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Last call for the restaurant car
Jonathan Prynn and Benedict Moore-Bridger21 Nov 2008
THE last sit-down restaurant car on London's commuter network has been axed.
National Express is to stop serving three-course dinners, lunch, breakfast and afternoon tea on its Liverpool Street to Norwich route from 19 December.
Commuters accustomed to dishes such as crayfish tails (£4.95), fillet steak (£16.95) and pear and quince tart (£4.25), have been told they will have to make do with a buffet and trolley.
Workers eating on the 18.20 Norwich service last night said they were dismayed by the decision.
Insurance underwriter Andrew Smith, 37, of Norwich, said: "It is a great institution, and it is devastating that it is going. I'm appalled."
Jane Gosling, 36, also from Norwich, works as an IT consultant in the City. She said: "When I get back it is too late to cook, so it looks like it will be fast food now or not having anything."
The 24-seat car was brought into service in the early Sixties.
Derek Monnery, chairman of the Essex Rail Users Federation, said: "Someone at National Express's head office who doesn't care has said 'we don't need restaurant cars, let's take them away'. It is a dumbed down, pack 'em in and sell 'em cheap way to run a railway."
The only other trains coming into London that provide sit-down cooked meals are long-distance services from Scotland and the West Country.
Other London commuter dining car services such as the Brighton Belle and the Bournemouth Belle were withdrawn decades ago.
Rail expert Barry Doe, who regularly uses the service to visit his brother in Norwich, said the dining car service was one of the very few in Europe that was not loss-making.
He said: "It's like Gordon Ramsay saying 'we're making a huge profit, we're full every night but we're going to shut down because some people prefer Burger King'." A spokeswoman for National Express said: "Not a lot of people want to sit down to a three-course meal on the way home."
Reader views (16)
Travelling from Lowestoft to London on a good day takes nearly 3 hours - the only pleasure of an early start was getting on-board at Norwich and sitting down for a great English Breakfast, or enjoying a good steak meal on the way home from the city.
I had also promised my wife a theatre treat in London including a meal on the train - how romantic we thought!
It is disappointing that none of these treats are now possible.
Is no one prepared to franchise or run a resturant service???
- Andrew Catchpole, Lowestoft, UK, 27/12/2009 10:55
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Yet another example of profit & loss before right and wrong; except, in this case, there were profits in the National Express East Anglia (NXEA's) restaurant car service. The privatised railway in the UK has clearly forgotten it was a Public Service. No wonder the rest of the develoed world laugh at the UK.
But the worst is yet to come on this route: I wonder what public reaction will be when NXEA withdraws its comforatble ex Vigin / BR InterCity loco-hauled rolling stock for electric 'buses on rails next year? Bring back nationalisation (or a form of the old intelligent BR at least). Otherwise, any pleasure in rail travel over here will be gone for good.
- Neville Hill, Frinton-on-Sea, UK., 28/01/2009 12:29
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The number of jobs National Express proposing to shed does not take into account their recent profits. The call centre at Norwich have proved to be excellent, the restaurant cars, truely excellent. The MD of National Express who recently made the news through other dealings should be ashamed that he and his directors have pushed the closure of the restaurant cars. Train services need these facilities to give fare-paying passengers something different and what better way than to eat and enjoy at a table while travelling at 80mph. They should reconsider and look to ways to even more enhance the service.
- Paul Playford, Norfolk, 18/12/2008 11:58
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The restaurant on tonight's (5th December) 19.30 service from London was totally full and the service was flawless and surprisingly affordable. Anglia Railways and then ONE really did well to improve the overall service on the Norwich to London line, particularly with regards to comfort and catering and it seems quite ridiculous to end a service that is popular and accessible. (Perhaps contrary to popular belief, a 1st class ticket was not required to dine!) My main concern is that once a service like this is ended, they are lost forever. National Express should give a lot of consideration to its decision. Services like these do a lot to enhance the brand and standing of this franchise.
- Justin Hewelt, London, 06/12/2008 01:25
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I canot believe the restaurant car service is to be stopped. If National Express could operate in a consumer friendly way, there would be a service on EVERY train - even if just offering morning and afternoon teas between the main meal times! I for one would use it every time I travelled as it makes the time spend on the train a journey rather than a chore! It surely would provide a greater incentive for train travel and boost the numbers using the catering service. Since the change of operational ownership there has been nothing but deterioration in the service and short-sighted, short-term thinking. Having used the trains in this region for 10 years it is disappointing that the business now comes before the customer.
- Kaye, Diss, 03/12/2008 16:39
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please keep the restaurant
- Rodney Wheatley, gt yarmouth norfolk, 03/12/2008 13:31
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This is a really positive step towards equality. I think that first class carriages should be withdrawn too and everyone should sit in the same type of seat and eat the same type of food off the trolley. They should arrive at the car park in the same type of car and live in the same type of house. There should be no choice. I take my hat off to National Express for promoting socialism on the London to Norwich route.
