Cracking value for money! Grand Central from the North to London!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 พ.ค. 2023
- This week, we take a look at open-access operator, Grand Central, and their excellent value for money service from Bradford to London!
Date of Travel: May 2023
Class of Travel: Standard Class (2nd Class)
Rolling Stock: Class 180 Adelante
Type of Service: Express Passenger
Operator: Grand Central
Train Number: 1A70
Origin: Bradford Interchange, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (England)
Destination: London King’s Cross, United Kingdom (England)
Cost of ticket: £12.20 ($15.05, €14.05)
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I don't know if any of you noticed but his wife used to be called girlfriend. CONGRATULATIONS! also cracking repot!
Indeed! Well done, Mr Dylan!
Thank you 😁
@@DylansTravelReportsdid you pop out the obligatory celebration wine?
It never hurts to repeat good advice like buying your ticket in advance. There are always new subscribers and first time viewers. Nice trip here at a nice price.
While this is generally good advice, it's worth noting most UK carriers continue to sell advance tickets up to around 15 minutes before departure. If your plans might change, it's a better idea to wait as opposed to buying an off-peak/anytime fare.
Patrick Stewart is best remembered for playing Sejanus in ‘I Claudius’, and himself in the Yorkshire Tea advert.
That Patrick Stewart, or THE Patrick Stewart?
With hair, possibly his own, possibly not.
Not forgetting ‘Himself’ in Extras with Ricky Gervais😂
Not the Jean-Luc Picard of Startrek? I remember Sejanus, but I'm an Old Trout of 77!
Didn't he have a small part in Star Trek TNG as well, or did I imagine that?
The way everyone was running for their train at the beginning had me dying 😂😂
Another very well made and informative video!
Great and fair synopsis Dylan 😎🎉👍🏽
First Class is not at the end because, at the time when the 180s were built, there needed to be 1/3 of a coach space between the front and where the passengers would be seated in each of the coaches with cabs. I believe, GC added the FC to the 3rd coach in so they could use a whole coach rather than, effectively 2/3 of a coach.
Problem with grand Central is they do cancel trains at short notice and other operators are reluctant to let you travel with them.
Same happens with lumo
Have you tried Avanti West Coast? You ain't seen nothing yet. They are worse than awful!!!
on the class 180
"you will be going nowhere" words of a legend
It's a funny thing that while a noisy train can be annoying from the inside, people filming on the outside tend to like a bit of sound: hence the love for those old 37s and HST Paxmans.
Sunderland to York return, first class cost me £36. Great service, nice journeys. I couldn't have gone cheaper in the car, all told.
Hello there Dylan, Great video! Ive got a suggestion, If you can, you should review the SWR class 455s.
Class 180s are by far the best post-privatisation InterCity DMU. The ambience, unless GC have gone a few steps back from FGW days, is the nearest to a Mk 3 coach.
It's a shame that they had/have a lot of reliability issues.
Nowhere near a Mk 3 coach IMHO, noisier, more vibration and more roll. Horrible trains!
Its a great operator as it comes through my hometown. I have recently got 2 1st class returns from Hartlepool to Kings Cross for a very good price. Really chuffed.
God damn, £12 is super value!!!!
2:22 "they've had a bit of a fruitful history" - look in the bottom left of the nearest cab window, I think there's an X sign there to indicate the coupler's faulty! Congrats on the marriage, too!
Yeah, that's a non multi sign. But to their credit, it looks like the train hit something with scrapes on the bodywork.
Good seats 'all about the seats now !
Tomorrow, I'll do the King's to York route in standard class. At 6ft5, I'm now dreading those seat head rests. I have bid on an upgrade however, so fingers crossed
Sir Patrick Stewart...
