Routes that previously had catering trolleys.

[stadler]

I am trying to make a list of all services that used to have catering trolleys but have since been scrapped.

I am just interested in privatisation days. There was hundreds in BR days so far too many to list. So i am just talking about routes with trolleys that got scrapped during recent privatisation days.

I can think of all of the following routes:

---

Southeastern had catering until December 2010 on the following trains:

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Hastings trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

London Midland had catering until August 2011 on the following trains:

• London Euston to Birmingham New Street trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Euston to Crewe trains (onboard for the entire route)

• Liverpool Lime Street to Birmingham New Street trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Southeastern had catering until November 2014 on the following trains:

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Faversham trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Maidstone trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Tonbridge trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Southern had catering until July 2015 on the following trains:

• London Victoria to Eastbourne / Hastings / Ore and Littlehampton trains (onboard betwen London Victoria and Lewes only)

• London Victoria to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour / Southampton Central and Bognor Regis trains (onboard between London Victoria and Horsham only)

• London Victoria to Brighton trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Gatwick Express had catering until July 2015 on the following trains:

• London Victoria to Gatwick Airport trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Victoria to Brighton trains (onboard between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport only)

---

Chiltern Railways had catering until May 2017 on the following trains:

• London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street / Birmingham Snow Hill / Kidderminster trains (onboard between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street only)

---

South Western Railway had catering until January 2021 on the following trains:

• London Waterloo to Bournemouth / Poole / Southampton Central / Weymouth trains (onboard between London Waterloo and Bournemouth only)

• London Waterloo to Bristol Temple Meads / Exeter Saint Davids / Salisbury trains (onboard between London Waterloo and Salisbury only)

• London Waterloo to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Waterloo to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour via Guildford trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

I vaguely remember a couple of others as well but i am struggling to find further details:

Greater Anglia used to have catering on some regional routes (other than the London to Norwich services) in the early or mid 2010s. I remember trolleys on the Norwich to Cambridge trains. I also remember trolleys on the London to Stansted trains. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes have them?

Great Western Railway used to have catering on some regional routes at least in to the mid or late 2010s. I remember trolleys on the Gatwick to Reading trains. I also remember trolleys on the Portsmouth and Brighton to Bristol and Cardiff trains. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes have them?

Southern used to have catering on the Brighton to Ashford trains for a short period in the mid 2000s. I seem to remember trolleys in 2005 when the service launched. But i think they got scrapped within a couple of years. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes (perhaps Brighton to Portsmouth or Brighton to Southampton etc) have them?

Can anyone confirm the above and are there any other routes that previously had catering that i have missed off the list.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Alphaline Wales & West/Wessex Trains had trollies.

 

[yorkie]

I wonder when was the last time any of the routes currently operated by Northern had trolleys? (Settle & Carlisle excepted, of course; the current trolley being operated by volunteers).

A 13-year-old boy asked me if there was a trolley on the Northern service via Harrogate last week; I suspect that service has never had one!

 

[OhNoAPacer]

For a short time, can't remember exactly when but am thinking 2000ish, there was a trolley on the Cumbrian Coast.

 

[A S Leib]

From what I can find, the Bentham line had a trolley trial (planned) for twelve Fridays and Saturdays last summer, presumably under the same basis as the Settle & Carlisle one.

 

[Ashley Hill]

It was either Wales & West or Wessex that trialled a trolley on the Barnstaple line. It was not a success but at least they tried. SWR also got rid of their buffet trollies on the Waterloo line a few years ago.

 

[David M]

I think you can add Glasgow Queen St to Edinburgh Waverley Express via Falkirk High.
Maybe some midweek peak services have a trolley but I've not seen one since Covid times.

 

[CarltonA]

I seem to remember Chiltern offloading trolleys at Bicester North, so perhaps only the Birmingham end of the line had catering towards the end.

