOHL) who also run LNER - Northern Rail & London & South Eastern Railway all are wholly owned subsidiarys
I dont think I would bother traveling first class with them for such a short journey anyway , same with most operators first class seems to be a token gesture for what you get for your money.
I enjoy your videos I visit Manchester at least once a month and would never use TPE if it was free . I would have more chance of winning the lottery than my TPE train back to Glasgow going the entire distance. .Manchester- Carlisle- Cancelled bus My preferred option is now Machester - Wigan Wallgate - 5 min Walk. - Wigan Northwestern - Pint in the Hotel - Glasgow. And same going only in reverse Cheaper and reliable .TPE could not run a ######## in a Brewery
Yeah, never really consider Trans Pennine for first class as I live in Leeds - use them to go to Manchester for cricket or football, or maybe to the North East for cricket. The journeys are relatively short, so snacks and drinks? Bring yer own. The trains are modern and clean, so standard class is fine. First class would only be on a service you know will be rammed and you don't want to stand.
Can anyone in the comments please advise me where I'd go to look for the best value travel from Carlisle to Newquay in May. I know booking in advance on the train, split ticketing, two together Railcard, but am I missing anything? Would Flying be a good option? Sorry to ask on here but I'm trying to plan a surprise for my husbands birthday.
I was delayed here on that TPE train, also my mum makes of TPE Motherwell announcement, I had a broken down freight train at Carlisle to cause my 2 hour delay
I feel it's a kind of a bad idea when they share non confirmed information that could rattle some people up: "I hope it's not too serious and we are able to pass through". The voice didn't seem too secure, so if you want to explain and calm your passengers, you need to convey that in your voice and your message. Good video! I really hope I bump into you one time at a coach or train station!
Unfortunately it's a catch 22 as I'd be more annoyed to not know why I'm being delayed I know I've had to resort to poking the twitter team of a TOC as the guard remains silent,
I searched for videos of first class lounge in Huddersfield. It's just a waiting room with glass walls, with a few seats, and without either food or toilet. And the trains go there don't offer food or drink in first class, so it's just standard class with possibly more comfy seats.
Would it make sense for Network rail to have 1 x shared 1st class lounge at stations ( where demand is sufficient ) shared by all 1st class train providers.
For each ticket logged, the operating company gets a small bill per passenger that used it ?
That would be just way too easy for the most disjointed railway network in Europe 😂
Much better idea.
Indeed that is how airlines do things in certain cases (here I refer to international services).
That’s far too easy 😂
Not all stations are operated by Network Rail, only main stations such as Glasgow Central, Manchester Picc, All London Terminus Stations - Birmingham NS to name a few are run by NR.
sorry will go onto web site
This isn’t first class. This is just being overcharged.
Welcome to Britain 😢
I'd have a bucket load of drinks, biscuits,cake,fruit etc to make it worth the extra money.
Atleast its better than in the Netherlands… really bad here… and the toilets are most of the time -5 ot of 10… lots of garbage in there… and the graffiti… 😢
It's a little known fact, but those who travel in Scum Class get to the destination as fast as those who travel in Scrounger Class (their fares are usually paid by someone else).
@@hamishmctibble6072 if you are comfortable, time flies by a lot faster, though ;) And honestly, it depends on the type of trip I make, for short hops, I don't really care, for longer trips, or when I have some work to do, I do like the extra comfort and quiet first often gives.
It's like food. I don't mind a good chippy every now and then, and I'll gladly eat a sandwich if I'm hungry, but when I want to celebrate, I'll go to a proper restaurant and spoil myself a bit. Nothing wrong with people willing to spend the money for a little extra service. If it wouldn't make the operators money, they'd have stopped it a long time ago.
What a informative and honest on-board staff announcer. Best looking trains by far, in my humble opinion.
Huddersfield in 2022 had 3m passengers a year and Carlisle 1.7m, and Trans Pennine Express manage Huddersfield station where Avanti manage Carlisle, so a lounge being at Huddersfield and not Carlisle makes sense. I think Glasgow Queen Street had 6m pax a year in 2022, so Huddersfield isn’t so random. Beautiful grade I station too.
I think with lounges especially - this is a good advert for why we need to go back to being British Rail. One entity who own and manage everything. Either that or rail operators come to some sort of agreement on sharing first class facilities at stations they themselves don’t manage.
The politicians get backhanders for handing out the contracts to private rail companies, with which they buy their big houses and fancy cars, so it's unlikely that 'British Rail' will be coming back ever.
