Midlandpullman Reviews 22

A wonderful experience from start to finish .
The food was beautifully presented and delicious .
Polite and very friendly stewards who ensured our needs were met and went above and beyond .
Many thanks to Christian who must have been so tired as the day came to an end but always smiled and took the time to talk to us .
The occasion was my birthday and I was delighted and surprised when the stewards grouped together to sing “ Happy Birthday ,” and had lit a candle on my dessert .
Our very first trip and we felt like royalty !
Our heartfelt thanks to all who waited upon us . Highly recommended !

Our first journey on this train but hopefully not our last. A brilliant experience in every way. The meals were delicious and the service was exceptional with every need met and on occasion anticipated. A treat which coincided with my friends birthday which was made extra special for her. A day we’ll never forget as it exceeded every expectation.. a huge thank you to everyone who help to make our experience so wonderful.

Unreliable, insincere, source of enormous disappointment and loss. Not inexpensive trip booked (& paid for) over 8 months in advance. Date unilaterally altered by unheralded email over 6 months in advance due to "emergency engineering works"- some feat to be able to predict an emergency that far in advance. Trip then cancelled entirely, again by an email landing out of the blue in my inbox, only 3 weeks in advance. Guess why? Yes, more "emergency engineering works". Offer of "immediate" remittance of substantial funds held and enjoyed by Midland Pullman at my cost for nearly 8 months was not in fact immediate as I telephoned to request, unless the definition thereof, like that of emergency, has been altered to suit their purposes. Grubby, greedy, insensitive and demonstrably unreliable lack of customer service. We will certainly avoid them henceforth.

I spent two years planning this trip to mark my sister's 60th birthday. It's hard to tie my sister down as she flies all over the world. Imagine my disappointment when after booking the Christmas Edinburgh trip I was contacted to be told that my booking was being cancelled. Why? My sister's medical condition means that if more than 3 hours walking is involved she uses a portable mobility scooter. This folds up to a double buggy and she carries the battery pack in her handbag. I was told the battery pack was a fire risk despite being on her person and she could not travel. This seemed crazy after flying in from Florida and heading out to Oman in a couple of weeks time with the same buggy. I asked my sister to contact customer service to explain how the battery worked and she was faced with an appalling attitude. No one listened , she was put on hold and told that we must put in writing that we wished to cancel because she was not allowed on board with her buggy. Within a few minutes I received an email confirming that I had cancelled and they hope I could make another date soon!!!
I am speechless with the way the company acted and hope no one else is left as upset as my sister was.

From start to finish on this train on 24th July 2025, first class service, polite and attentive staff. We took a picnic of sorts with us, but, was not needed, it came home with us virtually complete. I can not dispute this was a memorable experience. The weather poor entire journey with hill mist, but did not detract from the beauty and elegance. Would definitely do another tour. High praise to all staff on board 5star treatment, happy faces only too happy to go the extra mile. THANK YOU.

The train was late by over an hour, which couldn't be helped, as I believe there was an issue with one of the engines. However, the service on board was lacking, the food dreadful and in short supply, so we didn't have a choice, and overall, a waste of £600 + quid. We wrote a complaint directly following our experience and are still waiting for a reply!!!! Will not be doing this again in the UK for sure

The staff on the train are GREAT - they are the real asset of this company. Unlike the staff in Customer Service whose attitude STINKS. Our 2nd Trip but will not be returning and can not recommend. A really good tip for the Pullman Company is :- Invest some of your profits, in Sharper Knives as this would improve the Dinning Experience Immeasurably ! The seats are comfortable although not as good as on their larger Pullman. However, 15 hours to Scotland with what felt like hundreds of unscheduled stops is simply NOT REASONABLE!