 

[Snow1964]

Cross Country had them on routes it no longer serves,
eg Poole and Portsmouth etc

 

[Fleetwood Boy]

I think you can add Glasgow Queen St to Edinburgh Waverley Express via Falkirk High.
Maybe some midweek peak services have a trolley but I've not seen one since Covid times.

Its odd - I assumed they'd all been withdrawn, but then a few weeks ago a random trolley came through (well, it had a staff member with it) - no sales, and a few people staring as if they'd seen a unicorn. And since that day, I have never seen one again.

 

[thedbdiboy]

The original Thameslink franchise included a commitment to catering trolleys between London and Gatwick. I'm not sure how long they lasted but we would be talking late 90s

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Some parts of what is now the TPE network had trolleys that nowadays do not. The ones that come to mind are Hull to Leeds, Cleethorpes to Sheffield and York to Scarborough.

I wonder when was the last time any of the routes currently operated by Northern had trolleys? (Settle & Carlisle excepted, of course; the current trolley being operated by volunteers).

Hull to Sheffield via Doncaster had them for a time in the 1990s, they were abolished c. May 1997.
Preston to Leeds was also covered until around late 1998/early 1999.
And the Durham coast had a trolley on one service in one direction; the 0618 Leeds to Newcastle used to be routed that way and was part of a trolley diagram until c.March 1999. The unit and trolley returned from Newcastle the quick way down the ECML!

 

[Mogz]

I seem to remember that Chiltern had a very simple (but very satisfying) catering trolley offer on the Clubman’s (and from the buffet on the Mk3 sets):

Tea
Coffee
Hot bacon rolls.

That was it!

 

[83G/84D]

Alphaline Wales & West/Wessex Trains had trollies.

I recall this period especially when a trolley was removed from a Penzance bound class 158 at Truro. It had to be negotiated over the level crossing to go to the up platform for another service.
Whilst doing so it toppled over spilling its contents all over the crossing!

Thankfully there were no injuries and no trains delayed.

 

[AY1975]

The original Thameslink franchise included a commitment to catering trolleys between London and Gatwick. I'm not sure how long they lasted but we would be talking late 90s

I also seem to recall that Thameslink's Bedford-Brighton services, and briefly even the St Albans-Sutton services, had them for a time in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Bedford-Brightons may even have had them under Network SouthEast in the late 80s and early 90s: NSE and Provincial Services/Regional Railways put trolleys on a lot of their medium to long distance trains.

 

[Howardh]

Northern cover Manchester Airport to Barrow - normally just 3 coaches (!) and that's one heck of a journey time-wise (2.5hrs) and deserves a trolley service; if there was room!! If a journey's over 2 hours surely it should be covered by a catering facility?

 

[Failed Unit]

BR seem to try them on many services, pretty much anything operated by a 158 had them. But I remember them on the Cleethorpes- Birmingham route (operated by 150/1) back in the day (didn't was long). Also recall them on Great Northern services between Cambridge and London.

 

[Davester50]

I think you can add Glasgow Queen St to Edinburgh Waverley Express via Falkirk High.
Maybe some midweek peak services have a trolley but I've not seen one since Covid times.

The trolly service seems to be a 50/50 on the InterCity services. Rarer in the earlier morning in my experience.

 

[SeanG]

Northern cover Manchester Airport to Barrow - normally just 3 coaches (!) and that's one heck of a journey time-wise (2.5hrs) and deserves a trolley service; if there was room!! If a journey's over 2 hours surely it should be covered by a catering facility?

There used to be when it was TPE

 

[AY1975]

Greater Anglia used to have catering on some regional routes (other than the London to Norwich services) in the early or mid 2010s. I remember trolleys on the Norwich to Cambridge trains. I also remember trolleys on the London to Stansted trains. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes have them?

As I recall in Anglia Railways days, the Norwich-Cambridge service had trolleys for its first few years of operation in the early 2000s but they were soon found to be unprofitable and withdrawn after only a few years.

