East Midlands Trains to close buffet cars

[Metroland]

Buffet car services are to be scrapped on East Midlands Trains and replaced with a trolley service.

The firm, which run trains from Sheffield to London, said standard class passengers could still choose hot and cold drinks, and hot baguettes.

First class will have more catering staff, in a bid to reverse a 30% decline in premium passengers.

Managers insisted all customers would enjoy an improved experience being served in their seats.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-10939358

 

[swt_passenger]

The carriages will be kept so the counter service can be reopened if the train is crowded, managers said.

Exactly what Stagecoach already do on SWT 444s. It is basically a trolley service most of the day, but they park up and use the buffet counter on services that are full and standing. Apparently they sell much more stuff from the trolley (sometimes more than one) than from the counter.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-10939358

I believe XC said the same thing themselves...

 

[E&W Lucas]

Their trolleys seem to be operated by contract catering staff. Is this a ploy to offload their catering people?

 

[ivanhoe]

30% cut in Premium Passengers. Most businesses would cut Prices but EMT just cut staff.
Many of the Premium Passengers who have left will not return to First Class because of changes in Company Policies concerning First Class Travel. EMT need to address this by looking at its prices. Nothing will happen.

 

[142094]

Sounds like another step backwards, will hardly attract customers to the railway if all they can get on board is a cold sandwich and crap coffee. If I lived in Sheffield I'd be tempted to get the train to Donny and get an East Coast from there with a decent selection of food.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

30% cut in Premium Passengers. Most businesses would cut Prices but EMT just cut staff.
Many of the Premium Passengers who have left will not return to First Class because of changes in Company Policies concerning First Class Travel. EMT need to address this by looking at its prices. Nothing will happen.

Been in Nottingham this week - EMT are putting their First Class advertising to the max! Weekend upgrades etc, catering offers, and even produced a leaflet comparing how much a lawyer could earn extra by taking first Class by trai and not driving etc

 

[222007]

Their trolleys seem to be operated by contract catering staff. Is this a ploy to offload their catering people?

If thats referring to XC the only catering contracting out is on the ex central routes. All the voyager routes the RSM's are crosscountry employees

 

[Aictos]

Isn't this what National Express have done?

 

[LTJ87]

I agree this a retrograde step. With a buffet car you don't have to wait a trolley to come to you, there's plenty of stock for hot/cold items, and from a passenger safety/security point of view, it's a reference point where you know you can always find staff.

On first class on EMT, it is just too expensive. The cost of an open standard-class return from Nottingham to London is £138, which is roughly the cost of a open first class return on Midland Mainline a few years ago. As our travel policy has changed, the cost of first class is somewhat academic too me, but at £196 I could not justify the expense when travelling on open tickets for business anyway.

The timetable from Nottingham is also not great. Most of the peak morning departures to Nottingham now take two hours. The one fast service of 1hr 40mins now leaves at 7.50 and 7.30 - the earlier departure was more convenient as on a good run you get into St Pancras just after 9am for a full days' work. For many, departures from Grantham are a more attractive option rather than travelling into Nottingham.

 

[Lampshade]

Hmm, I can see this from both points of view. I travelled with EMT on Monday (St Pancras to Sheffield) with a fair amount of luggage, including a backpack with a laptop and other quite expensive items in. During the journey I went to the buffet car but was very conscious about leaving the bag at my seat, especially as the buffet car was two coaches down from where I was sat. I was however, very impressed with the service

I do however, prefer having a browse through the menu to see what's on offer, this is easier at the buffet counter than it is with a trolley, when I travel with TPE and buy something I often feel rushed as the trolley can't progress through the coach and could hold people up.

 

[brad465]

A buffet car is better, with a wider choice of refreshments and, you can visit there anytime, unlike a trolley which probably passes you only once or twice.

 

[Simon Poole]

Some London Euston to Crewe services (London Midland) runs an trolley service annd also Birmingham to Liverpool

 

[scotsman]

Surprised the RMT aren't making strike threats here. Very legitimate cause too, EMT must have quite a few Catering Staff.

 

[Dreadnought]

Surprised the RMT aren't making strike threats here. Very legitimate cause too, EMT must have quite a few Catering Staff.

Is there going to be a loss of staff though as the article states that there will be more staff in First Class, which suggests just a redeployment of current staff on each train.

 

[bengolding]

Will this have any effect on the (ridiculously limited-post MML) First Class breakfast service offered on a handful of EMT services to St Pancras?

Most evening peak northbound EMT service are full and standing, especially those that stop at Thameslink stations such as Bedford. Hopefully, they'll opt to open the buffet in these instances.

 

[Lampshade]

How do EMT think they're going to encourage more first class travel simply by redeploying catering staff? :?

 

[E&W Lucas]

If thats referring to XC the only catering contracting out is on the ex central routes. All the voyager routes the RSM's are crosscountry employees

No, EMT.

On many services out of St Px, service is from a trolley, crewed by Railgormless staff, who are not of UK origin. No sign of any London based on - board crew these days.

I suspect that this is what will be rolled out across the timetable - contract staff, rather than rail employees, enjoying a half decent salary, travel concessions, and a pension.

If that is what happens, it stinks. EMT employ some really good people - there's some smashing lasses on the Nottingham crews. I'd suggest that people boycott the trolleys service, if this is what they are up to. Bring a flask, or buy something on the station please.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Crewed by Railgormless staff, who are not of UK origin.