- Walter Ubricht, Norwich UK, 29/11/2008 20:11
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After a long hard day in the marine claims market, I also enjoyed the comforts of the restaurant car and socialising and drinking with like minded people, the food was always magnificant and their Riocha was a supberb tipple. It is definately on a par with Bertrorelli's my favourite London eaterie. I will have to ensure I now eat there before returning home. Other than that I will have to pay Tesco's a visit before boarding the train for my olives, feta cheese and other assorted snacks. And more importantly my cans of stella. The decision by National Express is an outrage, fellow commuters what can we do ?
- Andrew Harvay, Ipswich, Ipswich, 27/11/2008 11:53
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How very short sighted - the easiest option for a quick profit. The restaurants are always full and are profitable. To be honest if a second carriage went on that would probably be full as well. Why cant national express be proud of their award winning service and the wonderful helpful staff. They say they want to invest in improved customer service - sorry come again, improve the service ? surely closing down such a quality service is making the service worse. The pace of life today is such that many commuters are suffering from stressed out lifestyles and other medical conditions relating to diets of fast food taken on the run ,this service offers an oasis of clam , a well balanced healthy meal and a cup of good old British tea in a proper cup and saucer, I for one dont think tea in a paper cup and some pre made sandwiches comes any where near. Let the customers who want fast food buy it on the station but please leave the much loved service for those who feel its the only pleasure left in rail transport. please please please make National Express reconsider.
- Donna - Norwich, Norwich Norfolk, 25/11/2008 16:52
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I do not own a car and nearly always use the train when travelling away on work. The restaurant car service was excellent it allowed me to work long hours secure in the knowledge that a meal of some quality was available at the end of the day on my return to Suffolk. The managers of National Express should be sent out from their stations at Norwich, Diss, Stowmarket, Ipswich and even Liverpool Street to try and find a meal of similar quality close to any of these stations. Just try and find a meal between 5pm and 7pm or a full breakfast between 7am and 9am in most places. What I hate most about National Express's decision is their betrayal of their own staff.
- A M Breen, Needham Market, Suffolk, 24/11/2008 17:08
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To truly cut costs there would simply be vending machines - brace for that.
Here in the US, Thanksgiving is upon us. I am always thankful that I work only 10 minutes from home, and I truly wish you long haul commuters could have the same experience.
- Trunk, US, 24/11/2008 00:48
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Twenty years ago I regularly made longer journeys by rail. Having a full breakfast at 7:00 am and dinner at 20:00 made the long days bearable. Now on some routes all you can get are buffet snacks. And sometimes not even a seat to eat 'on the go'! Britain has gone to the dogs!
- Michael, London, 21/11/2008 17:30
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National Express East Anglia's decision to close the restaurant car on peak Norwich / London and return is short-sighted & will alienate customers. But it doesn't care - it's only a coach company really!
Would a top chef close a successful restaurant? Of course not! This may not be National Express's core business, but the trains serving breakfast and dinner are always completely full. I invariably plan my meetings so that I travel on a 'breakfast' train and return on the 1930 from Liverpool Street (often ignoring the 1900!).
The atmosphere, food and networking opportunities in the restaurant are amazing. I've met new clients through sharing a table.
Ironically, the day the announcement was made, the training into Liverpool Street, that would form the 1930 to Norwich, was 25 mins late. We all congregated on platform 8 at just the right place to get on the Restaurant Car and commented on how civilised it was to know that a fabulous meal was awaiting us. Within seconds of the train arriving, the Restaurant was full and the wonderful staff were serving us drinks.
I understand we have the slowest 'inter-city' service in the UK. Closing the restaurant will do nothing to speed up the service. Letting us enjoy good food on our journey will at least allow us to relax and arrive at our meetings / shopping trips in good heart!!
If National Express is really desperate, I don't think any of the regular diners would object to a small increase in the price of breakfast or dinner..
- Stephanie Allen, Norwich Norfolk, 21/11/2008 15:43
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Yet another coach company following the First Great Western example of making the journey so uncomforatble for passengers that they use their coaches instead. The next stage is to replace the seats with cheap hard seats, just like FGW.
- Patrick Griffin, Dalston, London, 21/11/2008 13:15
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Why not franchise these dining services?
If a catering company can make it pay, and generate a return for the rail company as well, why not?
Britain needs people with a can-do approach, not continual pessimism.
- John, London, 21/11/2008 12:58
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Shame! The only thing the railways could pride thremselves on over the past years have been their meals! The breakfasts. afternoon teas and high-teas.
- John Frum, Bracknell, 21/11/2008 11:56
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