“Great "personal" on-board service. Hull Trains is still very much a small train company with a big heart - despite being owned by the very big First Group.
Food choice in First Class is very, very unimaginative - Virgin East Coast and Virgin West Coast are much, much better and include free drinks (surprisingly including lots of alcohol). The weekend First Class catering offering is even worse - especially the god-awful snack box which has thankfully seems to have disappeared. If you're a vegetarian or want a healthy lunch / dinner there is very little in the way of choice. Fat-laden sandwiches, crisps and cakes seem the only option other than those disgraceful dry "packet" meals which are heated up in the grubby looking open plan "kitchen" area.
(I've only ever been able to get the fruit salad on board once - despite it being on the menu it's always "not been loaded on".)
WiFi is often not working nor is at seat electrical power in First Class which effectively paralyses anyone needing to work on the train.
Not sure why the new information screens have been installed at the end of carriages as they really don't show much in the way of useful / imaginative information.
The toilets have been vastly improved with the new wall murals.
Any chance of you getting any of the Intercity 125 trains from other operators when they've got rid of them? The 17:20 from Kings Cross to Hull on Virgin East Coast is a much more pleasant ride and traveling experience - travelling on the Hull Trains Adelantes (???) is like sitting on top of a lorry engine - with a loud booming diesel noise.
It would be great if the public announcements were either kept to a minimum (does the guard really have to reel out the announcements at every station along the route) at FULL VOLUME. "EAST COAST TICKETS ARE NOT VALID ON THIS SERVICE" etc. is boomed out at almost every station driving everyone nuts.
With regard to promotional stuff sent by E-Mail - it is always, always promoted FROM Hull. You know - "Win a Trip to London" - which is no good whatsoever to people like me who actually live in London and go to Hull once or twice a month using HT. Why not pitch it at "Win a Trip on Hull Trains" or discounted promotion not involving travel FROM HULL - do something regardless of direction.
How about a re-brand? - getting away from that god awful pink / purple livery?? Giving HT a distinctive Hull feel and identity - a bit like the stuff going on at Great Western Railways where the really cool green GWR stuff is being revived. HT is being tarred with the same pink brush as used on First Capital Connect / First Great Western which are two train companies I actively avoid as the seating is often crammed and the trains dirty inside and out. Whoever decided to use bright pink on a train livery should be taken away and shot.
Sadly - Virgin West Coast seems to lead the way forward on train type / on-board service / lounges / weekend fares - even their on-board signs are cleverly written and seem a bit of fun.
More (well you did ask for feedback) why oh why does the onboard team in First Class have to whisk your stuff away (cups / cutlery / drinks etc.) / start wiping tables / putting clean mugs out etc. WELL BEFORE the train reaches its destination.
When travelling to London this process often begins at Stevenage (if not before) - when the on-board team start resetting the tables for the return journey. Why can't this be done when everyone has de-trained at London (or Hull) - it surely would only take 10 mins at most once everyone has left the train. It seems more to benefit the onboard team restbreak than the passengers who've paid a princely sum to sit in First Class.
Finally - any chance of boarding the train a bit earlier at Hull when going to London? In the winter time (especially on the 19:10 weekday / 18:45 Sunday services) it is freezing cold and there is nowhere to sit apart from the dire general Waiting Room at Paragon Station - you know - adjacent to the toilets with coin operated barriers that make taking your luggage with you for a widdle almost impossible.
After 6:30 pm All of the catering outlets have closed down (if you could call Pumpkin Cafes "catering") and the place is rife with drunks. HT passengers normally have to stand on Platform 1 looking longingly at the staff (normally comfortably seated in First Class) sitting chatting behind locked carriage doors until about 10 mins before departure.
I'm happy totally to you personally if it can help - or join a passenger committee with regard to making the service that little bit better. It's quite an easy thing to do and often doesn't involve a huge amount of investment.
bob@karmarama.com
Bob x.”
“Buying the ticket online was simple and easy. The train journey was relaxed and enjoyable although I found the air conditioning made it a bit cold in the carriage. The staff were very helpful and polite.”
“journey was fine- please make sure Retford continues to be well served as a station as this is very important to people living around there and to me personally. the fast services to london from Retford are a good service ad i would hate to see these reduced. As a small station retford often suffers first in any cut backs to services, dont make the same mistake that east coast made when they reduced their retford service.”
“I travel from hull to Southampton central about 4 times a yeah and the service is brilliant we get the option to avoid London which is great as I'm a single parent with a 7 year old in tour. Now for Doncaster station it's is very unorganised with platform changing at last minute and this is everytime not just a one off. But ovaroll first trains are brilliant ????????????”
“Hull trains is a first class company.
The only beef I have is that if there is a problem with the locks/rolling stock then trains were cancelled and there appears to be no back up.”
“Prompt train transport that supported me through my last contacting position working up in Scotland.
My only grumble is when they cancelled a 05.59 am train because of the shortage of staff to operate. I had to get a taxi to connect with York to Edinburgh train, by which you only compensated half of this fare !!”
“When I lived in Hull I used Hull Trains on a regular basis as being able to travel direct to London was brilliant. I still use Hull Trains from my nearest station, which is now Peterborough and I have always found the trains to be clean and reliable and the fares to be reasonable.”
“Fab service from Hull to London. Booking system fab for a family/couple/single travellers. But shame groups cannot benefit from booking together and using prime time trains :(”
“I rarely experience delays with First Hull Trains. I like the direct routes between London and Grantham. I enjoy the spacious seats and the amount of leg room but I feel like there could be more luggage space at the each end of every carriage because I have often got on at the end I'm sitting at to find there is nowhere to put my suitcase then have to drag up the aisle which causes all sorts of havoc.”
“I was not overly impressed with the First Class Service on 16th and 19th June 2015 after having paid £256 for two return tickets. It is seemingly too popular with the business traveller fraternity since the carriage was not particularly quiet. The portion sizes are a tad on the paltry side (or perhaps I am a bit of a glutton) and the third mug of tea was lukewarm.
Due to be travelling First Class again next year and hopefully that will be a better experience.”
“The staff were very friendly and helpful.
the train ran on time.
The rolling stock does need updating and is showing serious signs of wear and tear.
It is great to have Hull Trains though!”
“Good easily managed website efficient staff clean trains.
Fantastic cheap value fares down to London - unfortunately not so cheap for return journey.
Hence the duction of one star”
