Leeds is a city I have worked in over a number of years and I was sad to see GNER lose the rail franchise to National Express. Let me share my experience of National Express tonight:
1. First rush hour train cancelled
2. Second rush hour train delayed by 30 minutes. - Scramble to get on the train when it arrived
3. Veggie sandwhiches not available on train
4. No water in toilet or in the washhand basin. How filthy not to be able to wash your hands after using the bathroom
5. Buffet carriage now closed so cannot even buy water to wash hands.
All for £206.
Jings. I’ve had a really positive experience on the East Coast line, with trains only ever a max of 10 mins late (coming from London, that’s forgivable), costing half the price of Scotrail to get to Glasgow (or Aberdeen…), being smoother during the journey (so I can write), having good Costa coffee (and water in the toilets - yuck) and, best of all, having free wifi.
I also get the sense that the East Coast Line crews, always being the same ones on the same trains, take real pride in their train. They always say hello and ask how things are, even if you’ve not been on the service for weeks.
I wonder if the Leeds line works in the same way or, being in a place with so many potential routes for crews, the crews are fed out amongst the lines with the lack of care that might come along with that.
Comment by Ewan McIntosh — June 5, 2008 @ 6:09 am