GWR Pullman dining reinstated

[williamn]

Brilliant, thank you! Will be trying one of the up lunches from Exeter St. Davids next week hopefully.

Oh and GWR Twitter team denied any knowledge of the new services today, great to know they’ve really thought about how to market them…

 

[DDB]

They did - but it appears to be a certainty it also won't be back. A better catering offer at weekends but a less good one in the week for "consistent service" appears to be the future on the MML, I think the last first class breakfast has been served unfortunately. Those trains would have been full anyway with or without breakfast - they always were in both standard and first.

I will definitely miss the breakfast train on a Saturday from Nottingham and will probably switch to going via Grantham for the LNER bacon roll instead. I did always wonder about the staffing though as it needed a chef and extra first class hosts that did a single trip on a Saturday morning. Did they get paid for a whole shift which would be expensive but reasonable as it would mean they couldn't do anything else with their Saturdays.

I hope EMR will at least consider a bacon roll or similar.

 

[Private Baxter]

Brilliant, thank you! Will be trying one of the up lunches from Exeter St. Davids next week hopefully.

Oh and GWR Twitter team denied any knowledge of the new services today, great to know they’ve really thought about how to market them…

It is disappointing no real promotion has been done, although it had always previously been considered 'Britain's best kept secret'. They have however now updated the website with the times, curious by their absence however is the 12.08 up lunch, and 18.04 down return dinner. Perhaps that will make a comeback at a later date.

Enjoy it when you do yours! I intend to do one in the next few weeks as well. It has been too long!

 

[work-traveller]

It's strange this one survives but nothing on London -Edinburgh/Glasgow, you would think that would be a more lucrative market.

The nearest experience to that would be the table service in the Club Car on the Caledonian Sleeper and the Business Class dining with Arriva Trains.

 

[popeter45]

any idea if the new swansea pullman services will be running next week or was last week the only test?

 

[jimbogreen]

Hi all - I'm thinking about doing the Pullman for the very first time later this month. I'll be travelling from London - Plymouth. Do you know if you can remain in the first class seats for the entire journey? Or do they do two sittings? Thanks!

 

[Essexman]

Hi all - I'm thinking about doing the Pullman for the very first time later this month. I'll be travelling from London - Plymouth. Do you know if you can remain in the first class seats for the entire journey? Or do they do two sittings? Thanks!

Only one sitting.
They may let you stay in the restaurant until Plymouth but often they ask people to leave once they've finished coffee and paid, which is generally around Exeter.

 

[stephens]

Hi all - I'm thinking about doing the Pullman for the very first time later this month. I'll be travelling from London - Plymouth. Do you know if you can remain in the first class seats for the entire journey? Or do they do two sittings? Thanks!

Hi,
I have done several Pullmans on Plymouth - London journeys. On these if you have a first class ticket you can remain in your seat for the entire journey.
There is only one sitting.
I presume London - Plymouth will be the same.
I would advise you to watch where the food is loaded (if two 5-car units) and speak to the catering staff to reserve your place as soon as you board the train.
Hope this helps, and enjoy your meal.
Stephen

 

[robert thomas]

I travelled up from Neath to Swindon in the Pullman Restaurant yesterday. I was the only diner due to the total lack of publicity. The quality of the food was good,allowing for therestricted menu, though the ratatouille with the confit duck was a little dry. The Rioja was excellent.

 

[williamn]

Currently on the 14.16 from Exeter. Dining seems to be in coach K for some reason. A total of three diners and no flair given to selling it on board (no mentioning its £30 for three courses for example). Food actually v good.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I travelled up from Neath to Swindon in the Pullman Restaurant yesterday. I was the only diner due to the total lack of publicity. The quality of the food was good,allowing for therestricted menu, though the ratatouille with the confit duck was a little dry. The Rioja was excellent.

Thanks - a bit of media advertising on this locally would be good. Potentially a good news story for South Wales rail. Did you grab a shot of the menu card perchance.

 

[Watershed]

Did you grab a shot of the menu card perchance.

The GWR website gives details of the menu for each train.

 

[williamn]

The GWR website gives details of the menu for each train.

Though still denies the existence of the earlier lunch train from Plymouth!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The GWR website gives details of the menu for each train.

Thank you - not bad.

 

[jimbogreen]

Thanks for the information! Very helpful

 

[Mag_seven]

I was on the 18.48 Paddington to Swansea this evening and the steward invited both first and standard class passengers to take a seat in the Pullman dining area implying that they were not busy.

 

[Private Baxter]

Currently on the 14.16 from Exeter. Dining seems to be in coach K for some reason. A total of three diners and no flair given to selling it on board (no mentioning its £30 for three courses for example). Food actually v good.