No mention of StarTrek. You are too much sometimes! LOL
Oh Dyl, where to start with Grand Central.. as an infrequent user of this service from Wakefield Kirkgate, I can only say that’s it’s gotten worse and worse over time, really now to the edge of being surely on the verge of disappearing. I’m all for saving money, and really it’s the reason I choose to use it - but, sadly it’s LNER for me from now on. The adalantes look like they are being run off the rails- they shake, the seats as you say are just odd if you are over 5’8 and the tables well, don’t expect to be comfortable if you are sat opposite strangers as there is no room at all. Everything also just so crammed in that it’s at time claustrophobic, note the door squashed up against the buffet pod - not a good design. On the buffet ‘pod’, grand central used to have a cracking at seat service with drinks and hot sandwiches on breakfast trains - it doesn’t work anymore, so why haven’t they removed the labels at every seat? It’s just confusing. Booking with GC is equally confusing as you can’t really choose your own seat if you book through a third party, you get allocated one - and then can’t change it. It’s really frustrating. The train I was on last night started off from KX around 5 minutes late, our carriage had only half of the saloon lighting working which was, Errm novel. We made it up by Doncaster and then it took nearly an hour to get to Wakefield due to signalling problems on the branch line. I really feel for GC, I bet the whole system makes it very hard for them to operate, and of course they’re a business and have to make a profit, but squeezing the assets to such a degree makes it unpleasant and even at £15 quid each way - well it’s a no from me.
I didn't think it was possible to mention Patrick Steward without Star Trek :-)
Agree with you about the posture that you have to sit in on these trains! I am also 6ft and did my back in riding from York to London. I personally prefer LNER to travel from York to London as they offer more frequent services, and in my opinion, a far better service for a similar price.
Hey Dylan. Nice video. I can't wait to visit the UK later this summer. I'll be taking a train up North to Leeds. I'll check out your videos on which train to take from St. Pancras. Keep us all posted.
Someone going to say this, so I might as well go first: don't go to Leeds from St Pancras.. there are services (few and far between, mostly STP serves Derby and Nottingham - with services that stop at Leicester - but it's the slowest route to head beyond the East Midlands. I may be wrong (only ever been to Leeds twice, neither time from London) but I think you want services from King's Cross, which is quite literally a few metres away over the road 😂
Why are you going for St Pancras? There is only one train a day, if you go from King's Cross, literally across the road, there are trains every 30 minutes!
@@johnd6487 i'll consider it
Thanks for mentioning the 'shoulder stabbers' on the seats. As I'm way over 6ft, these are not just uncomfortable, but can cause muscular injuries. They ought to be banned.😮
I once went first class on Grand Central, and really wondered why I'd bothered! My return trip on that occasion was with the then Virgin Trains, and was a much better experience.
The 180's look to be leaving in the next few years with GC taking on 221's from Avanti as replacements, which should prove more reliable
Not what's happening. The AWC Voyagers are going to XC to replace their HSTs when Avanti's 805s/807s arrive. Hull Trains' Adelantes (which went to EMR) are expected to go to GC
@@ThamesNorth What’s the source please?
@@ThamesNorth 10 Class 221s from Avanti are transferring to Grand Central after they go off lease, 221143 should be the first one to go. This would suggest that the remaining 10 will go to CrossCountry. EMR's 180s could go to Grand Central although they're a bit knackered, their best use would be spare parts to keep the others going.
Do you have a source
@@s125ish Grand Central have announced they are taking on the two off-lease ex-Avanti 221s currently for driver training, and people online reportedly connected to Grand Central have said the intention is to take 10 units to replace the 180s. There hasn't been any public announcement for the other 8 that I can find, but they aren't off lease yet.
I noticed the coach you were in was very noisy with the engine noise, could it be that the first class coach being second along does not have engines under it and therefore quieter? I do like travelling on this train just for the tour around West Yorkshire, the junctions it crosses and the bit of freight line it does and then I get off at Doncaster. I have started to thing the interior of the trains looks more like the interior of an EasyJet plane and perhaps wouldn’t like to travel on it at night as it maybe a bit too bright!! ‘Wakey’ - only in West Yorkshire, love it 😂
All of the coaches on the Adelantes have engines. Whether they're all working though is a different story 😂
Grand Central are planning to replace the 180s with 10 ex-Avanti 221s, once those become available. My guess is it will take a year or two, but it looks like the Adelante's days are numbered.
