Comfort and on-train catering

First Class is affordable if you book well in advance and choose travel times carefully, and comfort has taken a quantum leap. As for the complimentary at-seat service, it’s quite sad that many companies now only seem to be paying it lip service.

Virgin Trains East Coast (Routes sampled: Peterborough-York, York-Edinburgh)

VTEC is undoubtedly top of the league for its full English breakfast. On this trip, however, it was niggling to have to wait until Newark for a cup of coffee. And the food was not served until after Doncaster, leaving less than 20 minutes to bolt it down before reaching the destination of York.

The lunchtime choice of a sandwich, wrap or hot plate, and a glass of wine or beer, was just right.

Virgin West Coast ( Euston- Crewe, Birmingham-Oxenholme)

The food comes in boxes, but it is plentifully available, with poured real tea and coffee. And there is no problem for those wanting top-ups of both food and drink.

Great Western Railway (Cardiff-Paddington)

On a long journey, the repeated offering from the trolley of coffee or tea, cake, crisps and nuts is quite miserly and eventually tedious.

Chiltern Railways ( Marylebone-Birmingham Moor Street)

The withdrawal of on-train catering last May, because of a lack of demand (people buy their food and drink on the platform), has ripped the heart out of the elegant Business Class service. In the off-peak, it now doesn’t seem worth paying the supplement when other seats in the train seem equally comfortable.

There may be an immaculate silver Class 68 at the front of a rake of equally smart rebuilt Mk 3 coaches, but inside the shutters are pulled down on the large Espresso bar. All you get is a small bottle of water handed out by a member of staff - no glass and no serviette.

The remaining bottles in the shrinkwrapped case of 24 were noticed dumped on a table at the end of the coach. Poor stuff.

East Midlands Trains ( Sheffield-St Pancras)

You mean bunch! There’s no weekend at-seat service, and a walk to the buffet is rewarded with one beverage, ONE small biscuit pack, and (if you ask politely) one bottle of water. Don’t even think of asking for a piece of cake!

ScotRail (Routes out of Edinburgh, Perth and Inverness)

Scottish long-distance services have been operated by diesel multiple units for some years, but no worry. Passengers in the enclosed First Class areas receive modest but quite adequate hospitality from the catering trolley. To be offered cake, biscuits or a fruit pot from a small silver tray is a simple and rather special touch.

Arriva CrossCountry (Truro-Plymouth, Oxenholme- Carlisle)

A 53-mile journey on an early morning ‘ Voyager’ in the South West is quite enough for anyone in First Class, because the hard-pressed on-train manager is also expected to be the head of catering as well.

Still, he does his best to rustle up a cup of coffee from the small kitchen at the end of the train, and delivers it with a professional smile.