I also seem to recall that the Liverpool Street-Clactons and the Ipswich semi-fasts had them for a time in the last few years of BR but am not sure if they ever had them under either First Great Eastern or "One"/National Express East Anglia.

Can't remember when they were withdrawn on the Stansted Express services but am fairly sure it was before the current train fleet entered service. I certainly remember them on Class 317s under One/NXEA.

 

[150219]

I seem to remember Chiltern offloading trolleys at Bicester North, so perhaps only the Birmingham end of the line had catering towards the end.

It's a long time since I've seen the diagrams, but IIRC they were never diagrammed to do so at Bicester. It would or should have always been from Birmingham to Banbury or throughout to Marylebone.

I do recall however arranging changes from trains at other stations in the event of disruption/uncovered turns/need to change trolleys on an ad hoc basis to ensure the most coverage available as possible.

 

[Magdalia]

Also recall them on Great Northern services between Cambridge and London.

WAGN had catering trolleys on the Cambridge Cruisers around 2000-02.

I certainly remember them on Class 317s under One/NXEA

Trolleys on the Stansted Express are probably from the same period, when WAGN were the operator and the class 317/7s were new on the route.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Anything that was marketed by Regional Railways as ‘Alphaline’ should have had a trolley and this generally continued into privatisation.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Can't remember when they were withdrawn on the Stansted Express services but am fairly sure it was before the current train fleet entered service. I certainly remember them on Class 317s under One/NXEA.

I had a couple of friends who moved down to Essex to work on the Stansted Express trolleys. They came back north c.2005, but I can't recall if that's because the trolley service had finished.

WAGN had catering trolleys on the Cambridge Cruisers around 2000-02.

The unit that crashed at Potters Bar in 2002 had one on; at the time I worked for the same catering company, but in Leeds. I remember asking the manager if the steward/ess was okay, and thankfully they were.

 

[stadler]

Was there ever any period when Heathrow Express had a catering trolley? I am trying to remember if they did in their early days?

 

[Flange Squeal]

As I recall in Anglia Railways days, the Norwich-Cambridge service had trolleys for its first few years of operation in the early 2000s but they were soon found to be unprofitable and withdrawn after only a few years.

Anglia also had trolleys on some (all?) of the short-lived Crosslink services to Basingstoke. I’m not sure where they got on/off at the eastern end as the services had so many origin/destination points along the Great Eastern Mainline, however I certainly remember seeing them on the western section.

 

[hexagon789]

Anglia also had trolleys on some (all?) of the short-lived Crosslink services to Basingstoke. I’m not sure where they got on/off at the eastern end as the services had so many origin/destination points along the Great Eastern Mainline, however I certainly remember seeing them on the western section.

They actually had buffet counter service on the Crosslink services as I understand it.

 

[sh24]

Was there ever any period when Heathrow Express had a catering trolley? I am trying to remember if they did in their early days?

I was a regular user from 2001 and don’t remember any catering offer.

 

[alan71]

I also seem to recall that Thameslink's Bedford-Brighton services, and briefly even the St Albans-Sutton services, had them for a time in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Bedford-Brightons may even have had them under Network SouthEast in the late 80s and early 90s: NSE and Provincial Services/Regional Railways put trolleys on a lot of their medium to long distance trains.

My summer/winter holiday job from Uni in 92/93 was providing trolley service from Luton to Gatwick/brighton.
Two return trips to the seaside each day (my preferred option) or three returns to GTW.

I certainly racked up my 319 mileage!

 

[WestAnglian]

I am trying to make a list of all services that used to have catering trolleys but have since been scrapped.

I am just interested in privatisation days. There was hundreds in BR days so far too many to list. So i am just talking about routes with trolleys that got scrapped during recent privatisation days.

