Luxurious first class outweighs service flaws on TransPennine ExpressRunway Girl

The UK rail network is a patchwork of different operators offering their own spin on what first class travel means. Runway Girl Network’s train trip reports in the UK have focused on operators radiating out of London to the west and north of the country where elaborate service often makes up for pretty rudimentary interiors. On a recent trip across the North of England with TransPennine Express, however, I discovered that the reverse was true; luxurious seating compensated for poor service.

I arrived at Manchester Piccadilly from a connecting service feeling uneasy. I had paid for an upgrade using Seatfrog (which is fast becoming the UK standard for long distance trains) but had not been assigned a seat for this ride to Darlington. Worried that my journey would be disrupted, I raced across the wide overbridges of the station to the through platforms tucked away in the far corner to try and stake my claim amongst the inevitable crowds.

This scramble proved unnecessary. After a westbound train departed, the throng of people thinned to a very reasonable amount, and I relaxed a little, taking shade from the summer sunshine under one of the metallic open-air shelters.

An outdoor covered platform at the station. Passengers are waiting for the trains to arrive.

Manchester Station is mainly enclosed, but these platforms would feel quite exposed in winter. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

While I waited for the train to arrive, I tried to work out what sort of first class experience I was going to have. TransPennine Express (TPE) operates trains from Manchester westwards to Liverpool and Glasgow or eastwards to York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. These services have different catering offerings depending on the route, time of day, and type of train used, and neither the website nor the app could give me a clear explanation of what to expect onboard.

My train grumbled its way to the platform, and my heart sank a little. I was met by a 2006-built 185 Desiro diesel-hydraulic multiple-unit passenger train instead of the latest-generation Nova-branded set I was expecting.

These 185 Desiro trains are by no means the oldest in service, but they’re normally relegated to slow services rather than intercity routes, with their low capacity and slower speeds being ill-suited to cross-country jaunts.

TransPennine Express three-car train pulling into the station in a. livery of various blues, purple underbelly and yellow face.

The angular livery of TPE is an interesting choice for a flat-fronted train, but it still looks contemporary. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Nevertheless, I boarded the train and made my way to the first class compartment, where I was relieved to find a practically empty cabin. I sat down in one of the seats closest to the air conditioner and, as the train gently pulled away from the station, I inspected the interior.

These trains were last updated in 2017, but the fittings are still impressive. The cabin is comprised of 15 seats in a 2+1 layout, including solo seats and two-top and four-top arrangements facing each other with a table in-between.

Each seat is resplendent in buttery grey leather with a blue and white headrest whilst the tables are finished in wood veneer.

1-2 layout in sets of 4 and 2 sharing table space.

The cabin felt exclusive. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

I tried the airline style solo seat first. The soft leather was supported by firm, deep cushioning that contoured well around my body, and there was ample legroom for my 6’4 frame.

Overall, this seat felt a lot more comfortable than the interiors of younger trains plying longer distance routes. Each seat has a power port and some recline and each is arranged to be fully aligned with the windows.

The only downside of the seat was the small tray table, which could fit a tablet but would struggle to support a laptop. The windows also had adjustable blinds.

A man's knees are seen close to the seatback in front of him.

The legroom was solid, but the tray table did not adjust. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

As I was the only first class passenger, I quickly moved myself to the 2-seat table and settled in for the journey. It was in this spot that the overall design shone brightest. The tables are broad and wide, suitable for work as well as dining, and sport modernist side lighting built into the table itself.

The dark materials complement the greyish-cream beautifully and the overall vibe was more like a VIP transport than a regional train.

TransPennine Express seats in a four-top layout facing towards each other. A large wood effect table sits between them, with interesting mood lighting.

The alignment of the large windows accentuated the sense of space. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

The car interior features glass doors and overhead luggage racks and enough space for large suitcases in the floor mounted storage by the doors. Passengers must move through the space to access the accessible toilet from standard class seating. This ultimately did not bother me, however, and the overall experience was calm.

Inside the TransPennine Express rail car: greyish-cream seats with blue headrest panels and large windows. The door to an accessible lav is in view.

The compartment also had live information displays to herald each station. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

It is at this point that the superlative compliments come to an end, as almost every other aspect of my experience was unimpressive or just plain bad. Whilst I was the only passenger in the cabin, I was not the only person, as one of the cleaning staff was relaxing in one of the seats playing the news out loud from his phone as I boarded.

He turned off the music when asked, but was the only member of crew I saw for the entire 2.5hr journey. A meal service was not offered so the onboard catering facilities remained locked for the duration of the trip, with no explanation given as to why.

The train also was delayed, spending 15 minutes idling at one station and then trundling below line speed between others. A guard at one of the stations made an urgent announcement that we all had to decamp into the first half of the train as the rear three coaches were being left at York, meaning I had to sprint along the platform to the (identical) compartment at the other end.

Two trains have arrived at a platform, with few passengers in view.

My racetrack for this particular evening. Fortunately I was wearing trainers. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Ultimately, however, I didn’t mind the inconvenience as the hard product itself was so persuasive. A luxurious seat with neat design touches and loads of space made me feel so relaxed that the slow progress didn’t worry me too much.

I found myself sinking into the seat and relaxing. It is entirely possible that I would feel differently if I had paid full fare rather than just the upgrade, but TransPennine Express‘ impressive first class product makes me wonder if other companies should shift their priorities back to the interior and pursue a BYOD model for the service.