What future is there for on-train catering?

[AM9]

In that case, bring on the doors-at-thirds for everyone!

The reality is that if, as I hope, journey times continue to fall, train catering will become more and more niche to the point of virtually disappearing entirely.

Doesn't take ten hours to get from London to Scotland any more....

As heating and AC is much better than of years gone by, I don't have an issue with 1/3 & 2/3 doors but for some it seems that is as bad as longitudonal seating and strap-hanging.

 

[Tester]

Rent trolleys as concessions to any business that applies, on any route. Let them (within reason) pick and choose which trains and times they serve and the food and drink they sell. Make it really simple for them.

Leave the innovation (and the risk) to business owner willing to chance it. They'll soon find out what works.

Related, but I understand that one of the JR (Japan Railways) companies decided, as an experiment, to let the trolley staff choose what they loaded, rather than it being pre-ordained. Apparently it was very successful - the staff knew what sold, varying with time of day etc..

 

[dk1]

Rent trolleys as concessions to any business that applies, on any route. Let them (within reason) pick and choose which trains and times they serve and the food and drink they sell. Make it really simple for them.

Leave the innovation (and the risk) to business owner willing to chance it. They'll soon find out what works.

I bet they’d pay their staff the bare minimum too with lousy conditions.

 

[Iskra]

Could pre-ordered (higher quality) microwave meals be provided (weren't XC trialling this pre-Covid?). Most express passenger stock has a microwave, so multiple operators could be supplied at certain node stations- eg Reading, Birmingham, Glasgow, York, Edinburgh etc. This would allow a fairly widespread offering across the network, with little wastage as meals would be pre-ordered and pre-paid. It would have to be delivered by existing staff though that are already onboard to make it a revenue positive and productive solution however, which is probably the only way you could realistically 'sell the idea' to revenue-conscious decision makers. That way most long-distance trains would have a decent catering offering open to all.