Can't fault them for price as long as you buy online. I did once have a situation of a train being cancelled but they had an alternative by going to leeds from brighouse and we ended up only being about half an hour late.
I wish 1/2hr could be ‘only’ in london
@@Farleigh1050 Well it came back to bite me today, my train cancelled, the one after too ended up catching a train 4 hours after my booked one lol
Congratulations on your marriage 🎊 🎉
Thank you!
Anyone know why at 9:10 in doncaster there are 2 Southeastern Networker cab units???
They're being overhauled at Wabtec.
4:25 Only a true Yorkshireman says ‘Brig’ouse’ 😂
Grand Central is planning to replace their 180s with voyagers.
Nice 😂 tape on the nose there
i forgot the class 180 could actually go somewhere!
Love GC, the crew are always nice and friendly. One problem is the wifi is very slow, and often it never works
I guess you have to factor in the impressive price (even without a railcard) against the significant chance of cancellation. Still..... worth the risk for Yorkshire to London.
Adelante... You got married in the last two years 🎉
Wonderful Compilation
And star trek buddy from Alan in Lowestoft buddy
Really appreciate all the details you cover in these videos, especially leggings room and height info. So important for men over 6 feet tall. thanks !
Did anyone else notice Dylan refer to his girlfriend as his wife? I think congratulations are in order! 🎉🎉🎉
The 158 leaving Bradford before you got on the Grand Central is also one of the 158 units that Scotrail had for a while
Travelled first class on the Sunderland service when in the UK thought they were very good 👍
That Grand Central logo is like a MINI Cooper badge!
Class 466 at 9:09: hello there
What a soulth eastern 466 doing the far north of london?
As you walk into the interchange, and look up you will have noticed the row of windows, it used to be a pub, called The Birdcage.
Most Thursdays I go spotting to Doncaster, and the state of some of the, Grand Central fleet, a lot as got gaffer tape, at the front covering the cracks.
Good to see so many bites on your Patrick Stewart line 🙂
I see the garbage being collected in bags by the personnel, I don't know but do they make a first pass for things that wont recycle then a second pass for recycling garbage? I know restaurants where you leave the counter with your food, and dispose of your trash on the way out would benefit from recycling if they had ways to nest the cups and containers.. just saying 😂
I used to try and travel from Brighouse to London on a Sunday morning. They cancelled my train with such regularity that I gave up on them. (Getting from Brighouse to Leeds on a Sunday morning is not easy or quick) When the train did run it was excellent.
Great trip.
Lovely chat with the Mrs at the end..
Out of curiosity, what app do you use for finding out your speed?.
Speedometer
@@DylansTravelReports Cheers!.
FYI,,, Java Joe's was a coffee shop in Play del Carmen, Mexico. Right on the famous 5th Av, between 10th and 12th. It was the meeting place every morning. Joe always had a fantastic story to tell. It was open from about 1995 to 2005.
The 125MPH 'Gaffer' tape on the nose cone saya a lot about open access operators and their approach to maintenance!
Or maybe it says something about the quality of the 180s instead
what is your favourite operator that you ridden on the channel. Also Dylan i am riding with LNER on an Azuma to Scotland. do you have any tips
Not sure really. Hope you enjoy your trip on the Azuma. Should be a good trip for you 😁
@Dylan's Travel Reports thanks. It's going to be fun coming back because
1. Train strikes
2. A football game at Wembley stadium
How often do people have to travel further away from their destination to transfer to a better service to get to their destination, ultimately to double back (sometimes on a different line or trackage)?
1:50 Ooh, fancy new platform displays
Nice video, but where did the trip from St Pancras go to ?
Dover
amazing review dylan mate i love grand central they are cheaper to go to london compair to lner
2:23 Just like GC having a troubled start to their life on the ECML 😂 from being taken to the high court over operating rights by GNER (well it was the ORR but still relevant) to being delayed several months because they couldn't find the stock to operate with! So unlike the 180s. GC had a troubling start in life! 😂😂
I love the announcements on these - and how they describe it as the "saloon"!
