Reservations and catering on regional services

[GoneSouth]

TfW dropped seat reservations entirely, hopefully they never return.

Sadly XC heading in the other direction with some trains only having about half a dozen unreserved seats, and that’s only because they don’t have the electronic screens above the seat.

As for trolleys, they have become so unreliable that I just can’t be bothered with them anymore and always take food with me. Sad, as the sandwiches are actually ok and they tend to offer them at reduced prices near the end of their shift. I’d definitely use of I could rely on it being there, but I’m not taking the risk of having nothing for a long trip.

 

[frodshamfella]

I wish there was some sort of catering on the Birmingham to Liverpool service. To get a drink would be nice.

 

[Transilien]

I wonder why vending machines haven’t been considered for regional routes, they would be cheaper then a trolley service which is has food that is not much different from a vending machine.

 

[GoneSouth]

I wonder why vending machines haven’t been considered for regional routes, they would be cheaper then a trolley service which is has food that is not much different from a vending machine.

I thought the same. I’d gladly set up a company to provide vending machines with over priced and smaller than regular sized confectionary to the masses on trains.

We could put them in some of the over provisioned luggage space most trains have or take out a couple of unused seats or one of the excessive number of toilets. Oh, hang on, I’ve got it…

The wheelchair space!

I genuinely thought it might be a good idea until I thought of the practicalities.

It would also make the catering inaccessible to some, imagine trying to use a vending machine if you’re blind or you can’t squeeze your wheelchair down to the XC galley where there actually is space for one.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Oct 2024 ==

 

[Krokodil]

I wonder why vending machines haven’t been considered for regional routes, they would be cheaper then a trolley service which is has food that is not much different from a vending machine.

Südostbahn RABe 526 Traversos have vending machines

 

[Transilien]

Südostbahn RABe 526 Traversos have vending machines

Yes it shows that it works!

 

[Kingsman]

Well...and greetings from Switzerland, Südostbahn AG is the independent company that has many routes, but in particular has taken on the old main north-south route across the Gotthard pass from Basel/Zürich to Lugano, while the Swiss Federal Railways now use the quicker "basis" tunnel. Like all Swiss transpirt there is massive state finance, despite the private label. The north-south trains have a designated "bistro" area which is a vending machine, not much used in my experience. But they are long, with many coaches, not easily mapped onto modern British experience. See Flotte (fleet) on SOB.ch

 

[_toommm_]

Interesting that Crosscountry's Turbostar services will have First Class removed from 15th December. Pointless having it on the regional services that have a severe lack in capacity.

 

[Travelmonkey]

Interesting that Crosscountry's Turbostar services will have First Class removed from 15th December. Pointless having it on the regional services that have a severe lack in capacity.

Few journeys when I have upgraded my ticket hasn't even been checked anyway, on busy services it's declassified anyway so not much use.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Interesting that Crosscountry's Turbostar services will have First Class removed from 15th December.

Do you have a link to the announcement?

Seems an odd thing to do given the length of some of the Turbostar journeys and given how the 1st class section only has nine seats in it anyway.

 

[_toommm_]

Do you have a link to the announcement?

Seems an odd thing to do given the length of some of the Turbostar journeys and given how the 1st class section only has nine seats in it anyway.

Saw it on Twitter from someone who works at Crosscountry. I can't quote the post unfortunately.

 

[Taunton]

I wonder why vending machines haven’t been considered for regional routes, they would be cheaper then a trolley service which is has food that is not much different from a vending machine.

Been a number of attempts. Back in 1962 the Western Region adapted a compartment of a side corridor vehicle which was added to the Cambrian Coast Express both ways on the stretch from Aberystwyth to Wolverhampton and back, when the regular restaurant car from London was detached. It didn't last long, among other things the equipment was mechanically unreliable in a railway vehicle, particularly the refrigeration and hot drinks machinery, which had to run off low voltage DC. Apart from drinks and snacks, it (inevitably, for the era, and despite being unsupervised) sold cigarettes. Here it is:

 

[Transilien]

Been a number of attempts. Back in 1962 the Western Region adapted a compartment of a side corridor vehicle which was added to the Cambrian Coast Express both ways on the stretch from Aberystwyth to Wolverhampton and back, when the regular restaurant car from London was detached. It didn't last long, among other things the equipment was mechanically unreliable in a railway vehicle, particularly the refrigeration and hot drinks machinery, which had to run off low voltage DC. Apart from drinks and snacks, it (inevitably, for the era, and despite being unsupervised) sold cigarettes. Here it is:

Interesting, I can imagine with modern technology that could be a lot easier.

 

[Johnny Lewis]

I wish there was some sort of catering on the Birmingham to Liverpool service. To get a drink would be nice.

It seems incredible that, in the final days of Central Trains, they were introducing the Class 350s, which all had First Class accommodation, seat reservations and a trolley catering service.
London Midland began the race to the bottom, getting rid of trolleys, then seat reservations, before LNWR finished off the job by making their entire service Standard Class only, despite all their new longer-distance fleet having First Class provided.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It seems incredible that, in the final days of Central Trains, they were introducing the Class 350s, which all had First Class accommodation, seat reservations and a trolley catering service.
London Midland began the race to the bottom, getting rid of trolleys, then seat reservations, before LNWR finished off the job by making their entire service Standard Class only, despite all their new longer-distance fleet having First Class provided.

The First Class on 350s (bar the TPE interior) is an utter sham anyway. It's inferior to Standard in my book - I never sit there even in a /2.

 

[robert thomas]

Been a number of attempts. Back in 1962 the Western Region adapted a compartment of a side corridor vehicle which was added to the Cambrian Coast Express both ways on the stretch from Aberystwyth to Wolverhampton and back, when the regular restaurant car from London was detached. It didn't last long, among other things the equipment was mechanically unreliable in a railway vehicle, particularly the refrigeration and hot drinks machinery, which had to run off low voltage DC. Apart from drinks and snacks, it (inevitably, for the era, and despite being unsupervised) sold cigarettes. Here it is:

It always worked OK on the few occasions that I used it. From memory it only worked as far of Shrewsbury and returned from there on the down CCE