Train London -> Glasgow - food/drink cart?

I seem to recall lots of beverage carts up and down when we took the Virgin/East Coast train up to York (so an Edinburgh train, not Glasgow, but service should be similar).

On the way back from Newcastle we were in First and the guy kept refilling our Gin and Tonics---using some special trendybtonic whose name I cannot remember ( so not all that special).

Here is a list of shops and cafés at Euston station:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/london-euston-station/shops/

You will see both an M&S and a Sainsbury's. Also a Prêt a Manger.

I just took this train last week . . .no one came down the aisles with a cart. But there was a bar car (we carried on, so we didn't go or buy anything).

Yes, there is a M&S store selling food in St Pancras, as well as other food outlets. Euston station has some too, although options probably better at St Pancras (except Euston has LEON, but other passengers may not appreciate your carrying those fragrant dishes on the train).

Looking at the Euston Rail website, there are several shops where you can get food to take on the train. On my last journey, I don't remember a cart, but there was a dining car to get Bitter or two.

Thanks everyone for humoring me!

Kim - what's the policy on BYO on trains? I'm used to trains here in the US where it is strictly forbidden.
We're approaching middle age, so we are unlikely to drink more than one or two on the trip, so public drunkenness is not a risk.

Straight from the customer desk at Sheffield station.Your own alcohol is fine, and Tetleys is a fine choice too !

hmmmmm . . . now I don't know about that, but hopefully Nigel or someone will weigh in. My guess is that reasonable adults with a bottle or two wouldn't have a problem, but I don't know that for sure, there might be some special restriction that only allows you to consume purchased alcoholic beverages on board .

Last train I took was London to Edinburgh, so slightly different. And I was lucky enough to get a seat in 1st (for the same price they wanted for the cheep seats that day). A cart was rolled through every hour until we actually entered Scotland, then it was every 30 minutes. Large selection of drinks. Choice of hot meal for either breakfast or lunch. I think we cleaned out the Scotch selection before we got to Scotland. :-)

Yes, bringing your own food and drink is always allowed on trains except for occasional alcohol bans on trains which are expected to have large numbers of football supporters.

Note that drinking alcohol or having an open container of alcohol is officially banned on all TfL rail services in London, both Underground and Overground. Although I've never seen anyone actually get it confiscated.

There's now an M&S food in the area of Euston station, just outside the station proper and turn left from the main entrance.

I'm very confused.

There are two main ways to go from London to Glasgow by train, up the east coast or up the west coast.

Strangely both routes are operated by franchises with very similar names.

The east coast line, operated by Virgin Trains East Coast, leaves Kings Cross Station in London, and goes straight up north traveling through the eastern side of England, via York, and crosses into Scotland at Berwick, quite close to the east coast, then cuts inland to Edinburgh, where connections can be made for the short journey west to Glasgow.

The west coast line, operated by Virgin Trains West Coast, leaves Euston Station in London, and goes west and north through the industrial midlands via Milton Keynes, Rugby, Stafford, Crewe, before striking north towards the Scottish border, crossing at Carlisle before turning inland to Glasgow.

The east coast line is nearly straight, the west coast line is anything but straight which is why VTWC Pendolino trains tilt around curves.

Both lines are fast with trains regularly having long stretches at 125 mph, but not as fast as Eurostar, French, German or Italian high speed trains.

The two routes never cross.

So you can't be on the East Coast out of Euston.

Can you clarify, please?

BTW, both lines currently have a buffet car for standard class, and at seat service in First Class.

It is certainly done to take on meals and drinks. Each station has a large M&S Food (two at Euston)...

Lunch specials, consisting of a sandwich or salad, drink, crisps or a snack all for around £3, are available every day at Boots, M&S (a bit more money), WH Smiths, Sainsbury's. Also at all the coffee places around the station - Cafe Rizzata, Upper Crust, etc.

If you get to the station a few minutes before your train you can graze and select all sorts of lunches to take.

In addition to the meal deals I just described, there are also many food stalls and counters at St Pancras, Kings Cross, and Euston - in fact at all London main line stations - including a whole floor of outlets at Kings Cross. With a bit of planning you won't go hungry on the train. Do you want burritos (San Francisco style), Lebanese, Chinese, Cornish Pasties, hot dogs and concretes (St Louis style - but I've never tried them), sausages, vegetarian, Belgian, French, burgers, Indian, pretty much you name it you can have it. They all bag up for takeaway.

As Nigel says your post is slightly confusing. From Euston to Glasgow you'll be on Virgin Trains.

Virgin Trains East Coast operate from Kings Cross; although similarly named and branded they are two separate companies. (What does Richard Branson actually do except sell his name?)

Regardless, if you're in first class the food and drink will come to you. In standard class you'll likely have to make your own way to the buffet car.

