Avanti shop closures when approaching Preston

[Falcon1200]

Tescos doesn't need half an hour plus with no tills when the morning people leave and the afternoon shift arrive.

My sentiments exactly regarding the Tesco changeovers,

Never mind shops on trains closing for 15 minutes, Tesco (and other supermarkets) would rather not staff checkouts at all but force customers to do their work for them at self-service tills.

 

[styles]

Never mind shops on trains closing for 15 minutes, Tesco (and other supermarkets) would rather not staff checkouts at all but force customers to do their work for them at self-service tills.

Our local Tesco is surprisingly good with staffing checkouts. For larger shops I use them because I can't be arsed with the, "Please wait for assistance" palava on self service checkouts. If the staff see a queue is forming at a checkout they get someone to open up another.

 

[DelW]

It can be shorter now, as the electronic systems do the stocktaking as you go and as many are card only there is usually no actual cash to count.

Do *any* on-train buffets or trolleys still accept cash? My perception is that all of them went card-only years ago. That was sometimes a problem when the card machines were in areas with no connectivity, but maybe that has been addressed now by a better WiFi signal.

 

[styles]

Do *any* on-train buffets or trolleys still accept cash? My perception is that all of them went card-only years ago. That was sometimes a problem when the card machines were in areas with no connectivity, but maybe that has been addressed now by a better WiFi signal.

I feel like I've used cash on both TfW and ScotRail in the past couple of years on their trolley services but it's entirely possible I'm just imagining things.

 

[mmh]

Do *any* on-train buffets or trolleys still accept cash? My perception is that all of them went card-only years ago. That was sometimes a problem when the card machines were in areas with no connectivity, but maybe that has been addressed now by a better WiFi signal.

Avanti take cash.

I feel like I've used cash on both TfW and ScotRail in the past couple of years on their trolley services but it's entirely possible I'm just imagining things.

TFW are card only, but if I remember right they only changed to that maybe a year or two ago.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Do *any* on-train buffets or trolleys still accept cash? My perception is that all of them went card-only years ago. That was sometimes a problem when the card machines were in areas with no connectivity, but maybe that has been addressed now by a better WiFi signal.

Settle and Carlisle line was cash only last time I was on it.

 

[Jordan1296]

Why does Avanti close its shops prior to Preston and reopen after departure. I guess the excuse is crew changes. But do other companies do it. I can’t remember it on LNER but maybe LNER manage to operate with one crew throughout a journey. Or maybe they don’t make announcements.

LNER do it before approaching to Edinburgh, in both directions. It is for crew change and re-stock.

 

[styles]

TFW are card only, but if I remember right they only changed to that maybe a year or two ago.

Maybe I'm actually just misremembering how long ago two years was

Campaign to get trolley services to accept RTVs!

 

[mmh]

Maybe I'm actually just misremembering how long ago two years was

Campaign to get trolley services to accept RTVs!

Oh I know the feeling, I won't be surprised if someone's along shortly to tell me my year or two is actually ten

 

[norbitonflyer]

Settle and Carlisle line was cash only last time I was on it.

Possibly because there is no GPS signal on much of the route?

 

[Goldfish62]

Settle and Carlisle line was cash only last time I was on it.

I've always paid by card for a coffee on the S&C. When there's a patch with no signal they simply return for payment once the signal improves.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Been like this back to BR days, when the buffet commonly closed half an hour or more before final arrival, announced as "to cash up". I remember the timetable from Reading to Paddington used to show the buffet symbol over all the incoming long distance expresses, where in fact pretty much none of them were still open by that stage.

Same with Manchester - London, Opened at Crewe, closed at Rugby. Announced as this.
But the crew, changed into mufti, would push their way past you to get right to the front door of the front coach to be sure of getting off first at Euston.

 

[tfw756rider]

Do *any* on-train buffets or trolleys still accept cash? My perception is that all of them went card-only years ago.

The last time I was on a CrossCountry Voyager (recently-ish), the catering announcement included both card and cash as accepted payment methods, but I think they said for the cash, please pay as close to the exact price as you can.

That was sometimes a problem when the card machines were in areas with no connectivity, but maybe that has been addressed now by a better WiFi signal.

Not uncommon on parts of the Cambrian with signal weak spots. They have to try the payment a second time after a little wait.

I feel like I've used cash on both TfW and ScotRail in the past couple of years on their trolley services but it's entirely possible I'm just imagining things.

Transport for Wales trolley services have been card-only for more than a couple of years.

For some reason, they used to have notices aying that they only accepted credit cards, but in actual fact they meant that that only cards in general (both debit and credit) are accepted, not cash.

Avanti take cash.

TFW are card only, but if I remember right they only changed to that maybe a year or two ago.

It was longer ago than two years.

 

[AilsaBus]

It's not an "excuse," but it is ridiculous. It's a Virgin-ism, when they started doing it they were open about why - a stock take before a change of staff.

Ridiculous is griping on a forum because a shop shut for a few minutes on a train. It's a total non-issue.

 

[AlterEgo]

More or less unreasonable than complaining about the train manager saying, "My name is Paul", at the start of a post-departure announcement?

Oh yes, I forgot about that one!

 

[Dieseldriver]

My sentiments exactly regarding the Tesco changeovers, there is probably some ludicrous railway specific agreement buried behind it as per.

Oh bless

 

[cats_five]

Been like this back to BR days, when the buffet commonly closed half an hour or more before final arrival, announced as "to cash up". I remember the timetable from Reading to Paddington used to show the buffet symbol over all the incoming long distance expresses, where in fact pretty much none of them were still open by that stage.