Could you compare the 2nd class experience between the different train lines on the same routes ? That would be more relevant to most of your followers.
Good Video.
As somebody who lived in Huddersfield for a while, I can tell you it's actually quite logical to have your Lounge there.
Essentially, 90%+ of the E-W Transpennine services between Newcastle/Middlesborugh/Hull and Liverpool run via Leeds and Huddersfield which makes the Leeds-Manchester stretch one of the busiest in the country apparently (I can tell you the trains are standing room only bar a brief window between about 10-4).
Huddersfield is also basically a glorified commuter town (something like 20% of the population communute to Leeds if you believe local media) and while Huddersfield itself ranks as relatively poor statistically, this is actually skewed by the council boundaries taking in Kirklees and the money so to speak being in the picture perfect villages between Huddersfield and Sheffield (a large number of which get classed as something other than Huddersfield even though any leisure activity or shopping likely occurs in Huddersfield).
So with commuters that are not as poor as statistics would suggest, a glorious station managed by TP and lower rental costs than a proper station, that is likely why its there.
Good analysis
Oh my gosh. A TransPennine express train. A real one. At a station. In service. You don't see that very often.
Lockerbie passengers have had a long running battle with Transpennine Express over recent years for a reliable train service to Edinburgh.
I think TransPennine Express has one of the most striking liveries on British rails, I love the look of that train. That said, it's about the only positive thing I can think of when talking about TPE. They're unreliable, often more expensive on shared routes, etc.
I am giving them points for communicating properly about the disturbance and the reason for the slow-running, it's relatively easy to do a decent job when everything goes well, it's when things go south that proper service can shine.
and it reached its destination!
Would love to see a video explaining how compensation for late and cancelled services works, for both trains and planes.
Compensation repay,doesn't really cut it for the stress one endures, when your train is cxd and your stuck 200 miles from home.plus,in my case I need to be near a toilet as I've just had radio therapy treatment for prostate so a bus doesn't really do me any favours!
It seems to me that your extra £30 to travel first class bought you a little bit of extra space in a carriage with poor suspension, a cup of coffee and a small slice of cake. At that price I hope the coffee and cake were the best you had ever tasted. Are there any worse ways to blow £30?
Agreed. You basically pay for a slightly larger seat, free coffee, and usually a quieter and less congested carriage (but not always!). When standard class is very busy with standing passengers all the way down the coach, going 1st can be worth it if the price is not crazy.
First class on the continent is mostly cheaper, but won't get you an extra snack. Then again, many countries' railways are basically just commuter railways, and it's a surprise they have 1st class at all. Most don't even have catering.
The extra legroom can be nice for the larger people among us (like me), I don't mind a short hop in Standard, but for longer journeys, being able to stretch your legs a bit makes a huge difference.
I had a martini in Harry's Bar in Venice for less than Scott paid for his coffee and cake.
I used to travel TransPennine a lot back in the late 90's early 2000s and this is luxury compared to then! A food service *And* working toilets? Unheard of!
It seems you’ve now experienced The classic CAF build quality…
Exactly the same ride quality as you get with the Caledonian 'No' Sleeper,
The almost Childish obsession with first class lounges is strange----------------------- 20 years ago there were hardly any------ what would this person have done then?. Also people are often dissapointed at a lack of complimentary first class food and drink------- again this is a fairly new thing and is not offered as standard in most european countries.-------- crazy and a bit infantile.
In America first class train seats are only offered by Amtrak with Acela on the northeast corridor, and with all of the sleeper car accommodations on their overnight long distance trains... Only a few stations have first class lounges, the vast majority don't. None of the stations in Texas do, even though Texas is the second largest populated state... Amtrak metropolitan lounges are located in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, St. Paul, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington... Notice none in Texas, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Georgia...Keep in mind Amtrak's busiest long distance trains run to Florida...
Thanks for your videos Scott. From what I've seen in all of them, the only conclusion I can make is that lounges are overrated. IKEA chairs and pre-packed snacks that probably have a 15p cost price - yawn. Complimentary stuff on board is another matter, but the most important thing for me that I'd pay extra for is the comfort and space of the seat, and the cleanliness of the loos, although the latter should be standard really, but hey ho welcome to Britain.
Yes agree the benefit is a guaranteed more comfortable spacious seat with some degree of privacy. Although given the limited capacity on all trains there is a case of taking out 1st class and giving that spa e to standard so more people get seats. It's what happening in the south east already.