I can think of all of the following routes:

---

Southeastern had catering until December 2010 on the following trains:

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Hastings trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

London Midland had catering until August 2011 on the following trains:

• London Euston to Birmingham New Street trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Euston to Crewe trains (onboard for the entire route)

• Liverpool Lime Street to Birmingham New Street trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Southeastern had catering until November 2014 on the following trains:

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Faversham trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Maidstone trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Tonbridge trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Southern had catering until July 2015 on the following trains:

• London Victoria to Eastbourne / Hastings / Ore and Littlehampton trains (onboard betwen London Victoria and Lewes only)

• London Victoria to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour / Southampton Central and Bognor Regis trains (onboard between London Victoria and Horsham only)

• London Victoria to Brighton trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Gatwick Express had catering until July 2015 on the following trains:

• London Victoria to Gatwick Airport trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Victoria to Brighton trains (onboard between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport only)

---

Chiltern Railways had catering until May 2017 on the following trains:

• London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street / Birmingham Snow Hill / Kidderminster trains (onboard between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street only)

---

South Western Railway had catering until January 2021 on the following trains:

• London Waterloo to Bournemouth / Poole / Southampton Central / Weymouth trains (onboard between London Waterloo and Bournemouth only)

• London Waterloo to Bristol Temple Meads / Exeter Saint Davids / Salisbury trains (onboard between London Waterloo and Salisbury only)

• London Waterloo to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Waterloo to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour via Guildford trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

I vaguely remember a couple of others as well but i am struggling to find further details:

Greater Anglia used to have catering on some regional routes (other than the London to Norwich services) in the early or mid 2010s. I remember trolleys on the Norwich to Cambridge trains. I also remember trolleys on the London to Stansted trains. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes have them?

Great Western Railway used to have catering on some regional routes at least in to the mid or late 2010s. I remember trolleys on the Gatwick to Reading trains. I also remember trolleys on the Portsmouth and Brighton to Bristol and Cardiff trains. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes have them?

Southern used to have catering on the Brighton to Ashford trains for a short period in the mid 2000s. I seem to remember trolleys in 2005 when the service launched. But i think they got scrapped within a couple of years. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes (perhaps Brighton to Portsmouth or Brighton to Southampton etc) have them?

Can anyone confirm the above and are there any other routes that previously had catering that i have missed off the list.

WAGN Cambridge - Liverpoool St.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Aug 2025 ==

I am trying to make a list of all services that used to have catering trolleys but have since been scrapped.

I am just interested in privatisation days. There was hundreds in BR days so far too many to list. So i am just talking about routes with trolleys that got scrapped during recent privatisation days.

I can think of all of the following routes:

---

Southeastern had catering until December 2010 on the following trains:

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Hastings trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

London Midland had catering until August 2011 on the following trains:

• London Euston to Birmingham New Street trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Euston to Crewe trains (onboard for the entire route)

• Liverpool Lime Street to Birmingham New Street trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Southeastern had catering until November 2014 on the following trains:

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Faversham trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Maidstone trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Tonbridge trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Southern had catering until July 2015 on the following trains:

• London Victoria to Eastbourne / Hastings / Ore and Littlehampton trains (onboard betwen London Victoria and Lewes only)

• London Victoria to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour / Southampton Central and Bognor Regis trains (onboard between London Victoria and Horsham only)

• London Victoria to Brighton trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Gatwick Express had catering until July 2015 on the following trains:

• London Victoria to Gatwick Airport trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Victoria to Brighton trains (onboard between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport only)

---

Chiltern Railways had catering until May 2017 on the following trains:

• London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street / Birmingham Snow Hill / Kidderminster trains (onboard between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street only)

---

South Western Railway had catering until January 2021 on the following trains:

• London Waterloo to Bournemouth / Poole / Southampton Central / Weymouth trains (onboard between London Waterloo and Bournemouth only)

• London Waterloo to Bristol Temple Meads / Exeter Saint Davids / Salisbury trains (onboard between London Waterloo and Salisbury only)

• London Waterloo to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Waterloo to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour via Guildford trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

I vaguely remember a couple of others as well but i am struggling to find further details:

Greater Anglia used to have catering on some regional routes (other than the London to Norwich services) in the early or mid 2010s. I remember trolleys on the Norwich to Cambridge trains. I also remember trolleys on the London to Stansted trains. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes have them?

