First Class to Swansea

[Retorus]

In the eyes of many railway enthusiasts, FGW can do no wrong - purely because the fleet they operate is HSTs.

That certainly wasn't the case a few years back!

 

[jon0844]

Still waiting the keyboard warriors here giving their "reasoned" responses?

I really can't be bothered to enter a debate about the cost of bread and baked beans, but I would like to know what you do for a living and whether you and your employer does everything at cost?

Next time I eat a my local Michelin starred restaurant for a special occasion, I'll be sure to fire up my Tesco Grocery app to show the chef how much the ingredients cost and then ask why we're being charged £70 per head for the tasting menu.

I've got no particular love for the HSTs, besides being impressed at how long they've lasted and are proof that we once built things to last, but I do think FGW has done a good job on the refresh and made them look, from the inside at least, like brand new trains. They've toned down the lighting and the high seats are a safety requirement, but despite the seats I've never felt claustrophobic. In fact, I quite like the privacy. A stark contrast to travelling on a train with low seats, like a FCC 313/1 or GA 315. It feels rather odd to be able to see a whole carriage's worth of people looking back at you!!

 

[All Line Rover]

Don't forget Value Added Tax, which immediately puts FGW at a disadvantage compared to the supermarkets.

 

[Monty]

As far as the cost of beans on toast goes, I was walking down my local high street the other day and noticed the kebab house were charging £8 for a small donner kebab. So while £4.50 may seem a little pricey for some, the kebab price kind of put things into perspective.

Least with the beans on toast you know what your getting, go for the kebab or burger you might end up getting a lot more than you bargained for!

 

[merlodlliw]

Don't forget Value Added Tax, which immediately puts FGW at a disadvantage compared to the supermarkets.

Indeed a £5 meal includes £1 VAT. Even though the goods were zero rated when bought in. Good point All line Rover

 

[All Line Rover]

Indeed a £5 meal includes £1 VAT. Even though the goods were zero rated when bought in. Good point All line Rover

Or, more precisely, £0.84 VAT, but it still means on board catering can never be as good value as a supermarket sandwich or crossiant, which is rather unfortunate.