@@wizardofthenorth8352 Oh absolutely. First class nowadays is what standard class used to be. Minus hot meals, perhaps.
@@wizardofthenorth8352Difficult one for the TOCs. On mainline routes (away from the busy commuter lines) they would worry about losing high revenue pax. I expect you've noticed how EMR has reduced F class accommodation but not withdrawn it completely.
£40? Ridiculous. For such a short journey, first class is pointless
It was an hour and 20 monute journey. Granted you can buy coach for 11 pounds.
@@briangasser973 the difference in fare could be used for a decent dinner
I’m not sure why the only first class lounge is in Huddersfield but Huddersfield is a beautiful train station so maybe there’s more room for one there. The majority of Transpennines custom is surely on that Liverpool to Leeds corridor
The rent costs would likely be lower given Huddersfield is TPE managed, while Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds are Network Rail managed
I actually guessed Huddersfield right first time! Nice video!
What do you get for the extra money. Nothing worthwhile it would appear.
Maybe a slightly wider seat and a bit more leg room...
The coffee truck has been there since mid 90s always a good independent brew
Mid 2000's
The owner travels daily from Blackburn, but indeed quality brew. Think us rail staff have helped pay his holidays and mortgage over the years lol
I think all them tpe expresses ride that badly. Awful design similar to the caledonian sleeper mk5s.
Yet another interesting film. Have enjoyed this review of 1st class of the 5 operators.
£43 1st off peak equals 45p per mile which compared with xcountry off peak is 75p a mile (bhm to Stockport). It just shows how much each operator tries to extract as much money as possible - not dissimilar to train companies in 1920s and 1930s. Just before they were nationalised. Only LNER and maybe AVANTI offer anything close to a 1st class product. The reality though most people would rather travel by car (business or pleasure). So sad.
Rail fares now all controlled by our DfT. All rail operators (open access firms excepted) have been operating on a management fee basis since March or April 2020 so revenue handed to the gov't. Railway press can tell you more.
For the same journey time, I paid £20 first class on LNER and got 3x better service and seats
Nationalised British Rail operated so-called 'market pricing' in the 1970s and 1980s which had the same effect. It was notorious that on the stopping line between Woking and Waterloo, if you lived within driving range of several stations which are only a few miles apart, you could save a lot of money by having a season ticket from a less prestigious station rather than somewhere wealthy like Weybridge.
TPE - it's a wonder the service wasn't cancelled at short notice.
You are right with the "keep dreaming" text overlay, when you said complementary refreshments etc .
Every time I've travelled TPE 1st, M/Bro to MCR airport I've had to pay for a coffee from the trolley..
Truly disappointing 1st class service to be honest
(And truly awful company in terms of delays and cancellations!)
This was a very interesting video. I had my first journey on a Transpennine Class 397 back in June, albeit only between Wigan North Western and Preston, and I too also noticed that it had a rather rough ride. I have to wonder if it's a problem specifically with their Class 397s. If you consider travelling with them again, you should try booking a journey on one of their Class 802 services to compare it against the 397 (it seems the 802s are used on their ECML routes whereas the 397s stick to the WCML routes).
TPE disappointing? Well that is the least shocking revelation I've heard in a while. The fact that it wasn't cancelled the night before is a result though....
The trains are far too short! We must revert to loco-hauled trains for long-distance travel, so that extra coaches can be added to reflect demand. To make things worse, there is no catering except a trolley service. The railways obviously expect passengers to starve. How can one survive a journey from Manchester to Glasgow without sustenance?
It's a pretty pathetic offering, isn't it? TransPennine should be ashamed but, of course, they won't care at all.
And TP's 397s get an extra 100 points for the best cycle facilities in the North!
At 3.37, you can just make out platform 2, where I would catch the train to Whitehaven( home).
A lot of the new trains seems to be built very poorly. Azuma, class 195/331 to name but a few. It can only be cost cutting. As this is the only direct train from Manchester I would take National Express instead.
It was Hitachi 800 train same as most other operators are using can't see why ride quality would be any different and the delay wasn't TPE's fault , most delays are due to rail network . One delay will have knock on effect all day to other operators as UK network is over saturated with traffic , it becomes chaotic once trains are off their pathed times ' one reason we needed the original HS2 , but gone now they cancelled it
Great video as always though
I found Trans to be a clunky service and nothing beats LNER first class.
