I have used it twice this week, Monday and now and to be honest the service is quite good, even free internet so well worth avoiding Darlow for.

Only gripe the morning train gets in too late for going down to do a days work but the 16:50 return train gets me home at a reasonable time.

been considering using it for a while now but I dare not take the risk of getting the saturday AM train for home matches for the service to be cancelled!

I need more proof the service is reliable before i'd consider using it.

You get free internet on all the trains on the east coast now (National Express Rail). IMO theres been too many problems with cancellations from Hartlepool so I wouldn't risk it and would go from darlo on National Express. Probably cheaper as well if you book in advance.

They've got a blonde female train driver and most of the female staff are not bad
Even with the problems with their original trains, they've organised other trains rather than get a replacement bus
service
Once the reliability improves it will be a definite asset to the town. Don't forget that a lot of the problems have been down to the scumbag cable thieves who cause so much hassle for train services in general

The standard fares on Grand central are half of the opposition, i.e. £61 for a standard single against £119 going from darlow.

Can't comment on advanced bookings though.

I think that Grand Central is superb.

It makes an effort to put Sunderland & Hartlepool back in connection with the rest of the UK by rail.

Instead of having to book 12 weeks in advance you can walk up and pay the same fare. (£66 to London is extremely reasonable - at times when I've needed to go to London on a Friday National Express smile sweetly and charge £230 - so £66 on Grand Central is a breath of fresh air.)

The trains are more spacious, have more leg room, are staffed by nicer people, are not as crowded and have better more reasonable buffet sevice.

They have been unlucky in that the power cars which they were sold have been proved to be garbage. But this small company instead of cancelling services has arranged trains to shuttle people - or in some cases paid for taxis to York.

The big companies seem to be doing everything possible to strangle them at birth - note how late the platform announcements for them are at King's Cross, Grand Centrals fares and trains strangely don't show up on 'The Trainline.com' or 'National Rail Enquiries')

I live in Richmond now and I deliberately drive 30 minutes to Northallerton rather than 20 minutes to Darlington to get the London train so I can use Grand Central rather than the GNER/ National Express trains.

For those who worry about reliability from Hartlepool for away games I have to say that even when power cars have had problems they have NEVER to my knowledge taken the easy option that the big companies do of cancelling a train. BY shuttle train or taxi they will get you there. And you don't have to go to Darlington.

Same as Chessington , I have been thinking of trying it out for the Great British Beer Festival or Millwall, but would be frightened if it never turned up the day would be ruined. The odds were stacked against it been a success from the start without people now not giving it a try because of its reputation for not turning up. Cant see it lasting unfortunately.

TRAVEL EVERY WEEK ON GRAND CENTRAL

NO PROBLEMS WHAT SO EVER, AND FRIENDLY STAFF

HOPE IT FLOURISHES, IT'S GOOD FOR US AND THE TOWN



CHUFF CHUFF (GET IT?)

You could try that www.megabus.com website...... It will get you from Middlesbrough to Leeds very cheaply...

I arrived at Kings Cross last night for the 10 to 5 train home, no sign of the Grand Central train, no sign of most of the National Express trains either, there was a signalling problem somewhere further north and trains were being diverted and everything was messed up. A couple of National Express trains pulled in and eventually the Grand Central train, some twenty five minutes or so late. The Grand Central train disembarked and boarded in less than 5 minutes and left on time , which wouldn't have happened with GNER and didn't happen with the National express trains that were left behind in the station.

Use it or lose it

And Before 10 I believe.
Megabus is cheap as fook.

£32 on megabus arrives leeds 9.20 sets off back 7.40

ON IT NOW, ON TIME

RATTLING THROUGH WOOLIE BACK VILLE AT PACE

MUST JUST HAVE BEEN FOR THAT LITTLE bounder WRIGHT


I GOT TOLD IT HID ROUND THE BACK OF ASDA TILL HE FOOKED OFF IN A TAXI



CHUMMMMMMMFFFFFFFFFT