I was going up to Newcastle to visit my friend at University there, so had a look online at the tickets and prices and found that it wasn't excessively more to book a restricted first class return than to buy a standard class return with more restrictions on the ticket, so I did [:I]
Sheffield - Newcastle 9/03/07
I got to the station about 20 minutes before my train was scheduled to depart, so I got a copy of The Independant, because you got a free bottle of water with it too. I sat at the platform - 2, and waited the 15 odd minutes for the train to arrive and triple checked my seat reservation - 29A coach A.
The train arrived in good time and I boarded along with another couple into the first class carriage, my seat was arranged in a cluster of 4 with a table, there was a lady sat in my exact seat so I sat next to her in her reserved seat so we had swapped.
The train manager approached me and asked to see my travel documentation - it was a "tickets please" affair announced to the whole carriage which added a touch. I was also called sir, but not excessively. A colleague then followed with a free copy of The Times which I accepted and we were underway. Very quickly the man who'd brought me my newspaper brought a drinks cart down and checked with each passanger if they'd like any more drinks, however when people ordered hot drinks the drinks man had to write down the order on his notepad and collect the drinks from somewhere else - apparantly the mobile tea urn thing wasn't operational. I opted for an orange juice, which was poured out of a 1lt carton which you could easily get from the supermarket. I'd have prefered to have been presented with a small bottle of fresh juice and a cup from which to drink, however this was not the case. I was also asked if I would like anything to eat - which I declined, I'd rather eat later.
The seats are much larger in width than standard class seats, and you have much more leg room. Also every seat has a perminant table, not a tray table like in standard class. On the left hand side of the train the seats are by themselves, so they are window and aisle seats, but on the right hand side 2 seats were next to eachother, one window, one aisle.
I had a bit of a problem with my luggage, it was just a weekend bag - however it didn't fit on the overhead storage racks, nor was there space on the luggage racks, so I had to sort of stuff it half under my legs/half under my seat, it was not very comfortable though.
After the next stop the drinks man came around again and I asked for coffee, which he wrote down, I also asked for my snack box which confused him greatly because I'd previously refused it, and he said he wasn't sure that he could give it to me now that I'd said earlier I didn't want it just yet. There was an option though, either cheese or tuna. Cheese is the only choice. However the sandwich was mainly pickle, and as a non-pickle eater I did think that the option should have been between pickle or tuna. The rest of the contents were nice though, a small pack of sour cream pretzles, a bag of apple slices and a very mini Kit Kat.
My coffee arrived, just right, however he tried to deliver it to the incorrect seat but soon righted himself.
There were a number of announcements made concerning the onboard shop, however I didn't visit as there was plenty of free stuff in first.
We pulled into Newcastle station about 2 hours after departure from Sheffield which was just a little early, brilliant.
Newcaslte - Sheffield 11/03/07
I arrived at the station about half an hour early, but the train was already there, as it originated from Newcastle, the doors were not open though and staff were restocking the shop and doing other jobs. About 5 minutes before the scheduled departure time another Virgin Voyager train hitched onto the standing train, making the train 4 engines and 10 carriages long, with 2 first class carriages and 2 quiet zone carriages. I boarded coach A as my reserved seat was 4A in coach A. There were already passangers on this train and again someone was sat spectacuarly in my seat, so I sat infront of them in an unreserved seat. The carriage was not full, and there were plenty of seats.
The 2 seats accross the isle from me were taken by two ladies from Newcastle, but after the ticket inspection they phoned their friend who was furthur down the train in standard class, so they left to join said friend.
The conductor came into the carriage and shouted "tickets please", classy. So I presented my ticket and was told that should I want a drink or anything to go to the onboard shop and present my ticket before ordering. Which I did once getting underway.
The shop, however, is at the other end of the train. So you have to walk from coach A - D and back again, this time there was no snackbox choice, just cheese or nothing, so I opted for cheese. The contents was the same as previously. I also got a coffee and a bottle of water so that I didn't have to make the trip twice!
This train went a different route, via Doncaster, then Sheffield which proved interesting. However at most of the stations we arrived early so had to wait for our departure time, before we could depart.
I was not as comfortable in my seat, but I was quite hung over[:I]But I did prefer sitting in a seat which is both aisle and window.
The journey took about half an hour longer than the other journey, however I arrived at sheffield about 5 minutes earlier than the expected arrival time.
Overall I really enjoyed my first class experience, I would very much like to try a Pendalino first class service to compare the two, as the Pendalino service is supposed to be superior I believe. However it is difficult because the Pendalino's do not travel to where I would like to go! One problem with the joining of two trains is that you cannot go from one to the other, as the engines are integrated with either the First Class carriage or the quiet coach, and there is no thoroughfare, which means that trains require duplicate staff, however passangers are much happier becaues of the increase in room and seating opportunities.
