Grand Central Rail Avis 

Always reliable. clean on board and friendly staff.

From the ticket office staff, to the staff on board the train from Sunderland. A very pleasant experience, polite, well experienced. The tain was nice and clean,including the toilets. Overall a very good journey.

I caught a Grand Central train back from London to Halifax. It was a work trip so I had upgraded to first class. We stopped somewhere outside Grantham due to signal failure and waited. And waited. The first class steward got a few extra bottles of water out but didn't offer them to passengers. After nearly an hour, we started moving again and finally limped into Halifax 54 minutes late.

I and another female passenger explained to the train manager that we had missed our last connecting train and he agreed to organise a taxi for us. It was now nearly midnight. We stood outside Halifax station and did some more waiting for a cab that never came. At 12.30 p.m. I suggested we call an Uber as neither of us felt safe and it was clear there was, at the very least, a miscommunication. I got home after 1 a.m., very tired and not a little fed up. I emailed Grand Central's CEO. Some weeks later, here is the response I got from Sarah Newton at Grand Central:

"Thank you for contacting Chris Brandon regarding your journey on 21 July 2026 and for your patience whilst we reviewed your concerns. I am sorry for the disruption you experienced and for the difficulties encountered in completing your journey after arriving in Halifax.

Having reviewed the details of your journey, I can confirm that your train was delayed as a result of a points failure in the Grantham area. I appreciate how frustrating it was to arrive into Halifax later than scheduled, miss your intended onward connection and then have to wait for alternative transport late at night.

I am particularly sorry that, despite arrangements being requested to assist with your onward journey, the expected taxi did not arrive. Having been assured that transport had been arranged, I appreciate you had every reason to believe help was on its way. Instead, you were left waiting late at night without any update or support, uncertain how you were going to complete your journey. I appreciate how frustrating and unsettling that must have been, particularly given the time of night. This simply is not the experience we want any customer to have when travelling with Grand Central, and I am genuinely sorry that we let you down on this occasion.

Under the terms of our Passenger Charter, compensation is payable when a customer is delayed by 60 minutes or more at the destination shown on their ticket. Having reviewed the service, I can confirm that the train arrived into Halifax 54 minutes later than scheduled. As Halifax was the destination shown on your ticket, this does not meet the threshold for Charter Compensation.

I have also reviewed your request for a refund of your ticket and First Class upgrade. The First Class service purchased for your journey was provided throughout the journey. Whilst I appreciate this does not lessen the inconvenience caused by the disruption and subsequent difficulties you experienced in completing your journey, I am unable to offer a refund of either your ticket or your First Class upgrade on this occasion."

First Class service? Grand Central's idea of First Class service is a choice between a packet of crisps or a biscuit as your 'complimentary snack.' The steward offered nothing in the way of service when we were delayed. The promised cab never showed, leaving two women alone at a deserted station in an area that felt unsafe and as for quibbling over 6 minutes...words fail me. All the other train companies offer compensation after 30 minutes, some less. Grand Central is possibly the worst misnomer in branding history. Never again.

Excellent service as usual. Trains very clean and app gives you all the information you need with alerts regarding status etc before you board. I always book Grand Central for trips to London as its a non stop service and unlike LNER you won't find the train is full that you have to stand all the way

Our Grand Central Rail train was 116 minutes late, turning a 120-minute trip into a monstrous six-hour journey as I also missed my connection. That's where I discovered they are not part of the Delay-repay scheme. Instead, there is a "Grand Central delay compensation policy," which is much less generous. If your delay is under an hour -- no compensation. You only get 50% back for a 60- to 120-minute delay, and 100% compensation is only applicable if the delay was over 3 hours. Luckily, I have other options to do my usual work commute, and from now on, I will make sure to avoid Grand Central Rail.

Broken toilet broken hot drinks machine and no wi fi for £76 pounds I expect basics on a 3 hour journey 4 bookings since April 2026 only 1 offered me a hot drink and WiFi was working the other 3 no wi fi no hot drinks machine very old train worn seats that looked dated and could do with a vaccum running over the floor and toilet seats fixed just really poorly maintained if the old dated trains were cleaned and spruce up a bit but sadly it all looked quite grim

I had booked assisted travel 🧳. They knew I was coming and prepared a suitable seat.
The lady conductor even got me a sandwich after York.

The Trains are quite old and the first class service is very limited - I paid £29 for an upgrade to 1st and basically got a hot drink some crisps and a chocolate bar for that - as well as bigger seat of course.
My Kings Cross to Doncaster train was just under 40 minutes late but GC Rail aren't part of the delay repay scheme so won't pay any compensation for delays under an hour.

The train was clean and quiet. The staff were excellent, very helpful and kind.

I have travelled many times with Grand Central to visit my family. The service is very good and have very rarely had a problem. The seating is comfortable and the information is given frequently as to where we are and if there are any problems causing delays. All good this time.

Awful service! Appaling attitude to passengers. I was going back from London on Aug. 9th, train to Bradford at 18:03 (trains to Bradford always tell the platform like at the last minute, btw) and from the very start it went all wrong. when I tried to enter a coach (B) from the end with less people, I was told to go to the other end. Fine. My seat was 59 and guess what! On entering and standing in the queue I found that the seats end at number 56! There was a confusing announcement that all passengers with seats 57 on had to move to coach F to take similar seats there.. I went through the whole train, touching upon all sweaty arms etc. - no such seats existed in coach F either! A conductor in the First class ignored me, a conductor making an announcement on my question; "Where is my seat?" said "I THINK, it is seat 2 back in coach B". I believed him. Went back throught the whole train again. In vain. Seat 2 was occupied, of course. So, I was standing in the middle of the train, noone cared. The conductor btw also said: "If you don't like something, you can take another train". Well, no, this one was moving already.. A cherry on top, they were 24 minutes LATE to Wakefield Kirkgate where the connection bus was about to leave at 20:50, while they arrived at 20:56! Some people were literally running out of the train to catch the train to Leeds or that bus! Running! Up the climb! Thank you, the bus driver, you are a good soul, you waited for us. WOW. What a service!

Nice trains. Clean comfortable on time. Free refreshments on weekend 1St class at good prices

Cramped carriages no luggage space the racks over head a so narrow you
Can’t fit anything in them - seats uncomfortable no leg room central aisle very narrrow - both legs of journey delayed and to crown it all the delay repay system they use is different to most other train company’s and won’t settle if delay less than 60mins all in all avoid this company and stick to LNER

Good service from my local station (Hartlepool) to London Kings Cross book ahead in the app and use rail card to get a very good price process is simple tickets delivered to smart phone.

Grand Central staff have always been friendly and helpful they may even be happy in their work.

On this occasion service arrived two minutes late.

Easy to use website, great train. Clean. Friendly staff

3 times I have tried this train company 3 times not arrived on time to London so I missed my connection 3 times. Might be a bit cheaper than LNER but no coffee onnboard in first class broken machine apparently and 100% success rate for being late! Never again.

On time, comfortable and straightforward. Excellent!

The booking process was seamless, the staff were courteous and professional, passengers were informed any development as the journey progresses and the environment was clean coupled with seat numbering and availability of toilet facilities but there is no enough room for boxes though there are lot of spaces for hand luggage. In all, it was a wonderful experience and l have been using it since 2022 till date.

Two trains in 3 days and no WiFi and coffee machine was broken on both journeys.

It’s 2026, get with the times.