Glad you finally got to do it. Was this a 10 car? Coach K (composite) has the perfect layout for Pullman, with a mixture of seating varieties, facing all directions, and the right amount of seats. Of course it isn't near the kitchen, and doesn't work for wheelchair users hence L is used. I wonder why they.swt up K on that occasion.

Though still denies the existence of the earlier lunch train from Plymouth!

It does, so I'm a bit confused as to whether it actually runs!

I was on the 18.48 Paddington to Swansea this evening and the steward invited both first and standard class passengers to take a seat in the Pullman dining area implying that they were not busy.

there has been virtually no promotion of it, which had always been the way. It will I expect, grow over time. That said, mid week was always the quietest time on the Pullman, at least according to one crew I spoke to a couple of years ago.

 

[williamn]

Glad you finally got to do it. Was this a 10 car? Coach K (composite

No a 9 car. Coach L seemed to be reserved just for the use of crew…

Seems bizarre you go to the trouble of reintroducing this service and then do zero promotion. Just some posts on social media and better selling of it on board would be a start and costs nothing.

 

[Private Baxter]

No a 9 car. Coach L seemed to be reserved just for the use of crew…

Seems bizarre you go to the trouble of reintroducing this service and then do zero promotion. Just some posts on social media and better selling of it on board would be a start and costs nothing.

That surprises me, as a few seats in coach A tend to be cordoned off for staff these days.
How many seats were set up in coach K for dining?
I too was waiting for further promotion of its launch, but never seemed to happen.

 

[Horizon22]

That surprises me, as a few seats in coach A tend to be cordoned off for staff these days.
How many seats were set up in coach K for dining?
I too was waiting for further promotion of its launch, but never seemed to happen.

It should be coach A (which has red tags for staff) but a lot of trains have been running around in reverse recently which may explain why.

 

[30907]

No a 9 car. Coach L seemed to be reserved just for the use of crew…

Seems bizarre you go to the trouble of reintroducing this service and then do zero promotion. Just some posts on social media and better selling of it on board would be a start and costs nothing.

Agree about onboard promotion, but anything else would be a hostage to fortune (aka Covid) ATM.

 

[williamn]

Train was in the usual direction, first at the London end. Only 8 seats set up for dining as far as I could see. Staff seemed to be ‘hanging out’ in coach L, of course they were woefully underemployed given there were 3 of them for 3 diners!

 

[Watershed]

Did the Pullman with two friends today, great service as always. Was told that the current menu is likely to last until December unfortunately, which is a shame as the excellent steak dish is missing.

Still, now red penned two thirds of the new menu

 

[nanstallon]

The GWR dining facility is great. But as a standard class traveller, I have a dilemma. If there is no space in the diner, I face a four hour journey without any food other than the very limited offering from the trolley. So, I have to pop into a supermarket before getting onto the train, and stock up in case I can't get into the diner. If I can get in the diner, I end up with a carrier bag full of food that needs eating up next day. First World problems!

 

[williamn]

I had the same worry, but sadly given the lack of advertising I don't think you need worry about not getting a seat..

 

[gallafent]

The GWR dining facility is great. But as a standard class traveller, I have a dilemma. If there is no space in the diner, I face a four hour journey without any food other than the very limited offering from the trolley.

Wasn't the original idea to be able to order all sorts of proper food from the trolley as it went past, which would then be prepared in the kitchen and brought to you at your seat? This was supposed to have been going to be a way in which the “no buffet on any train, but a proper kitchen on every train” change from HSTs to IETs was an improvement …

Having said that, I haven't travelled long haul on GWR for a long time now, only Thames Valley, so don't know if this offer was ever actually made real.

… and I don't know what it's like now, but the trolley actually going past was a remarkably rare occurrence, back when I was using the services relatively frequently …

 

[andythebrave]

.....

 

[RPI]

The GWR dining facility is great. But as a standard class traveller, I have a dilemma. If there is no space in the diner, I face a four hour journey without any food other than the very limited offering from the trolley. So, I have to pop into a supermarket before getting onto the train, and stock up in case I can't get into the diner. If I can get in the diner, I end up with a carrier bag full of food that needs eating up next day. First World problems!

I have noticed that sandwiches have returned to the standard trolleys on some trains this week

 

[Goldfish62]

I have noticed that sandwiches have returned to the standard trolleys on some trains this week

Good. I can't begin to imagine why Covid supposedly prevented them being available, but then "due to Covid" seems to be a blanket non-excuse for so much at the moment.

 

[nanstallon]

Good. I can't begin to imagine why Covid supposedly prevented them being available, but then "due to Covid" seems to be a blanket non-excuse for so much at the moment.

Yes, so British - code for 'couldn't be bothered'!