First class was alot of fun, however I don't think I'd pay full price for it on a Virgin service.
Sheffield - Newcastle 9/03/07
I got to the station about 20 minutes before my train was scheduled to depart, so I got a copy of The Independant, because you got a free bottle of water with it too. I sat at the platform - 2, and waited the 15 odd minutes for the train to arrive and triple checked my seat reservation - 29A coach A.
The train arrived in good time and I boarded along with another couple into the first class carriage, my seat was arranged in a cluster of 4 with a table, there was a lady sat in my exact seat so I sat next to her in her reserved seat so we had swapped.
The train manager approached me and asked to see my travel documentation - it was a "tickets please" affair announced to the whole carriage which added a touch. I was also called sir, but not excessively. A colleague then followed with a free copy of The Times which I accepted and we were underway. Very quickly the man who'd brought me my newspaper brought a drinks cart down and checked with each passanger if they'd like any more drinks, however when people ordered hot drinks the drinks man had to write down the order on his notepad and collect the drinks from somewhere else - apparantly the mobile tea urn thing wasn't operational. I opted for an orange juice, which was poured out of a 1lt carton which you could easily get from the supermarket. I'd have prefered to have been presented with a small bottle of fresh juice and a cup from which to drink, however this was not the case. I was also asked if I would like anything to eat - which I declined, I'd rather eat later.
The seats are much larger in width than standard class seats, and you have much more leg room. Also every seat has a perminant table, not a tray table like in standard class. On the left hand side of the train the seats are by themselves, so they are window and aisle seats, but on the right hand side 2 seats were next to eachother, one window, one aisle.
I had a bit of a problem with my luggage, it was just a weekend bag - however it didn't fit on the overhead storage racks, nor was there space on the luggage racks, so I had to sort of stuff it half under my legs/half under my seat, it was not very comfortable though.
After the next stop the drinks man came around again and I asked for coffee, which he wrote down, I also asked for my snack box which confused him greatly because I'd previously refused it, and he said he wasn't sure that he could give it to me now that I'd said earlier I didn't want it just yet. There was an option though, either cheese or tuna. Cheese is the only choice. However the sandwich was mainly pickle, and as a non-pickle eater I did think that the option should have been between pickle or tuna. The rest of the contents were nice though, a small pack of sour cream pretzles, a bag of apple slices and a very mini Kit Kat.
My coffee arrived, just right, however he tried to deliver it to the incorrect seat but soon righted himself.
There were a number of announcements made concerning the onboard shop, however I didn't visit as there was plenty of free stuff in first.
We pulled into Newcastle station about 2 hours after departure from Sheffield which was just a little early, brilliant.
Newcaslte - Sheffield 11/03/07
I arrived at the station about half an hour early, but the train was already there, as it originated from Newcastle, the doors were not open though and staff were restocking the shop and doing other jobs. About 5 minutes before the scheduled departure time another Virgin Voyager train hitched onto the standing train, making the train 4 engines and 10 carriages long, with 2 first class carriages and 2 quiet zone carriages. I boarded coach A as my reserved seat was 4A in coach A. There were already passangers on this train and again someone was sat spectacuarly in my seat, so I sat infront of them in an unreserved seat. The carriage was not full, and there were plenty of seats.
The 2 seats accross the isle from me were taken by two ladies from Newcastle, but after the ticket inspection they phoned their friend who was furthur down the train in standard class, so they left to join said friend.
The conductor came into the carriage and shouted "tickets please", classy. So I presented my ticket and was told that should I want a drink or anything to go to the onboard shop and present my ticket before ordering. Which I did once getting underway.
The shop, however, is at the other end of the train. So you have to walk from coach A - D and back again, this time there was no snackbox choice, just cheese or nothing, so I opted for cheese. The contents was the same as previously. I also got a coffee and a bottle of water so that I didn't have to make the trip twice!
This train went a different route, via Doncaster, then Sheffield which proved interesting. However at most of the stations we arrived early so had to wait for our departure time, before we could depart.
I was not as comfortable in my seat, but I was quite hung over[:I]But I did prefer sitting in a seat which is both aisle and window.
The journey took about half an hour longer than the other journey, however I arrived at sheffield about 5 minutes earlier than the expected arrival time.
Overall I really enjoyed my first class experience, I would very much like to try a Pendalino first class service to compare the two, as the Pendalino service is supposed to be superior I believe. However it is difficult because the Pendalino's do not travel to where I would like to go! One problem with the joining of two trains is that you cannot go from one to the other, as the engines are integrated with either the First Class carriage or the quiet coach, and there is no thoroughfare, which means that trains require duplicate staff, however passangers are much happier becaues of the increase in room and seating opportunities.
First class was alot of fun, however I don't think I'd pay full price for it on a Virgin service.
