The LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) experience - Standard Class, Inverness to Kings Cross

Others could emulate:
* Seat does not feel so hard as others
* Delivery of catering to seat / promptly, ordered via App, when I wanted it
* Good use of QR^▸ (QR Code - Quick Response code (2D bar code)) code to identify to individual seat
* I paid £49.35 which is just under 9p per mile
* Nice to see / have live train information
* Train WiFi good and consistent
* Train fast and on time
(fingers crossed on these last two - we are now on the York to London leg)

Could do better
* Seat sold as "window seat" is not - it's a bulkhead seat
* Train manager "can't do anything about it" even though plenty of empty seats
* Suggests I move from coach J to try my luck in unreserved coach C
* Too much data needed just to order breakfast.
* Hot "crusty" bacon roll was hot and clearly been hot for a long time
* Kept waiting in concourse at INV until 15 mins before we left ...
* ... even then kept waiting on platform - only allowed on 5 mins before we left
* Second ticket check S of EDI, even though overhead reservation says "from INV"
* Queue for loo with one out of use

And some network-wide comments
* Reservation - Red and orange helpful but you need to known geography if hunting better seat
* Reservations - reveal personal travel plans - "I see you are going to York" chat line ;-)
* Why do some people wear strong perfume to travel?
* "Tickets for TransPennine, CrossCounty and Lumo are not accepted on this service" why so complex still?

Competition.

That's something you wanted a while ago?

And furthering the experience, the Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER) was on time into King's Cross

My Plymouth bound IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) from Paddington - the 18:36 left of time, but ...


Due into Westbury at 19:58, connection leaves for Melksham at 20:06 ...

..and now they have let an incoming stopper from Newbury cross in front of it.

Thanks for the updates ... the stopper explains why we nearly came to a stand around Aldermaston. Now 19 minutes down.   On past form, the are unlikely to hold the Melksham as there'a a Portsmouth - Cardiff that uses platform 3 a few minutes later.   That may be held a couple of minutes for Trowbridge passengers, but for Melksham passengers, tough luck.

[stop press] - we're only approaching Pewsey when we should be approaching Westbury

Real fun here - even the Cardiff at 20:13 left before the arrival at 20:16 from Paddington and the people for Trowbridge and B-o-A are waiting for the 20:45.

As I would be over an hour late I asked if they would arrange a taxi, but as I asked at 20:17 after the had despatch the train from London onwards toward Plymouth, and then he took a while to look up the next Swindon train, he was then able to tell me it was less than an hour to the next train and he couldn't make any alternative arrangements.  Perhaps I should have rudely barged in while he was despatching and I would be almost home by now 

Why on earth do GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) sell really good fares London to Melksham on the busy Plymouth train with the connection that fails as often as it work, rather than on the Frome train that's just ahead of it?  Not been on that one for a while but I suspect it is quieter, and the connections likely to work 90% not 60% of the time - save a fortune in delay/repay.   Personally I would much prefer to be home 70 minutes earlier that get a refund on an already well-priced ticket.

Yes - though I had a break in London and took the opportunity to get some "fresh" air walking from Kings Cross to Paddington.  Pictures in the morning - Westbury Station is just about the slowest internet connection around to upload!

Continuing the experience and looking wider ...