It seems they make it impossible to make a complaint as they request you do it within 10 days by POST. To enable a complaint to be made quickly I e-mailed it to their enquiries e-mail address. Its clear they have ignored that e-mail. A reputable company would have forward it on to the required department. It seems clear that once they have had your money, you can do one. Considering the amount of money my wife paid to give me an 80th birthday treat at an extremely high cost their behaviour is nothing more than shameful. Below is a copy of the letter sent. RE; The Settle to Carlisle & Coastal Pullman ( Coach B Seats 37 & 38 ) on 9th April 2025.
Dear Sir / Madam,
In March this year via a friend as I am not able to use a computer, I booked the Settle to Carlisle & Coastal Pullman, as a surprise Birthday trip for my Husbands 80th Birthday. We naturally looked forward with anticipation to having a great day out. Sadly, this was not to be the case.
Firstly, may I say that I have no issue with the staff or catering. The meals were excellent, and the staff were very good and extremely helpful.
On boarding at Haddenham Station and naturally at that time of morning @ 6.00pm the temperature will be cold. But after a short period of time it became clear that there was an issue with the temperature control in Coach B. On mentioning it to the lady serving in Coach “ A “, she herself said it was cold although her coach “ A “ was warm. I asked if they had a blanket that I could use, and I showed her how cold my legs were. I was given a blanket and had to keep this over me for the entirety of the outward-bound journey and also the return journey. So not the environment that I was expecting.
Upon arriving at Carlisle, we were met with basically a construction site. The Town centre was having the paved areas and roads updated. The main walkways were sectioned off, and a lot of the shops shut down possibly due to the extent of the construction work being carried out, and dust everywhere due to the construction activity. Being disabled myself and having to use a walking stick, access to the Cathedral was not practical, I cannot believe we were not at the very least advised of this, so at the very least we were prewarned so could have had the option at the booking stage to make a judgment call as to whether we wished to proceed. I would not expect to go to Disney Land and find the rides shut down, would you. One lady in our carriage once having returned to the train, had actually found a charity shop in Carlisle and had purchased a pair of trousers and a large shawl which she wore on the return trip. The trousers she wore UNDER her dress as she was so COLD. ( You just couldn’t make it up ). So as regard the stop at Carlisle to have the option to look around was absolutely pointless.
We did leave a discretionary tip as we felt the above problems were not of their making, and as stated the meals were excellent and the staff very good.
I think you will understand that considering the cost involved to give my husband a birthday treat, was a total let down and a disappointment, I felt embarrassed as it was not good value for money considering what we had gone through.
One other point I must raise was the reference on the Travel Information regarding Dress Code and although we had dressed up, honestly when I got on board I felt totally overdressed as it appeared quite a few had clearly not bothered, so your reference to “ You can never be too overdressed on board in our Pullman Dining Class “ had clearly not been taken up.
So, to sum up, my husband’s special experience train trip was not the day I expected and left me feeling that I had let him down, which had cost me a lot of money. When you are retired and have reached the age of 80 one tends to be a bit careful with one’s finances, and in this case, I feel I was let down.

Beyond expectations. Trip to Fort William 11 April - food, comfort, train, itinerary brilliant. Sheer luxury! Staff team, coach C were so hardworking, friendly, attentive and pleasant - Philip and Ellie went the extra mile in every way and still had a smile and a hug after 12 hr+ day. Similar experience on previous trip. Not a single aspect could be faulted - value for money and memorable experience! More from Stockport please!

We had a fabulous time on the Pullman from Chester to Torquay. The staff were friendly, welcoming and attentive and couldn’t do enough to make our experience enjoyable. We thoroughly enjoyed our day !

Outstanding service, delicious food and beautiful scenery - truly memorable.

The company offers an enjoyable product, helped by the attitude of attentive and friendly on-board staff. (Two significant demerits on our last trip were that the nearest WC to us - mid first class - was reserved for staff - and the next nearest could not display whether vacant or otherwise). It's regrettable the attitude isn't mirrored at Headquarters where a simple to resolve request is met by an extraordinarily unobliging, dismissive response.
This experience was about another potential booking- which now will not take place, or be repeated.

