I travelled twice with TransPennine Express on the west coast in the past week.
On both occasions, the standard class catering host made an announcement stating that there is a "fault with the catering trolley" and they would therefore be operating a static "shop" in the first class carriage (E).
On the first occasion, the "shop" was set up in the relatively open area near the wheelchair space, immediately at the entrance through from standard class.
On the second occasion, as I was seated near the kitchen end of first class, I heard the discussion between the standard class and first class catering hosts before the announcement was made.
I paraphrase, but it boiled down to "I think I'll just do the shop rather than going through the train" and a response of "that's fine, it doesn't bother me".
i.e. there was no trolley fault; the host just didn't want to move through the train to sell his wares.
On this occasion, the "shop" didn't even leave the first class kitchen, meaning that standard class passengers had to come all the way through first class to be served, in some cases queueing in the aisle.
The "shop" was closed (shortly after Lockerbie, on a journey to Glasgow), then after around 45 minutes of playing on his phone, the host wheeled the trolley out of first class and into standard class prior to disembarkation at Glasgow Central.
What kind of "fault" could these trolleys have that allows them to be wheeled onto, through and then off the train, but unable to be used as intended to sell product to seated passengers?
Or does this perhaps indicate a cultural problem with some TransPennine Express on-board catering hosts?
On both occasions, the standard class catering host made an announcement stating that there is a "fault with the catering trolley" and they would therefore be operating a static "shop" in the first class carriage (E).
On the first occasion, the "shop" was set up in the relatively open area near the wheelchair space, immediately at the entrance through from standard class.
On the second occasion, as I was seated near the kitchen end of first class, I heard the discussion between the standard class and first class catering hosts before the announcement was made.
I paraphrase, but it boiled down to "I think I'll just do the shop rather than going through the train" and a response of "that's fine, it doesn't bother me".
i.e. there was no trolley fault; the host just didn't want to move through the train to sell his wares.
On this occasion, the "shop" didn't even leave the first class kitchen, meaning that standard class passengers had to come all the way through first class to be served, in some cases queueing in the aisle.
The "shop" was closed (shortly after Lockerbie, on a journey to Glasgow), then after around 45 minutes of playing on his phone, the host wheeled the trolley out of first class and into standard class prior to disembarkation at Glasgow Central.
What kind of "fault" could these trolleys have that allows them to be wheeled onto, through and then off the train, but unable to be used as intended to sell product to seated passengers?
Or does this perhaps indicate a cultural problem with some TransPennine Express on-board catering hosts?