That was not first class that was rubbish you’re only first class waiting room as in Huddersfield who came up with that rubbish. If there was anyone with common signs, I would use Avante West Coast because that is a proper first class
Sadly , train travel is becoming something we have to endure rather than enjoy 😞
Good choice picking Huddersfield for only first class lounge, because it is likely to be needed most there, because more things go wrong at this station than anywhere else!!!
Scott how was the complementary drinks and snacks on the journey?
I’ve used TP FC once and hopefully never again!
can you post the final table please
There’s a separate post on the “Community” tab.
Did I miss what the free food and alcoholic beverages were like?
As someone who travelled regularly on tpe from Huddersfield I have never seen a first class lounge at Huddersfield and there isn’t one advertised by signage
Overpriced second class it is 🙈 maby try some sleeper trains in Europ for comparising video
Fantastic wrapping up of the services! Really interesting to watch and typical of you to come up with such an awesome idea :)
I'm just waiting for someone to copy the format down south - GWR vs. LHR Express vs. East Midlands vs Grand Central etc. I see someone has already done a LNER vs. Scotrail first class comparison video. Imitation is the sincerest form of flatttery!
They operate Huddersfield station so makes sense.
Do you get refunds if they don't serve all those included treats and drinks?
As a Huddersfield resident I have to say our lounge is nice but why ots the only one I don't know
Same problem in France 🇫🇷 🤬 Intercity new trains are made like (old ?) suburban ones with no comfort armchairs for example. And it’s worst in double decker models ! What a pity, bring back is old Corail ( COnfort on RAILs) ones from the end seventies ! Nice video and landscape through 👍✌️
Scot, My Name Is Charlie.
I travelled with them from Manchester airport to York. An expensive first class ticket. Very poor service. Train reduced from 6 cars to 3, no perks for first class and tickets never even checked. Very poor
Hopefully you don’t all end up getting electrocuted eh😮
You must make your videos longer please scott
TransPennine Fail as we used to call them...
Worse first class out there, I was on for 2hrs 30 mins got one coffee and a lemon drizzle cake, when you look on the TP first class menu online it says what options you have never got offered anything like that,
That didn’t even look like First Class
All looked very austere in that 1st Class carriage. Tbf.., Carlisle isn't really the kind of place that I would ever expect a 1st Class lounge. Nor would I ever consider a 1st Class fare on such a short journey. Really, for me to travel 1st Class, I'd need to see a substantial meal, proper 1st Class service, dancing girls, and no more of these pre-packed nibblies. That's a real lowest common denominator.
Got so called first class today from Huddersfield first class lounge closed no at seat service and had to get off at york due to signal problems then put in packed LNER train stood all way to Darlington
I'm intrigued at the variety of views people have of the ride quality of the 800 series trains. Some people, especially those on the GWR versions think that they are appalling (as did Scott on the TPE version), whilst others find them to be OK - especially those on the ECML (LNER, Lumo etc). They are basically the same train, so is the track quality that different? Scott had no complaints about the ride quality of the Pendolino he used between Glasgow and Carlisle.
Probably slightly varying specifications on them. I presume LNER and the other ones with good reviews specced better shock absorbers or something to smooth out the ride.
Looking forward to seeing them on the WCML. First one is painted in Avanti colours now so hopefully shouldn't be too long now.
The overall impression from the five journeys is that even the "First Class" services are significantly below those you get with economy class in most other developed countries, at least the many that I've been in and travelled in. Why do Brits accept such poor services and conditions, while people in other countries pay less and get a better experience? The rail services in particular have a deservedly terrible reputation. The UK cannot even afford a short stretch of a high-speed train in part of England, whereas France, Germany, Japan, and even less developed countries have high-speed links all across their territories, and timetables that are punctual, clean, and not broken.
Meanwhile, back in the real world............
Surely TPE get a 5 point bonus for actually running a train (on time or not)?
The Huddersfield lounge isn't for the passengers, it's for the station cats...
Tongue out of cheek now, a good, honest review.
Thanks Scott been interesting comparing the First Class with different operators
Do they give a toss about your score?? No
Nice journey, Scott. I hope you bring your wife on one of your trips soon.
Scenery, 10 out of 10 (for a yank in USA). Too bad airplane lavatories are not that large.
those 800 class trains are cheap and nasty
Not really a 1st class experience was it Scott !! Glad you got a late arrival refund. Some of these train operators need a kick up the backside with regards to their "1st class" product and their prices ! :)
Sloppy profiteering operation
That hotel behind you at Carlisle is,or was, called the Lakes Court and it manages to combine high prices with a 10 hr check out.TPE is really a regional English operation which has expanded into Scotland in recent years.Previously they only covered northern England and a little bit of the north Midlands using the sardine can 185's.At least their trains are bigger now but sadly there's still 185's around.
