Great Western Coffee Shop

I was told the other day that there will be no crosscountry catering west of Plymouth from the start of the new timetable in May,can anyone confirm this.

Seems unlikely as they have the staff for the three runs a day.
Certainly makes sense for the up runs maybe not the down runs so much.

By who?

  Does not matter who, just whether its correct or not thats why I am asking.

It makes more sense to cover the up workings than the down!

That is what I meant.

Because then we have a slight chance of working out how accurate this is!

::)

I was told this morning by a member of station staff at St. Austell, that since the timetable changed on the 18th May, there will be no catering west of Plymouth, for an unspecified period, while trains are refurbished for a catering trolley.

Wonder if the Monday and Friday 0830 Penzance - Dundee will have it, considering it is worked by an Arriva Cross Country HST which uses a trolley instead of buffet car.

I was told on Monday by crosssountry staff, the very same. Not enough money is being taken to keep the buffet service viable past Plymouth. Dont know how this is going to go down when the passengers who have made their travel arrangements already find out.??
The staff themselves dont seem too pleased, after all crosscountry have hardly had any data to measure this by!!

Seems fairly suicidal in summer! Trains are packed into Cornwall, how would the shop/buffet make no money??

Same applies for Paignton - I have often boarded a Paignton train at Exeter to find the 'shop' shut! Just when I needed something to eat/drink.

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/YourJourney/OnBoardServices/ShopAndCatering.aspx (http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/YourJourney/OnBoardServices/ShopAndCatering.aspx)

Cross country state that if going to Newquay the shop will stay open but all other services to Penzance will have no catering.

There is an article in the St. Austell Voice about the cross country catering situation, but I can not find an online version of the article to post a link.

The RMT are balloting on this and the removal of catering facilities from FGW high-speed trains. (links below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/05/rmt_to_ballot_train_staff_at_a.html#more

http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/05/rmt_to_ballot_700_fgw_train_st.html#more

Are XC axing buffet cars as well?

I think they are keeping shops on Vomiters though.

No Buffet cars and got a feeling the shop is being removed for bike spaces and bike space area will become a trolley store.

I heard that the leasing company said that they would have to put the shop back at the end of the lease.

So they said that the shop was staying!

I think it is foolish of them to remove the shop. Cross country trains are always overcrowded it seems. People lying in the vestibules, standing in the ailes on all services.

How will a trolly get through?

Mad...

The shop is wasteful in terms of the space it takes up though, thus more space for humans and luggage.

Thats what happens when you replace 7 coach HST's with 4 car DMU's!!!

Oxford Mail article link.
http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/display.var.2289621.0.ballot_for_rail_staff.php