[Anonymous]

[NTarrant]

This is a review of a recent journey between London St Pancras and Nottingham.

I arrived at St Pancras at 1045 for the 1115 to Nottingham and made my way to the First Class lounge. The lounge is a small area which is fairly well decorated and quite comfortable. I was greeted with “ticket please” without a smile and then on showing my ticket was asked for the reservation. Once shown I was welcomed and told to help my self to refreshments.

The offering was a little sparce, bite size “eat natural” cerial bars and Bronte biscuit. The hot drinks machine dispenses all drinks including black or white tea. For a machine the decaf coffee was not too bad. Cold drinks are available, water or orange. I left the lounge at 1100 and was bid a farewell by the assistant.

EMT have got it quite wrong in that all first class carriages are at the front of the train so one has to walk the entire length of the platform almost. I found my reserved set which was a single facing seat. There was another passenger in the back facing seat who moved to a non-reserved seat for more room.

We left on time and the guard came through inspecting tickets after a few minutes. This was quite perfunctory with no smile. The steward followed shortly afterward with tea and coffee and “snack” which was the buiscuit and cerial bars from the lounge. An offr of water was made too.

The steward later came through and asked if we wanted anything from the menu and I chose the ploughmans which was priced at £4.95. This arrived shortly afterwards and I was suprised that it was nicely presented and fresh. It contained a pork pie, pickle, three pickled onions, lettuce and tomato, a large chunk of Red Leicester cheese and two slices of brown wholemeal bloomer bread.

There was no hassling for payment either, a bill was left on the table shortly before I had finished. There were a total of four offers of tea and coffee during the journey.

The refurbished 125’s are quite good and comfortable and the free wifi is good too.

We arrived on time into Nottingham, suitably refreshed.

[FrequentPR]

500 per cent better than travelling by air!

[LuganoPirate]

Sounds very civilised. I love train travel and will always take it in preference to air. No security channels, no APD, no hand baggage restrictions. Reasonably decent food, especially on the Swiss and German trains.

[AMcWhirter]

Another advantage of EMT is that it offers some of the lowest first class Advance fares.

Even when booked a day ahead, at this time of year you would probably pay no more than £31 for a one-way Advance fare between London and Sheffield at that time of day.

[NTarrant]

Yes indeed LondonCity, my journey was only £24.00. I had also booked to return a few days later on the 1628 at £27.00, but the day before I discovered that I would be able to return earlier so that evening I booked for the 1328 and still at £27.00.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Hi NTarrant

You should find that First Class is mostly at the “London End” of the train. However as there network as routes which require switchback/reversal then it is not unknown to be the “wrong” way round. 80% of the time I have been on EMT to Sheffield or Nottingham the train is the right way around.

Out of curiousity where you in the new lounge near the platform (not sure if opened yet) or the old lounge all the way back from the platforms??

I find that EMT have very reasonable advance First fares (compared to other operators) but that the on board service is normally poor and gate dragons are horrendous. Having said that we had a brilliant train manager on the 16:15 on the 22nd December to Nottingham – think her name was Laura who could teach the rest of them a lot about service. Travelling with a pram the disabled space was taken with luggage (poorly signed I thought) and as baby was asleep didn’t want to wake him up and disturb other people but the only place to sit was just before the buffet. She said they’d work around us and I moved when they needed to send trolley through. Once awake we moved pram to the vestibules. It was refreshing to have good service from her as 90% they seem to struggle with this concept at EMT. I feel sorry for those who do deliver good service there.

As an aside – facilities on trains for those travelling with children are none existent. I heard a friend say (and haven’t checked or verified this) that TGV services in France have alittle creche area. Be interested to know more and surely we should encourage families to travel by train and maybe something like this would be good on “Intercity” services.

[Tim2soza]

I travel on EMT regularly. The Meridian trains are better than the old 125’s, with leather seats in First. WiFi is free in First and there is at seat power and a copy of the FT, tea/coffee, nibbles, water and juices. The staff are always helpful and friendly. On certain trains during the evening peak you are offered a glass of wine in addition to the other complementaries. Seats are 2-1 whereas First Capital Connect on the same line are 2-2 on the new carriages.

My only gripe is that they do not sell a mix of peak one way / off peak the other.

Last year the Senior Management were on the train in one morning serving customers. Their CEO served me a full English breakfast, much to the horror of the regular crew who checked that he had got it right.

[AMcWhirter]

Hello TimFitzgeraldTC

I wouldn’t say it’s 80% of the time the right way round. I travel with EMT regularly and its a hit and a miss. I would say it’s more like 50% the right way round.

On my last two trips to Sheffield (4 x one-way journeys) in November and again last week only one trip was first class at the “London End.”

[NTarrant]

In all the trips between London and Nottingham I have made last year, first class has never been at the London end.

I’d agree about the level of service being a bit hit and miss, there are some excellent crews on EMT but there are a few which let it down.

[tiggerbrown]

Does it really matter which end First is at?

[NTarrant]

Yes of course it does. If you are in F or J on an airline then you are first off the plane (mostly) etc. On a train that plies between anywhere and London most people travelling in first will be wanting to be first off and through the ticket barrier in London.

Example, board at Nottingham, enter platform and then walk past six to eight carriages to get to first. At St Pancras walk past eight carriages to the barrier and then have to queue to get through barrier, so much for a premium product.

[Tim2soza]

NTarrant – on the other hand, if First is at the front, the invasion starts 10 mins out from arriving into STP. If at the back, one can finish one’s cuppa, send off the last email using the on board WiFi, let the crush pass and then exit the train 2 mins later. The barriers are then clear and a relaxed wander down to the Tube, taxi rank or Boris bike stands. Just a thought.

[NTarrant]

Tim2sms – yes that is a good point, however I’m usually in a rush to get the tube to Waterloo for my train home.

[Tom Otley]

Morning / evening,
I commute on the EMT every day when in the UK, and depending on the train type (Meridien or 125) the first class can be anywhere.
In the case of a two car set-up (Meridien), first class can be at the front of the first set and the back of the second set, or vice versa, or consistently at the front of both sets, or consistently at the back.
I don’t travel first class, but when services are busy, they “declassify” one or more of the first class carriages. I travel first class then.

[Author]

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