CrossCountry probably just flat-out provides the worst experience across the UK for longer distance/regional travel. The number of lamentable experiences I've had on them, from price to on-board service to staff...

Can confirm. Went from Stansted to Leicester early July 2024. There were free drinks (snacks available, but they had to be paid for). The tea was lukewarm. I was by myself and then joined by a 60+ business lady at Cambridge plus two Irish 'travellers' - a man and woman. They had no tickets. They claimed they had no time. The lady told me she was waiting more than 20 mins on the same platform as them. So they had to buy a ticket from the conductor for Cambridge to Ely (when the conductor came round) and then booked online for Ely to Birmingham. The conductor told them they'd have to move. He left. 20 mins they were still there, so the business lady went to inform me. To his credit he came after 5 mins and gestured for them to leave and they did. The 1st class tickets on cross Country are generally much cheaper than Avanti / LNER - no surprise there, but it is the worst 1st class service I've bought. I am 60 so I get a 33% discount - there's no way I pay the full whack. Lukewarm tea without even a Mars bar is quite pathetic, though the trolley service didn't have much on offer. I wanted to avoid getting the Stansted Express to London, then changing to St Pancras for the service to Leicester - I had a medium suitcase and a small carry-on one and a small rucksack - who wants to negotiate changing from Liverpool St to St Pancras in mid-July. I was also surprised the Cross Country service only had four coaches.

I think Cross Country are the worst TOC out there. Their entire fleet looks shabby and tired. Surely theyre due some new trains or at least a refurbishment

Cross Country is the worst operator in the country. They have never invested in new trains,nor increased their rolling stock. Trains are always crammed full,frequently late or cancelled,staff are rubbish,no facilities,first class is a complete rip off.They have a monopoly here in the East midlands, there is no other company for journeys to Birmingham from Nottingham or Derby. My mother in law travels to Newcastle from Derby and has been dumped I York,Darlington,Doncaster and told to use other companies because cross country running late so terminate trains so return services can run.

I had this yesterday. The carriages didn’t state where first class is on the outside so it was quite hard to find it. Secondly, the return back I was the only person there and no one gave food or a drink at all nor checked my ticket. There was a very bad smell a few times like a bad fart. Not worth it really as standard as a very similar experience.

Cross country are getting worse this last week nearly all Cardiff to Nottingham services cancelled due to staff shortages yet most north to west of England services running normally shows how much they care about the service to south Wales

So for the premium paid for First Class you got more legroom. Period. I assume that the entire train had filthy floors and smelled musty. This sounds like a train to avoid at all costs.

Another great review... on your instagram post advertising this video i explained my hatred for XC. Videos getting better by the week!

Loved the video. It's disgusting, that this operator should be allowed to charge you first class fares for 3rd class facilities. Hope you complained. Love from Australia

My travels on TPE were horrendous we booked first class to try it out and it was ok on the way there but on the way back it all fell into shambles. Neither of the toilets worked so we had to walk half way down the carriage just to go to the toilet and when we got to our stop the guard did not unlock the first class doors so we had to walk to the next carriage in order to get off.

I’ve found cross country to be alright to be fair to them when going out of Reading a few times

They have these trains in Mansfield now running to Nottingham and back and there's no 1st class on that route only thing that's different is they've took the light out and filled it in on table 😂

Lol I think I was in the same carriage last week, Birmingham to Leicester. Absolute rip off and not real first class . Not even a drink and I got the same broken table lamp 😂

they need a gd refurb used it from Cambridge to birmingham

while i agree they are not good, but southwestern and the commuter belt are worst in question of first class as they have no refreshments and it is the seat and space you pay for, simular with southern too

Good video. The issue is that there is no standard of 1st across the rail network created by different companies and different rolling stock. Unless you either travel a route regularly, watch videos like yours or are something of a rail buff the 1st class product arriving at the platform is probably unknown. Train companies know when they are offering an inferior product. Why don’t they follow the airlines and use terms like Premium rather than First on the weaker product offerings?

What? No window curtains (or blinds) in First Class to shelter you from the blazing English Summer sun? During the late 'Seventies and the early 'Eighties, when I commuted to school and, later, college, with the Central Division of British Rail's Southern Region there were window curtains for both classes of accommodation - orange in Standard and Blue in First! Train travel really has gone downhill since the railways were privatised, the only concern being to pack as many fare-paying passengers into the smallest possible space!

Great video as always, I would certainly document all the failings you mentioned, and would be asking for a part refund from the company involved, copy in the CEO too, they should not get away with it. As a minimum the train should be clean, and all the facilities should work. I love to travel first class when everything is as it should be.

STN-NCL? I’d go via London. Just book separate singles. That route is notoriously bad via Pboro

Nice work.

I hope you made your disappointment clear to the management. I would definitely ask for reimbursement or compensation of some sort. So totally unacceptable. I speak as a Swiss person used to 1st class meaning indeed 1st class. Those interlopers should have been told off. No staff monitoring?

First time comment as just amazed they put that into service. Could have been in sidings for a while which could cause the musty smell. Great videos and wish had found your channel and subscribed sooner

If CrossCountry deep cleaned the unit you were on and fixed the lamp, recline and smell it would be plesant.

We have these units on the Nottingham to Cardiff line via Burton on Trent. They are not the fif for purpose. Been on a GWR 4 carriage old school HST this summer from Temple Meads to Weston Super Mare, far better trains.

Worst first class? Thameslink 700 has entered the chat

I think you mean Virgin Trains East Coast

Excellent report mate, but what an absolutely gash service!

Great video

That was a good video and i would never travel first class, happy with stanard. I feel first class is to over priced and not worth the money. I am new to the channel and the videos i have watched so far are very good.

1h30 mins from Stanstead to Peterborough??? You could do it in the car in 40 mins!

This is a truly appalling service but then Cross Country don't really care, if they cared about providing a good train service they would not use 170s and use 4 or 5 car Voyagers on this and the Nottingham to Cardiff service and use some out of use HSTs on their other services

Okay, when I first read the title I thought, this person is just being picky it's not that bad, gosh could I have been more wrong! Pricing seems okay for distance, but for the first class part... shocking, appalling? Any other words? None of the first class features seemed to work at all, plus one thing I don't like is when standard class passengers use the first class area when they shouldn't, now I never use first class but still don't think it's right that people should not pay for it and get it, even if in this instance they basically got nothing different to standard class! Good insightful review I say!

get rid of the 170s

I’ve only been to Stansted Airport once and I have heard that it’s the worst airport.

I ride them from Birmingham to Cardiff frequently and yeah they are awful units sadly

i dont think youve seen great northerns first class :(

Lner best 1st class

No buffet service.

Did the wifi work?

Hi I have started to watched your videos and I think they are brilliant to watched I all so do video about trains and buses I am a KZfaq as well I do my videos about the West Midlands where I from keep up the good work from bingo 2020 West Bromwich 👍

Genuinely think it should be illegal to have a first class on regional routes like this. Operators should be incentivised to make a good experience for all customers. Chiltern railways are a great example!

Cross Country really mistreat their units which is sad because they have some really nice trains

Dirty overcrowded expensive smells of diesel & sewage prime example of German own service