Great Western Railway used to have catering on some regional routes at least in to the mid or late 2010s. I remember trolleys on the Gatwick to Reading trains. I also remember trolleys on the Portsmouth and Brighton to Bristol and Cardiff trains. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes have them?

Southern used to have catering on the Brighton to Ashford trains for a short period in the mid 2000s. I seem to remember trolleys in 2005 when the service launched. But i think they got scrapped within a couple of years. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes (perhaps Brighton to Portsmouth or Brighton to Southampton etc) have them?

Can anyone confirm the above and are there any other routes that previously had catering that i have missed off the list.

Some Thamesiink had them for a while. I remember a particularly persistent steward persuanding me that the journey between London Bridge and East Croydon was plenty of time for a gin and tonic.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Aug 2025 ==

I am trying to make a list of all services that used to have catering trolleys but have since been scrapped.

I am just interested in privatisation days. There was hundreds in BR days so far too many to list. So i am just talking about routes with trolleys that got scrapped during recent privatisation days.

I can think of all of the following routes:

---

Southeastern had catering until December 2010 on the following trains:

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Hastings trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

London Midland had catering until August 2011 on the following trains:

• London Euston to Birmingham New Street trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Euston to Crewe trains (onboard for the entire route)

• Liverpool Lime Street to Birmingham New Street trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Southeastern had catering until November 2014 on the following trains:

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Faversham trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Maidstone trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Bridge / London Cannon Street / London Charing Cross / London Victoria to Ashford International / Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Tonbridge trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Southern had catering until July 2015 on the following trains:

• London Victoria to Eastbourne / Hastings / Ore and Littlehampton trains (onboard betwen London Victoria and Lewes only)

• London Victoria to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour / Southampton Central and Bognor Regis trains (onboard between London Victoria and Horsham only)

• London Victoria to Brighton trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

Gatwick Express had catering until July 2015 on the following trains:

• London Victoria to Gatwick Airport trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Victoria to Brighton trains (onboard between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport only)

---

Chiltern Railways had catering until May 2017 on the following trains:

• London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street / Birmingham Snow Hill / Kidderminster trains (onboard between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street only)

---

South Western Railway had catering until January 2021 on the following trains:

• London Waterloo to Bournemouth / Poole / Southampton Central / Weymouth trains (onboard between London Waterloo and Bournemouth only)

• London Waterloo to Bristol Temple Meads / Exeter Saint Davids / Salisbury trains (onboard between London Waterloo and Salisbury only)

• London Waterloo to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh trains (onboard for the entire route)

• London Waterloo to Portsmouth And Southsea / Portsmouth Harbour via Guildford trains (onboard for the entire route)

---

I vaguely remember a couple of others as well but i am struggling to find further details:

Greater Anglia used to have catering on some regional routes (other than the London to Norwich services) in the early or mid 2010s. I remember trolleys on the Norwich to Cambridge trains. I also remember trolleys on the London to Stansted trains. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes have them?

Great Western Railway used to have catering on some regional routes at least in to the mid or late 2010s. I remember trolleys on the Gatwick to Reading trains. I also remember trolleys on the Portsmouth and Brighton to Bristol and Cardiff trains. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes have them?

Southern used to have catering on the Brighton to Ashford trains for a short period in the mid 2000s. I seem to remember trolleys in 2005 when the service launched. But i think they got scrapped within a couple of years. Does anyone remember when these were withdrawn? Also did any other routes (perhaps Brighton to Portsmouth or Brighton to Southampton etc) have them?

Can anyone confirm the above and are there any other routes that previously had catering that i have missed off the list.

St. Pancras to Corby (at least in first). Presumably they had a proper buffet, also.