What has their ethnicity/nationality got to do with the situation?


Remove the buffets and put more seats in, it makes commercial sense. In addition sales will increase in standard as people are more likely to buy from an at seat service than walk half the length of the train to the buffet, security is enhanced because there is one less reason for anybody to leave unattended luggage, and first class gets a boost by having more staff and thus a more personal service. Nobody appears to be losing their job so it seems to me like a pretty good idea.

East Coast will eventually go the same way, just as GW, VT, XC and now EMT have done, it seems hard to imagine that at one time there was even a buffet car on London to Portsmouth, Brighton, Southend services.:roll:

 

[Stonesourscotty]

Last time i travelled on emt the food was great and the buffet staff where the nicest ive met on the railway would be a shame if the buffet was lost

 

[WatcherZero]

How do you serve hot baguettes with a trolley service? im just interested in the mechanics.

 

[transportphoto]

A buffet car is better, with a wider choice of refreshments and, you can visit there anytime, unlike a trolley which probably passes you only once or twice.

You can always go to a trolley ,just because its not passing your seat when you ant something, you would know what direction it last went in.

 

[leedstraindude]

What has their ethnicity/nationality got to do with the situation?


Remove the buffets and put more seats in, it makes commercial sense. In addition sales will increase in standard as people are more likely to buy from an at seat service than walk half the length of the train to the buffet, security is enhanced because there is one less reason for anybody to leave unattended luggage, and first class gets a boost by having more staff and thus a more personal service. Nobody appears to be losing their job so it seems to me like a pretty good idea.

East Coast will eventually go the same way, just as GW, VT, XC and now EMT have done, it seems hard to imagine that at one time there was even a buffet car on London to Portsmouth, Brighton, Southend services.:roll:

By all accounts EMT are contracting all the staff out to Rail Gourmet so yes several staff will be affected for the worse over this. Id like to ask how people honestly, If you were told you had to take a major pay cut AND a massive cut in the benefits and conditions would you be happy, would you be inclined to accept it without a fight?

The XC trolley experiment has been an unmitigated disaster, standard sales do not increase because the range people have in a buffet car is not there. People will still walk the train looking for you despite announcements telling them to stay put.
Also for the regular commuters on the full and standing commuter trains the service gets a lot worse as the trolleys cant get through, so they start buying the morning coffee in the stations before boarding which is more custom lost, just look at any morning commuter trains on XC and youll see this.

Why should first class get a more personalised service, they already get much more than standard, and standard class fares aint that cheap these days either?

This is another example of a TOC putting shareholders first and not giving a damn about the customes it serves. But then again put a load of bus companies in charge of train companies why expect any better!

 

[williamn]

East Coast will eventually go the same way, just as GW, VT, XC and now EMT have done

As far as I am aware both FGW and VT continue to have buffet cars

 

[The Snap]

30% cut in Premium Passengers. Most businesses would cut Prices but EMT just cut staff.
Many of the Premium Passengers who have left will not return to First Class because of changes in Company Policies concerning First Class Travel. EMT need to address this by looking at its prices. Nothing will happen.

Very true. The economic situation over the last two years or so has encouraged many companies to amend their travel policies to ban all First Class travel (unless authorised by someone at the top).

 

[yorksrob]

This does sound very much like some sort of a contractual ploy, particularly as the buffet counter usually only has one person serving as opposed to a fair few in first class on week days. There seems to be no practical reason why one of these couldn't take a buffet trolly down through standard now and again.

I too will miss the hot baguettes. Whilst there isn't such a thing as an Inter-City brand anymore, I would still have thought it better for the railway as a whole if all the companies operating Inter-City type services offered a minimum threshold of service. That way passengers would know that wherever they travelled long distance, they could at least expect, for example, provision for first class and a buffet car.

 

[38Cto15E]

My main problem with a trolley service is they often run out of hot water, I could go on but we'll be here for hours.

 

[philjo]

When I went from St Pancras to Derby last year, there was a trolley service provided in standard class (in addition to the buffet) & 2 people serving from the trolley.
if the trolley ran out of something asked for, one of the staff went back to the buffet to get it. Was impressed.

I hope the trolleys are better than those used on east coast - there have been several occasions recently when the EC trolley is unavailable (or not serving hot drinks) as it had leaked the contents of the hot water tank onto the floor (& resulting in a soggy carpet in that coach)

 

[E&W Lucas]

What has their ethnicity/nationality got to do with the situation?

You mentioned ethnicity, not me!

I'm simply objecting to cheap foreign labour being used instead of people in half decent jobs, with proper conditions of service. If you think that's a good thing, we'll make your job next!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I must admit I was less than impressed when EMT stopped the complimentary tea/coffee for all ticket holders, that always got me to the buffet car and I always had a look at what else they had. Looked fine to the accountants no doubt, 100's people buying tea/coffee instead of getting it for free, but I never went to the buffet car after that, more often buying a soft drink and food before boarding the train.

I don't even take a look at the trolley services I have seen on other TOCs. I know I can get the same sandwiches for less before I get on board, I can buy the same crisps and biscuits in a similar way. The only thing that I can't buy before I board for the journey, but can be bought from a trolley service? Tea and Coffee, and I can live without that for two hours!

The trolley service only really serves those who aren't prepared for the journey.