My husband and I travelled on the Edinburgh Christmas Pullman from Hereford to Edinburgh on the 5th December. The train was on time, and we were greated well and advised of our seats. The services and food were excellent and all the staff were friendly and very accommadating. My husband cannot eat cheese and from the time of getting on the train, this was taken into consideration and suitable alternatives provided. The reason for the 4 star is that there was a delay during the service of our dinner and therefore we missed out on the coffee and mince pie, as we arrived back in Hereford before this could be served. Staff were apologetic, but no reason given for the delay.This small issue did not detract from a wonderful day and I would be more than happy to do another train journey with Midland Pullman

October 25-27th 2024. Our second trip with MP. Even better. Excellent service. Engaging staff and information. Experienced a real leaf slip moment - high point, Speen. Rescued via the steam train with leaf clearing equipment. Delay made up by end of journey. Delays may occur and all were made up for on our trip, which indicates good management with signals etc.
I recommend that any mid trip adventures are best avoiding Sunday- closed museums, shops and amenities ( Scottish practice) but it does provide a quiet visit before you return on 2nd day. Depends upon your expectations. Will definitely go again - hopefully finding same staff on duty. Thank you.

we had booked a trip and had a medical emergency. Spoke to a member of the service team who couldnt have been more helpful and our booking was dealt with kindly, efficiently and sorted out to help us. Thank you so much. We look forward to the trip next year.

I am posting this review following the truly awful customer service I had & want others to be aware. The trips are expensive & often done for a special occasion - in my opinion when service falls short of what it should be it should be addressed - clearly they don't agree as you will see from the email trail -
Good evening
I feel compelled to write to you following our trip to Durham yesterday on the Midland Pullman.

This trip was booked as a celebration to mark my husband’s 60th birthday & retirement & therefore we as a family wanted it to be really special.

We joined the journey at Gloucester, seated in seats 1 and 2 in carriage C, & we were warmly greeted by members of the crew & the crew that were assigned to our carriage were both lovely & attentive throughout the journey there and back.

There are however a number of things that occurred that put a slight dampener on the occasion & these are detailed below.

· I had read your literature about dress code & noted what was and wasn’t acceptable & the fact you say you can’t be overdressed – we most definitely were in comparison to most other passengers. I wore a smart chiffon dress & cardigan, my husband a suit. I was so disappointed to see most other passengers in jeans, sweatshirts & trainers – we not only felt very out of place but also felt it devalued the whole experience.

· The door at the end of the carriage adjacent to us was not shutting & therefore it was both draughty and noisy. On asking the Junior Train Manager she, after a struggle, managed to close it & for the rest of the journey to Durham it was both warmer & quieter. When we returned to the train for the journey back to Gloucester, the Train Manager, Mark, came over & apologised saying there was a fault on the door, which he had reported, but it meant it was unable to close at all. Therefore the whole journey back was both draughty & noisy once more.

· We were served coffee & tea almost as soon as we departed (lovely) however the crew member that served the coffee to my husband split it into the saucer & on the table linen – these things happen but an apology & a new cup and saucer I feel should have been given – neither were.

· One of the crew working in another carriage came through carriage C on a number of occasions – her white jacket was not clean at all – several spills had clearly happened – I saw in the cupboard at the end of our carriage there were extra jackets and would have hoped she could have changed it – she did not & even when we returned in the evening she was still wearing the dirty one – not a great impression.

· On the return journey it was nice to see the stained linen had been replaced & once again the table looked resplendent. Sadly my husband’s cup was chipped – this clearly hadn’t been noticed by the crew or changed.

· The cheese board was created & walked through the carriage and service started from the opposite end to where we were sat (I have no issue with not being served first!). Sadly by the time it did reach us it was much depleted, with only 3 cheeses left to choose from – one of the crew serving had visited another carriage but seemingly there was nothing else to offer us. Whilst I appreciate you won’t know what may be popular I do feel there should have been more of selection available to us.

