Upgraded Services

[tbtc]

Which lines/ services have had the biggest upgrade in terms of passenger environment since privatisation?

I'm not talking about frequency improvements or longer trains or younger trains, I'm talking about "standard class only" services that have seen First Class introduced, services with no toilet that now have toilets on all trains, services with no buffet car that now have one (or even those that lacked even a trolley that now see one).

As an example, London to Worcester/ Hereford was mainly upgraded from 166s (commuter doors etc) to HSTs (with buffets) under FGW. The 185s saw First Class introduced on some services that lacked it beforehand.

Inspired by this comment about the downgrading of some services (with commuter door stock replacing "end door" stock, the fear that routes in future will lose their buffet cars or InterCity "feel" etc):

I think this is something we are going to see more of in the future. I mean previous intercity routes gradually going over to suburban stock. Liverpool - B'ham is now albeit with a greater frequency than before. London Midland right up to Crewe from Euston so such stations as Lichfield have little choice. Transpennine ex after electrification will be probably in the hands of 350's and so on. After HS2 will we see FCC extended from Peterborough up to Grantham, Kings Lynn, a similar distance from London was 47 plus mk 2 before electrification. Where does it stop ?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Transpennine services have increased from 2tph to 3, then 4, and will eventually be increased to 6 (albeit at the at least temporary cost of the HUD-MCV stopper). They also had 1st class accomodation reintroduced after it ended with the completion of 'Sprinterisation', though the affect of this on overcrowding is plain to see, even between the peaks!

Edit: The 1st class was not reintroduced with the 185s though- it came back when Northern Spirit refurbished the 158s used on the branded Transpennine Express services. However, as this was a separate brand within a larger franchise, it did result in units without 1st-class being provided quite regularly (usually the Metro 158s but occasionally 155/6s and even the odd pacer!) On the other hand, the TPE 158s also sometimes found their way onto non-express services, allowing those of us that knew this meant 1st-class was automatically declassified to take advantage!

 

[43074]

Nottingham to Birmingham and Cardiff. At privatisation there was an hourly service between Nottingham and Birmingham, and every other one of these went to Cardiff. Stock was 156/158 with no First Class and a top speed of 75/90 mph.
Now, there arehalf hourly services between Nottingham and Birmingham, hourly to Cardiff and with First Class formed of a Class 170 that goes at 100 mph in places.

 

[jimm]

As an example, London to Worcester/ Hereford was mainly upgraded from 166s (commuter doors etc) to HSTs (with buffets) under FGW.

Not really what happened on the Cotswold Line. At the end of 2004, it went to mainly 180s, with HSTs staying on the peak Hereford trains, then a couple of extra HST workings were added along the way to cope with increased loadings beyond the capabilities of 180s, which was pretty much the status quo until 2008 when the wind-down of 180s began. This resulted in a very brief period when most trains were HSTs but FGW rapidly decided it wasn't in the business of carrying air around and the 166s steadily reappeared from early 2009, operating the bulk of off-peak duties, which remained the case until last year, when the 180s returned (and with trolley catering, with the buffets shut), though these are still not operating at weekends, which remain 166 territory apart from the busiest trains, which are HSTs.

 

[ryan125hst]

services with no buffet car that now have one (or even those that lacked even a trolley that now see one).

I'd love to see that one! While some services may have gained a trolley service, from what I have seen, most buffet cars have been removed. And look at the restaurant cars, or lack of them!

Out of interest (I know this is the opposite of what the OP wanted) how many services operated by BR used to have a restuarant service, or a buffet, but no longer have them.

To go back to the OP, are there any services that have seen a considerable improvement in catering. I know that GNER increased the number of services with a restaurant during their franchise, a service that was reduced under NXEC and replaced by complementary food for first class passengers when the Eureka timetable was introduced.

 

[ainsworth74]

Out of interest (I know this is the opposite of what the OP wanted) how many services operated by BR used to have a restuarant service, or a buffet, but no longer have them.

Two hundredish restaurant services per weekday, there are now only four.

 

[Drsatan]

When BR was privatised, there was an hourly service from Salisbury to Southampton (which was a Regional Railways service from Cardiff to Portsmouth or Brighton), and an irregular local service operated by NSE from Salisbury to Eastleigh or Southampton Central, worked by 207s or 205s.

