National Express - Mastering the East Coast route! (National Express East Coast)

Member Name: roversjenny

Product:	National Express East Coast
Date:	20/05/09 (208 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Prices if you book far in advance, free wifi, punctual service

Disadvantages: Expensive walk on fares

I have used the East Coast Mainline for several years, mainly for trips down to London, so have experienced Intercity, GNER and National Express, and I have to say that the line has never run more smoothly (from my experience) than it has under National Express.

Prices:
The prices on the line vary massively depending on how far in advance you book your tickets. Tickets are released 12 weeks before the date of travel, and if you get in there quick enough, you can secure an advanced purchase ticket. The Leeds to London single is around £11, which I think is fantastic value. The later you leave it, the more expensive it gets, if you are unfortunate enough to have to buy your ticket once on the train, the cost can be astronomical. I once paid approaching £80 for a single ticket between London and Doncaster, if I had purchased in advance I could have got 4 returns for that price!

Booking:
I always use the National Express website which is very easy to use and navigate. It also has a matrix where you can easily see the cheapest tickets for your journey making sure you don't have to pay unnecessary high prices. Through the website you can book insurance, buffet vouchers and London travel cards which I find helpful given that the queues to buy travelcards at Kings Cross are always very long.

Punctuality:
Most of the trains I have used have always departed on time, and never seem to arrive/depart more than 5 minutes after the advertised time. This is in total contrast to when GNER ran the line and I used to experience much longer delays on a much more frequent basis.

Reliability:
I have never been on a National Express train that has had mechanical problems, however, when GNER ran the line, I once spent 3 hours sat just outside Grantham station on a train with no electrics, so no aircon... very unpleasant! Also spent hours at Finsbury Park station after a GNER train we were on developed a fault. It is strange because they are the same fleet of trains that are used, it appears that National Express must just maintain them better to reduce the amount of problems that occur.

Facilities:
All of the National Express trains have a buffet cart which serves reasonable priced food along with a trolley service. You can buy vouchers in advance for less than face value so you get a discount (through the national express website when booking). There have been occasions when the trolley service hasn't been around due to staffing problems however these are few and far between.

Unlike GNER, National Express offer FREE wireless internet, which helps pass those long and boring journeys if you have a laptop/phone on you. I find this a god send, especially seen as the GNER charges were very high for a relatively slow connection. There are plug sockets on most trains by the seats so if you are using a laptop or a phone, you can keep them charged up.

Trains also have toilets and baby changing facilities. Not a fan of the toilets which have the rounded electronic doors, they don't always lock when they say they do and I have been walked in on whilst sat on the toilet before!! Very embarrassing as you can imagine! I always ensure that I go to one with the manual sliding doors now.

Comfort:
I don't find the trains very comfortable, oddly enough, it is the older trains with the brown seats that offer more comfort than the newer trains. Its slightly better if you get a table seat, however, the leg room can be quite restrictive even for short people. The trains have air conditioning and heating systems to keep the temperature regular but on busy trains, it can get quite hot quickly.

All in all, I think the standard of the service has improved vastly since National Express took over the route, they provide an efficient service to even the most remote places on the East Coast mainline, and I would certainly recommend them to all.

Summary: Miles better than GNER!