You can bring your own booze though drinking wine straight from the bottle smacks of desperation, so bring a cup.

https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/experience/shop

Ah, but just try to find an ice cream cone (real "scoop" ice cream, not soft serve) at Kings Cross or St. Pancras.

It isn't at the seaside you know....

RE: Which Virgin service

Checked my confirmation email.

The email is FROM Virgin Trains East Coast ([email protected])
But embedded in the booking details it says West Coast.

Journey 1: London Euston to Glasgow Central
Outward Journey
London Euston to Glasgow Central
Departs: London Euston at 12:30
Train Operator: Virgin Trains
Arrives: Glasgow Central at 17:01
Seats Reserved: Coach: B Seats: 11 , 12
Ticket Type: Advance Single
Route: Only valid on booked Virgin Trains West Coast services.

I believe they are trying to deliberately confuse me. It's the only possibility.

We are not in First Class so if we don't carry on we will send an emissary to the bar car to get drinks.

We will most assuredly bring snacks from one of the great suggestions above rather than buy on the train though.

With Sainsbury & Boots nearby we can also pick up a few essentials instead of waiting 'til our arrival in Glasgow.

Thank you everyone!

ahh… that sounds as though you bought a ticket on the east coast website to travel on a west coast train.

You can use any train company's website so what you did is perfectly OK - in fact I'd say the east coast is the easier one to use.

Coach B, that will be one coach from the front of the train.

99% of the time Virgin 11 car Pendolino trains have the first class end of the train nearest the station in Euston, standard class at the northern end. With you going down the ramp from the concourse near the rear one or two coaches you'll need your skates on to get to the front.

All coaches are clearly lettered on the outside and there is an electronic sign on the door.

If you haven't cleaned out the food stores before you board you will only be one coach away from the Store, which has a selection of hot (microwave) and cold snacks, and hot and cold drinks. Have a look at https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/experience/shop

Almost certainly your ticket will be checked at the bottom or centre of the ramp, and the doors on the train are closed as early as 3 minutes before departure and they don't reopen the doors.

You can rock up just minutes before departure and sprint to the train and walk through to your seats.

Personally, especially if I had luggage, I'd be there half an hour ahead, gather provisions, and head down to the train as soon as it is advertised on the big board. If you are not familiar with a big departure board - nearly as long as half a football field - take a few minutes to become familiar with it. You won't miss the board - just look where everybody else is looking and there it will be, orange letters against a black background.

I know the station intimately, going to it 3 or 4 times a day when I am at work, so although Euston can be intimidating, don't let it be and if you have questions please ask them.

99% of the time Virgin 11 car Pendolino trains have the first class end of the train nearest the station in Euston, standard class at the northern end. With you going down the ramp from the concourse near the rear one or two coaches you'll need your skates on to get to the front.

We wouldn't want our betters to have to walk very far, would we?
So the front of the train is downslope? We'll hop on our wheelie luggage and career down the ramp (joke!)

[Edited to remove the question about how many cars - I think you''ve said 11 cars] Are we talking 1/2 mile walk? Mile?

Departure board, check. Big station, check. How does it compare in complexity to Kings X and Paddington? We're pretty good at trains, but I truly appreciate your detailed firsthand knowledge & tips. Invaluable!

The train is only about 270 metres long. That's about 5 yards short of 3 US football fields, and you won't walk all of that.

The ramp is only from the concourse to platform level, about one and a half stories, at a relatively steep pitch.

Euston is the 6th busiest station in the country.

Euston has 18 platforms, all in use every day. Paddington has 14, Kings Cross only 12.

Both Kings Cross and Paddington have the trains right in the station with the passengers so there isn't a real sense of the hugeness of the station.

Euston has one huge - both high and wide - concourse, with no seats (well a very few), with no trains to see because they are downstairs through gates, with everybody focussed on the big screen (and a few repeater screens scattered around), so it is rather unique.

No ice cream in the stations, but there's a very nice ice cream place just opened called Ruby Violet, near the Waitrose in the redeveloped former warehouses where the University of the Arts is.

Ugh, we were in coach B, too, which, with my 72-year-old mother's difficulty walking, meant we almost missed the train despite being in the station well ahead of time and long before the platform number was posted. She simply could not walk that length fast enough.

In hindsight, we could have boarded the train in a nearer coach and then walked through the train, bit that would have been awkward as well.

I don't imagine you'll have any similar problems, but I wish now I'd looked into whether there was a cart or something that could have facilitated her access along that long train.

Kim - I am glad you made the train, but that must have been very stressful. Out of curiosity I checked the Virgin website and they have a page which seems to say they can help you to/from the train, if you need it in future. I don't know the details, but it might help your mom! https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/experience/assisted-travel

This is something I'd never thought of - I'm glad to know of the options, and I can well imagine that the information will be of use to others, as well! Thanks Motorgirl and Emma.