Same, the 12.04 down departure was my favourite, but at least the later 13.04 is returning. I think that one goes to Penzance only in the summer months, the rest of the time goes just as far as Plymouth.
That's v sad news LowLevel. I would regularly book that train and pay the asking price fare for the extra benefit offered!
yes used this several times
Yes, I'd tend to believe the MD more than the social media team...
I'd believe the person working in Upper Crust above some TOC twitter bods !
railwayworld.net
GNER being the honorable exception? As far as I'm aware (and I may well be wrong and happy to be corrected) but the restaurants on the western/GWT/FGW/GWR have been consistent since privatisation? With the obvious exception of during covid?GWR lunch back on the line
Restaurant car services on our national rail network were all but killed off by privatisation in the mid-1990s (GNER being an honourable exception) and the move towards airline-style at-seat servic…
Anglia Trains was, of course, the other honourable exception for many years: like GNER, they ran an extensive (and excellent) restaurant service throughout the day, until National Express killed it off in 2008. But the Great Western London-Plymouth route is indeed the only line to have had a consistently scheduled restaurant service, I believe running from the brief break during WW2 up until the pandemic; though it was down to four a day in the early 2010s - the minimum permitted in the franchise agreement - and was, frankly, almost a secret for many years, hence its lack of mention when people talked of the 'end of restaurant cars'.
Agreed - it was a rather sweeping generalisation and I know that dining survived on the Plymouth route and that there was a fine service on the Liverpool Street - Norwich line until National Express killed it off, as pointed out above.
I can strongly mirror your praise for TFW's Evening food service. I've never had a bad experience on it. My last long distance journey before Covid was on the "Gerald" in early 2020 from Cardiff to Chester. Every single table was occupied from Cardiff and I probably would have got turned away had I boarded at Newport, as a few people who had reserved seats couldn't find seats together. (for some reason no reservations were present)
Listen for an announcement. It might just be a test run if not. As far as I know the others are starting up on Monday.
I first discovered it in 2016, and had a few food experiences on the HST. I agree the ambience on the IET is far inferior to what went before, but the food and service is as good as ever. I expect silver service and full menu to return in due course. I've not tried the Gerald, but intend to when that comes back.
Me too!
It was always well used, at least from my own observation. Perhaps they just anticipate many of their former regulars not coming back. That said there can't have been too many making the full journey on a daily basis, so in that respect, I wonder how much will actually change. However it needs to be balanced with a good return journey as well, so whilst the up breakfast was well used, it's return journey, on the 10.48 ex Pad was less well used (more unpredictable), so perhaps the logic is an up lunch and return dinner will be better.That's a pity and I'm surprised, in days when HSTs were running and I not infrequently traveled between South Wales and London, the dining car on the one breakfast train from South Wales always seemed well-patronised and obviously quite a few "regulars."
Yet another reason not to use the train.
Up until around 2010 there were several restaurant trains on FGW, even what was the 15:00 from Plymouth had one! There was also the "Bistro" (who remembers that then!) Which was effectively just the travelling chef menu but you could sit in coach F and eat it from a plate with cutlery, wasn't silver service or anything. Didnt last long, must have been around 2008ish?
Sorry, the additional services like the one you mention, as well as the new Swansea one. I couldn't tell you about the full silver service yet either.
I can confirm the 13:04 was a Pullman train, but with the steak-less menu.
There are two up lunches from Plymouth. 12.00ish and 13.15, and now just one down lunch at 13.04. There is an up dinner at 18.15, and two down dinners at 18.04 and 19.04. In addition there is lunch from Swansea at 13.23, returning with dinner at 18.48.