The 185's aren't that bad, I can't comment on first class but standard class is better than commuting in London, and the new AT300 stock. The only issue I could see with them was speed on electrified lines, and a lack of capacity prior to the introduction of the new NOVA stock.
Really enjoyed these. I've got to figure out the best way to Edinburgh from Kent in the next two weeks lol. Thank you for sharing
If budget is on your side I recommend Sleeper Edinburgh-London & then depending on your end destination a short walk to St Pancras for a HS1 train otherwise flying/Lumo should be considered with Lumo/LNER terminating at Kings Cross your southeastern connection should just be across the road,
I don't see the point of paying that much money when you only get 25% of the service!
Very poor for 1st class.
Does anyone have a first-class lounge at Carlisle? I've never seen one. And there's a Wetherspoons just round the corner, so who needs one?
Frankly I wouldn't consider Carlisle a large city station like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, and London... Not every station should have first class lounges... I wouldn't consider Carlisle more worthy of a first class lounge than Northampton, Leicester, and Nottingham...
As a Railcard holder ,and train enthusiast I prefer the f c seats on the pendolinos for comfort ,on a long journey. What upsets me is the frequency of cancellations,and the high price for the uncertainty you're gonna get home.
The extremely bumpy ride is mainly caused by the type of train that TPE operated, called the Class 397 which is a fairly new train built by CAF a Spanish manufacturer. All of their trains they make such as the Class 195 at Northern, the Class 196 at West Midlands trains and the Class 197 operated by Transport for Wales are very rough riding in my actual experience. They also build the Mark 5/5a coaching stock which is operated by Caledonian Sleepers and the other stock operated by TPE for the very short future. The coaching stock is notorious for their bad riding and the sleepers especially for being loaded with all sorts of faults with the water and shower systems, simply look elsewhere on UA-cam and the evidence is there. There have been some unfortunate nicknames used for this builders’ initials of CAF such as ‘Call A Fitter’ or the very unfortunate ‘Cheap as F…’ which sadly do reflect matters all too often. There is now on the railway in the UK very few decent types of trains left and the more comfortable ones are being retired and take out of service for these newer, poorer quality ones. All part of the managed decline of the system sadly.
The interaction between the suspension and the condition of the track is a complex issue, and some are better than others. I might be a bit biased given my experience of the old Mk3 stock, but in the main they were more suitable than anything else.@@derektaylor2941
I imagine the ride is rough because you are used to the pendolinos which tilt along the WCML and TPE stock does not tilt. Just goes to show the difference the pendolinos have in ride quality.
It's not so much down to the tilt as that the trains TransPennine are using a bi-mode so they can run either from track power or from an on-board diesel generator. This (along with the fuel tanks in necessitates) makes the train way heavier than a pure EMU design like the Pendolinos. Couple the high weight with the less than stellar track quality we typically have in the UK and it makes for a rough ride. I've ridden the original EMU only design (on the line between Hakata and Nagasaki), and it had really nice ride quality, although how much of that was down to the lighter train and how much was JR's excellent track maintenance is hard to know.
running on diesel or overhead 25kv AC makes zero difference. weight of fuel has got nothing to do with the train or the ride quality. I have worked on the railways for over 15 years 10 of which as a driver. trust me the smoothness on the WCML is down to the til on the 390s before that we used to have 86/87s running up and down with MK3 coaches these ran at a slower speed due to the track camber and tight curves and it was bumpy as well @@TrimeshSZ
@@TrimeshSZDespite the thumbnail, it’s a 397 unit so electric-only. Ride is rough because it’s a CAF product.
OK, I just looked at the photo and kind of assumed it was one of the bimode Hitachi trains. Couple that with the fact I had been told by one of the Hitachi people that the bimode trains had inferior ride quality to the electric ones and I guess I put 2 and 2 together and ended up with about 7 :) @@limeyfox
Mon the dons 🔴⚪️🔴
Great looking train. The trains I travelled on were not like that.
It has been an interesting look this series & i hope you cover the last remaining 1st class next year 😉 (the Jacobite steam train)
Personally I preferred TPEs 1st class over the offerings of CrossCountry although on the pricy side first class on some operators bagging a seatfrog upgrade is a plus for me.