Also - I find the awful screeching these make when braking on the approach to a station incredibly amusing... not sure why!
I rode GC in April and an automatic announcement blurted out that they remind their customers to take care when handling hot drinks.
Can’t complain at all for the price. Can always get cheap return tickets between Doncaster and King’s Cross if booked well enough in advance 😊
At least there reliable right? 180: YOU'LL BE GOING NOWHERE
Shame its no more valentas/hsts on gc
I have used them to get from London to Doncaster and left kings cross late and arrived even later and missed my connection from Doncaster to Dore and Totley
How come it's so much cheaper than the equivalent distance on Avanti West Coast?
That's because Avanti have a virtual monopoly on IC services on the WCML
I find that Avanti in general are just a bit of a rip off
@@DylansTravelReports Agreed,but the government keeps backing them.
Me as a train enthusiast from a country where most passenger rail is electric doesn't get annoyed at all by the diesel engines, wether it's the vibrations or the noise.
The novelty wears off for those who have to use them all the time 😂
Yes, they should be using a dual drive train as most of the line is electrified. They are not uncommon in UK.
@@maxart3392 Bi-mode intercity units are a relatively new development in the UK
One of your competitors did the same journey, but in 1st Class, and he wasn't impressed with the service there! Still unconvinced by the Class 180s as IC trains - clearly far too loud and iffy ride. However, they don't seem to rattle as much as they used to.
Yes. Saw that and agreed with him. Not sure how Dylan thought this was good.
And then those of us on the west coast (above a certain point) have to put up with Avanti part of the way and change on to London Northerwestern at Crewe or add 2+ hours (and not to mention cost) to our journeys by heading over the Pennines. I am not dreading a 3 1/2 hour stopping service from Euston tomorrow, but at least hoping for another refurbished Pendolino like on the way down.
We had a refurbished!
Amazing price. Are you lying??!!
One of your fellow TH-camrs did a similar video on this train operator
Bargain price, train looked good 👍
without railcard*
The noise level at speed is borderline unacceptable. Ian Walmsley’s article in a recent Modern Railways tells you all you need to know about the Adelante and its problems over the years.
Is that duct tape holding the power car together at Kings Cross?
Most of Grand Central's trains are like that!
I have heard that GC plan to get 10 Class 221s
Maybe GC could end up taking EMR's 180s as EMR don't plan on using these when the lease expires, sometime around the May/June era
221s would be a big downgrade on the 180s for the reasons I've already stated on various videos (including the EMR 222s/XC 220/221 videos).
@@TheSpotify95 afaik it's mainly due to the 180's reliability. They're meant to be taking on 10 of Avanti's recently refurbished off-lease 221s, we'll see how that's going to go though. The supposed plan for the 180s overall is for them to undergo a major overhaul and then transfer to XC although that's still a plan in itself so who knows really. Mysterious plans for sure...
I am from the prairies in Canada where we basically have no train service. I was wondering if you could explain the differences in "Loading guage" from the UK and Europe, thankyou. Enjoying your videos.
Just search for loading gauge on Wikipedia and you'll have your answer
The coaches in Europe can be wider, as there's more clearance between the track and obstacles such as bridges and platforms.
Loading gauge is the cross-section profile of the train, including the width and height. The UK has a rather small loading gauge, while the EU generally has a much larger loading gauge, and the general North American loading gauge is huge in comparison. The UK's rail system cannot fit double-decker trains, unlike the wider European network, and the platforms are closer to the tracks. Meanwhile most of the North American gauge can fit double-stack container trains, which is uncommon in Europe.
DMUs with an engine in each coach really feel like a downgrade compared to locos and coaches IMO. Here in Norway we are going to get new DMU/BMU (Bimodal multiple units) to replace the ancient diesel loco hauled coaches, but luckily the engines are contained within a separate "power head" which powers the traction motors in the rest of the train, so it hopefully won't sound that bad.