Since December 2007, there has been a half-hourly service from Salisbury to Southampton Central, shared between FGW and SWT, and all services are 158s. Romsey, Chandlers Ford, and Eastleigh also have an hourly service to Salisbury, whereas in 1994 Romsey to Eastleigh was freight-only.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I think the Chiltern route has got to be the obvious candidate here. It's had more of everything since privatisation. Massive improvements to track & signalling (doubling 30+ miles of single line, huge increases in line speed for almost the entire route) coupled with more destinations from the terminus at Marylebone, some very significant station improvements (notably Birmingham Moor Street & London Marylebone) new stations, new trains which have been refurbished to a high standard on more than one occasion, which are now offering free WiFi and power points to all passengers, the introduction of locomotive hauled trains with arguably the most comfortable interiors on the network. The line has gone from a backwater railway to a bona fide intercity route since 1996.
Today's experience certainly beats the pants off of a two hourly service to Birmingham taking two and a half hours in a 3+2 seating arrangement class 165.
Interestingly the 165's have had a small first class compartment removed from them during that time, but overall I'd argue it's a huge net gain, especially north of High Wycombe.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Two hundredish restaurant services per weekday, there are now only four.

Which routes that were not in/out of London had restaurant / grill car services in the 70s, 80, and 90s?

 

[Robinson]

Birmingham-Rugeley/Hereford? Before LM took over they'd have been predominantly Sprinter-worked; now they get 170s as standard...

 

[Welshman]

Which routes that were not in/out of London had restaurant / grill car services in the 70s, 80, and 90s?

I don't know about the 70s onwards, but two I remember in the 60s with restaurant/buffet cars were the Newcastle-Bournemouth services and the Newcastle-Liverpool services. I even remember being treated to Afternoon Tea between Newcastle and Leeds on one of those!

Some 1st gen. dmus also offered hot food. You could enjoy an Aberdeen Angus steak on the six-car "Trans-Pennine" units between Liverpool, Leeds & Hull, and even some of the original 4-car Met.Cam. units between Newcastle and Carlisle incorporated miniature buffets.

 

[ryan125hst]

Two hundredish restaurant services per weekday, there are now only four.

Presumably they were on the East Coast, West Coast and Great Western Main lines? Were there restaurant cars on other routes?

I don't know about the 70s onwards, but two I remember in the 60s with restaurant/buffet cars were the Newcastle-Bournemouth services and the Newcastle-Liverpool services. I even remember being treated to Afternoon Tea between Newcastle and Leeds on one of those!

Some 1st gen. dmus also offered hot food. You could enjoy an Aberdeen Angus steak on the six-car "Trans-Pennine" units between Liverpool, Leeds & Hull, and even some of the original 4-car Met.Cam. units between Newcastle and Carlisle incorporated miniature buffets.

It's sad really, as the Newcastle-Bournemouth services would presumably have been Cross-Country trains (What was the stock in the 60's? Mark 1's I'm guessing) which now only have a trolley service (and a very limited hot food menu for first class passengers).

Likewise, the TPE services now only have a trolley. Where were steaks cooked? Was there a buffet car with a proper kitchen?

 

[ainsworth74]

Presumably they were on the East Coast, West Coast and Great Western Main lines? Were there restaurant cars on other routes?

GEML, ECML, WCML, GWML and a few on XC but not that many, and I think they might have gone in the run up to privatisation. I also have a feeling there were some on the MML. That is, as far as I'm aware, the situation in the run up to privatisation. Then in some cases they went quickly (XC and WCML), others they lingered on for longer but have finally succumbed (GEML and ECML) and on one they still hang on by a thread (GWML).

Likewise, the TPE services now only have a trolley. Where were steaks cooked? Was there a buffet car with a proper kitchen?

The TPE units had a full buffet including kitchen I believe and in their original formation ran as six-car units.

Which routes that were not in/out of London had restaurant / grill car services in the 70s, 80, and 90s?

Depends when you're talking exactly. If you go back to the 60s then you would find them literally all over the place including the Far North Line in Scotland as places like the Cambrian Line in Wales. In some ways back then it might be easier to list lines that didn't Over the course of the following years they were via attrition whittled down to what you find around the run up to privatisation (which I've outlined above).

 

[sprinterguy]

The TPE units had a full buffet including kitchen I believe and in their original formation ran as six-car units.

Yup, the Transpennine class 124s had a fairly well provisioned griddle car when first introduced. I know that this sort of comment crops up on this forum all the time, but I sincerely wish that our modern day Transpennine units were similarly provisioned in terms of catering and train length!

 

[Twoonthebuzzer]

Severn Beach Line along with the Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction chord.

 

[MCR247]

Birmingham-Rugeley/Hereford? Before LM took over they'd have been predominantly Sprinter-worked; now they get 170s as standard...

Birmingham to Hereford got 170s under CT