· Whilst I appreciate the crew wish to clear and get everything packed away so they can finish their shift promptly, I believe the experience we have paid for should be from the moment we join the journey right up until we leave the train. The couple opposite us left at Worcester Parkway & one of the crew then proceeded to “throw” dirty linen onto their table – so the last part of our journey we had a pile of dirty linen to look at. Crew were also very keen to clear glasses and bottles making you feel you had to drink up so they could take it all away.

This was our first experience on such a trip & while there were many things we did enjoy and appreciate – the comfort, the warmth of the crew, the beautifully laid tables, the food served & the nice touch of the truffles to depart with, the above mention points did definitely disappoint.
The trip does cost a lot of money, something I am very happy to do, especially to mark such an occasion, but I do feel all of the issues raised should not happen on such a trip.
I would welcome your comments on the above.

Their first reply - (5 days after I wrote)
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to write following your recent journey and we are sorry that some elements didn’t meet your expectations. A copy of your detailed feedback has been forwarded to both the Train Operating Company and the On-Board Services Manager in order that they are aware of your views.
The points you raised will be subject to discussion at our Train Operating Company and we will not be contacting you further in this regard.

From boarding the train to the moment of disembarking at the end of the day, the whole experience was faultless.
We were greeted at the door by James the Train Manager, Hollie and Ellie. They welcomed us aboard and showed us to our seats. They introduced us to Kevin who was to be our waiter for the day in addition to Hollie and Ellie.
Their service was second to none. The setting on board the train was immaculate from the linen tablecloth to the silver service with fine dining.
The train manager stopped by to discuss the qualities of the train and answer our questions. The staff were constantly tending to all the passengers on the train. Their manner was friendly and polite - they made us feel welcome and totally relaxed; nothing was too much trouble for them.
I had some minor dietary requirements and these had been noted at the time of booking. Ellie came to speak to me and explain how my needs had been considered and the chef had provided excellent, mouthwatering substitutes for me.
The food was presented perfectly and the time elapsing between the courses was just right. The food was hot and delicious. The varied flavours complimented each other superbly.
We were allocated four hours in Bath which was ample time for us to partake in two different open top tour guided bus trips in and around the city and later to stop off for a coffee before making our way back to the station for our homeward journey.
After our time in Bath we were welcomed back on board the train to another beautifully laid table for our evening meal. Again another perfect meal was served with the utmost professionalism by the staff. Not once did they appear rushed or too busy to serve us. They remained professional, very friendly and tireless throughout the whole day.
The ambience on the train was superlative, the spacious seats were extremely comfortable. We had paid a little extra to reserve the table for four despite there only being two of us. This proved prudent as we had more room on the table and didn't have to keep asking neighbouring passengers to kindly move if we needed to use the bathroom. That was purely our personal choice but one we were glad to have made.
We had booked the trip as a treat to ourselves to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. The whole experience surpassed our expectations. From the comfort and ambience of the train to the immaculately dressed staff we were continuously impressed and more than happy with our memorable day.
So happy we decided to book the trip and would not hesitate to recommend the Midland Pullman experience . . . in fact we're looking at the possibility of further trips. A perfect day - thoroughly enjoyable.
Thank you James, Ellie, Kevin & Hollie - we will never forget how welcome and happy you all made us feel. We appreciate all your hard work . . . Mick & Gaye

For my 70th birthday I decided to treat my immediate family to a luxurious day trip out.
From 6.50am to 11pm We were spoilt with superb food and by efficient curtious staff.
The Midland Pullman train has been refurbisheded to an exacting standard and we were no worse for wear after the 700 mile round trip.
12 days later and we are all still on a high from our trip.
Well done 10 out of 10.

Contacted the company by email to ask about timings and itineraries as I’d be booking a trip for my elderly parents.

Received the most blunt, unhelpful response.

For a company charging this kind of price, I’d expect customer service to be more existent! Doesn’t bode well.

Wouldn’t recommend even considering Midland Pullman.