Are TPE the only TOC that stop at Lockerbie?
A couple of Avanti services stop there. It’s an odd one as ScotRail run the station but don’t run any trains there.
@@FatLassOnTheTrain that surprises me because I looked on RTT after the video and couldn't find any Avanti ones. I get why Scotrail don't because Carstairs is the next station isn't it?
Such a shame that Transpennine Express had to get rid of the Nova 3 Class 68 Mk5 units which rumours has been said that these are going to Chiltern Railways.
But still I do like Transpennine Express and the Class 185 Desiro, Class 802 Nova 1 and Class 397 Civity Nova 2 units.
Outstanding video
I took TPE standard class from Lockerbie to Glasgow this week and couldn't really fault them as my last experience was on a rubbish three car diesel train that was packed. £24 off peak return, train on time both ways, an hour's journey and pleasant staff, so far better than in the past. Trains now have five carriages, so no overcrowding, and being electric are far quieter, but the rattling is noticeable at speed.
If there's an Avanti West Coast, you would assume there would be an Avanti East Coast right? wrong
I think TPE have it a bit rough with their franchise - it's effectively a local, regional and long distance operator. It's hugely overcrowded on local/regional services at peak times and doesn't feel adequate for the longer distances.
Transpennine, now run by DfT OLR Holdings Limited (DOHL) who also run LNER - Northern Rail & London & South Eastern Railway all are wholly owned subsidiarys
I dont think I would bother traveling first class with them for such a short journey anyway , same with most operators first class seems to be a token gesture for what you get for your money.
I enjoy your videos
I visit Manchester at least once a month and would never use TPE if it was free . I would have more chance of winning the lottery than my TPE train back to Glasgow going the entire distance. .Manchester- Carlisle- Cancelled bus
My preferred option is now Machester - Wigan Wallgate - 5 min Walk. - Wigan Northwestern - Pint in the Hotel - Glasgow.
And same going only in reverse
Cheaper and reliable .TPE could not run a ######## in a Brewery
Yeah, never really consider Trans Pennine for first class as I live in Leeds - use them to go to Manchester for cricket or football, or maybe to the North East for cricket. The journeys are relatively short, so snacks and drinks? Bring yer own. The trains are modern and clean, so standard class is fine. First class would only be on a service you know will be rammed and you don't want to stand.
Thanks Scott for taking the time to compile all these checks. Strange how the ride quality can vary as other TOCs operate similar units.
Scott is an amusing name for a Scot.
Can anyone in the comments please advise me where I'd go to look for the best value travel from Carlisle to Newquay in May. I know booking in advance on the train, split ticketing, two together Railcard, but am I missing anything? Would Flying be a good option? Sorry to ask on here but I'm trying to plan a surprise for my husbands birthday.
I was delayed here on that TPE train, also my mum makes of TPE Motherwell announcement, I had a broken down freight train at Carlisle to cause my 2 hour delay
Loved all of this series of videos Scott .I'm catching up on all your videos currently 😊😊😊😊
Clearly, the premium paid for First Class got you nothing more than a comfortable seat. Not worth it on such a short journey.
If they dont have their own lounges, they should pay other operators so customers can use theirs.
I feel it's a kind of a bad idea when they share non confirmed information that could rattle some people up: "I hope it's not too serious and we are able to pass through". The voice didn't seem too secure, so if you want to explain and calm your passengers, you need to convey that in your voice and your message.
Good video! I really hope I bump into you one time at a coach or train station!
Unfortunately it's a catch 22 as I'd be more annoyed to not know why I'm being delayed I know I've had to resort to poking the twitter team of a TOC as the guard remains silent,
His announcement was fine, sounded like a human being rather than a robot.
I'm pretty easy going but yeah, that rattling would've drove me nuts!
TPX operate huddersfield and it's one of their best served stations
Should have saved the Xtra money 💰 for a haircut Scott, just saying. Keep up the good work
Thanks scott its been a enjoyable 5 videos i enjoyed each one and its good information for future have a good week where 2 next ? 😊
I searched for videos of first class lounge in Huddersfield. It's just a waiting room with glass walls, with a few seats, and without either food or toilet.
And the trains go there don't offer food or drink in first class, so it's just standard class with possibly more comfy seats.
Like everything else these days overpriced
Love your in hind sight comments!
NO coat hook but fro most of your videos you seem to always have your coat on.