Back in the those days we just about all used cash in the buffet, and cashing up took time to count it all - and I suspect do a stock take as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Apr 2026 ==

It's a crew change and shop restock both requiring the till to be balanced.

If almost everything is cashless these are fairly easy things to do.

 

[Sleepy]

Do *any* on-train buffets or trolleys still accept cash? My perception is that all of them went card-only years ago. That was sometimes a problem when the card machines were in areas with no connectivity, but maybe that has been addressed now by a better WiFi signal.

Greater Anglia do for both

 

[KNN]

It's a crew change and shop restock both requiring the till to be balanced.

Why does the till need balancing?

As others have mentioned it's not a hugely important issue, but it does seem like you should be able to do it with maybe 5 minutes of downtime rather than 20+ (my experience is that it's much longer, especially on the Birmingham to Scotland routes with two changes)

 

[VT 390]

Why does the till need balancing?

As others have mentioned it's not a hugely important issue, but it does seem like you should be able to do it with maybe 5 minutes of downtime rather than 20+ (my experience is that it's much longer, especially on the Birmingham to Scotland routes with two changes)

I agree more than 20 minutes for a single change may be a bit excessive when it is often much quicker, but in the context of a London to Scotland via Birmingham even with 2 staff changes it will still be open for a majority of what is a near 6 hour journey and the change points are often at or near high passenger turnover locations where fewer people would likely be using the shop.

 

[RiverDon]

Why does the till need balancing?

At the most basic level, to detect and dissuade staff stealing money from said till.

It's obvious a lot of people commenting on this thread have never worked in retail before!

 

[airantraigh]

Why does the till need balancing?

As others have mentioned it's not a hugely important issue, but it does seem like you should be able to do it with maybe 5 minutes of downtime rather than 20+ (my experience is that it's much longer, especially on the Birmingham to Scotland routes with two changes)

Unsure about avanti but a personal anecdote on how it is like at my TOC.
we are expected to clean the coffee machine and top it up as well as top up all the stock for the next crew coming on, then get the area cleared for new stuff coming on, log out of the card machine, do a handover on an app as well as log hot/cold temps as well as getting yourself ready and gathered. It can be hard to do when the train is busy (what trains are not these days) and there are people queuing up the whole time when your additional stock is kept outside of the area that we stand in to serve. I usually close around 10-15 mins on busy trains less so when it’s quiet, to allow the next crew to be able to open up as quickly as possible afterwards with a clean well stocked area to work from. So another 5-10 mins for the next crew to put their personal belongings away, put away any new stock delivered, log yourself back into the system, and make an announcement is very reasonable.

 

[Acathater]

Why does the till need balancing?

As others have mentioned it's not a hugely important issue, but it does seem like you should be able to do it with maybe 5 minutes of downtime rather than 20+ (my experience is that it's much longer, especially on the Birmingham to Scotland routes with two changes)

To ensure that sales through the till accurately reflect whats been sold. The till needs matching with the sales and remaining stock. What do they have - maybe 50 product lines? Each one needs counting and matching to sales

 

[TheHovisKid]

And.....
...it contributes massively to Avanti's Announcement Quotas

 

[RUK]

On Greater Anglia’s Inter-City services between Norwich and London, the buffet/café-bar is open for around half the journey, according to their web-site - I think it shuts at Colchester, around an hour in.

 

[kkong]

Do *any* on-train buffets or trolleys still accept cash?

ScotRail take cash.

Amazingly there were TWO trolleys (sorry, "hospitality carts") on a morning Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street (5-car HST) last Saturday.

One worked inwards from either end.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Apr 2026 ==

LNER do it before approaching to Edinburgh, in both directions. It is for crew change and re-stock.

Although it seems the re-stock part doesn't take place (fully, at least), based on the limited food offerings I've often experienced in first class heading north from Edinburgh.

 

[styles]

Why does the till need balancing?

Having once been accused of stealing a tenner when I worked at a wholesalers, I wouldn't finish a cash-taking shift without tallying up the till. It takes time to count cash.

That was also the point I refused to work checkouts though because the employer refused to mandate balancing the cash balance between staff changes. I stuck to forklifts instead.

 

[Trackman]

It's a crew change and shop restock both requiring the till to be balanced.

Correct, they do a stocktake before the handover.

 

[dk1]

Settle and Carlisle line was cash only last time I was on it.

Had a card machine last time I travelled. Business would be very poor without these days.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Apr 2026 ==

On Greater Anglia’s Inter-City services between Norwich and London, the buffet/café-bar is open for around half the journey, according to their web-site - I think it shuts at Colchester, around an hour in.

That’s only if manned by just one member of staff if there’s a cafe bar. The catering host takes a trolley through also outside those times.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Apr 2026 ==

Do *any* on-train buffets or trolleys still accept cash? My perception is that all of them went card-only years ago. That was sometimes a problem when the card machines were in areas with no connectivity, but maybe that has been addressed now by a better WiFi signal.

Yes several do. GA being one of the most proactive and one of the first to reintroduce catering during the pandemic has always accepted cash.

 

[Minnietheminx]

Had a card machine last time I travelled. Business would be very poor without these days.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Apr 2026 ==

S&C do accept cards (especially during tourist season: as you say, business would be reduced if they didn't), but, as the trollies operate where mobile phone signals can be very patchy, they tend to prefer cash, especially when trains are busy.