I really loved King's Cross station; it has that grand, Victorian look of a well-engineered station. On my first day in London last September, I went to King's Cross station to finalize my train tickets coming back from Yorkshire; the people in line were courteous and respectful to their fellow passengers as well as to the staff. I found the staff to be patient and polite. The best part of my first visit to King's Cross was to find a little Mexican restaurant that served genuine, crispy-corn-shell tacos. I almost immediately posted a photo of my first sit-down meal in the U.K., the 3-taco with drink special! I'm getting ready for a late July visit to England and Scotland...can't wait to find my favorite train station and taco stand!
Your quite lucky to have the 0758 running on the day you went on it to be honest it's not uncommon at all to see that service cancelled in my experience
Grand Central had everything ready to run trains from London Euston to Blackpool North, sadly this was scrapped due to the pandemic. I was looking forward to travelling with them to Blackpool. I have travelled with Virgin quite a few times from Euston to Blackpool North, i was disappointed when they lost the franchise.
6:54 and the Star Trek TV series too.
Deary me Dylan, fancy not mentioning the thing that Sir Patrick Stewart is most famous for: being a celebrity Huddersfield Town fan! I like the idea of Grand Central and the other open access companies. I really need to try one someday but none of them operate anywhere close to where I live.
you should do a tpe class 185 review!!
Patrick Stewardis of course also well known for his theatre work, receiving several awards for West End and Broadway productions.
Other than that I think he hasn't been up to much... 🤔🤷♂️
Great trip report Dylan
Thanks!
I have been on grand central from Kings X to York, it was way more comfortable then lner, also cheaper.
I always wonder how tall Dylan is? I don't think it's ever mentioned in his videos 😂
about 6ft1 I think, he's said it in older videos
@@TheSpotify95 what videos did Dylan say he's 6ft1?
@@maimadha In a lot of his videos, Dylan often mentions his height when assessing seats and legroom. My comment was bit of a tongue in cheek comment 😂
When it goes wrong they toss you out on the platform and expect you to get the next available train. They have no spare rolling stock so when they breakdown your are shafted. If you want a journey that’s split into a fast half and a tedious half then these are the people for you.
you should do a gatwick express review
You won’t be able to afford that trip 😂
Quite a lot of running under wires to be using a DMU vs a bi-mode tbh, always prefer locos vs noisy/rattly multiple units
6:51 How could you mention Patrick Stewart and not include his Star Trek shows and movies? Jean-Luc Picard is by far his greatest and most famous role, IMO. And now...off to another Star Trek convention. ;)
He’s also the voice of CIA Deputy Director Avery Bullock on American Dad!
Are these the same as the GWR trains that run from Swansea to London Paddington? They are terrible, noisy and uncomfortable. First Class have the same seats as standard. A big downgrade from the HST.
It isn't a proper railway station without a WHSmiths
Or a Gregg’s.
@@davidlazarus67 Say that to York!
@@heidirabenau511 A Gregg’s sausage roll or steak bake for a trip is essential.
"let's head for a wonder"
Grand Central are what they are. Cheap and cheerful!
I travel with them regularly between Sunderland and London and while it's not the most glamorous of trains, their first class carriages are so beaten up and dated, you really can't be angry when they're so much cheaper than LNER!
and so much better
@@bus3s it really does depend. I prefer GC in standard class mainly due to the price however LNER's 1st Class is by far the superior product
That duck tape that they put on is a bit dodgy even the pigeons will agree because they might do a inspection and probably think that its not poke worthy 😂lol
The class 180s have exactly the same interior as their sister Transport for Wales class 175s. The 175s are due to be retired or scrapped by TFW as the new class 197s come into service. It’s going to be a couple of years before they are replaced, but I can imagine that Grand Central would want the 175s considering that they already have the 180s which are from the same coradia family.
Grand Central are having 10 class 221s after they go off lease from Avanti to replace their 180s.
Bom gostei Dylan lindo trem ótimo sábado ai