Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 23:15 28 Mar 2024
- Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
- Easter getaways hit by travel disruption
- Where Baltimore bridge investigation goes now
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1992)
MOD Kineton tour, branch line society (*)

Train RunningCancelled
20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington
22:30 Gatwick Airport to Reading
Short Run
18:03 London Paddington to Penzance
20:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
21:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
23:04 Reading to Bedwyn
23:17 Bedwyn to Reading
Delayed
21:30 Gatwick Airport to Reading
21:45 Penzance to London Paddington
23:45 London Paddington to Penzance
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 23:26:44 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[104] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[103] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[78] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[56] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[41] Return of the BRUTE?
[25] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
Author Topic: Pullman on IET  (Read 13828 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« on: January 04, 2018, 21:07:24 »

I think we may have a restaurant car expert or three on the forum?   Any reports / comments?

From Wales Online

Quote
This fried breakfast has been dished up for the first time on one of Wales’ new diesel-electric intercity trains.

The Pullman dining car service has been moved over to the new fleet of Intercity Express Trains (IET (Intercity Express Train)) as the rollout of the new faster, larger trains continues.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2018, 21:10:20 »

Certainly looks extremely good...
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2018, 19:03:03 »

Looks good, but I have not tried the Pullman on any of the new trains as yet.

Whilst I am pleased to see that the Pullman service has survived the introduction of the DMUs (Diesel Multiple Unit), it does  NOT make up for the absence of a buffet on a so called inter city train.

I would be interested to know how the service is run with a pair of 5 car DMUs, and how diners and non dining first class are accommodated in the two different first class areas.
Are standard class allowed in the restaurant ?
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
alphaline
Newbie
*
Posts: 4


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2018, 22:21:26 »

Questions regarding the pullman....

Am I correct you can only book using a first class ticket? If you have a standard ticket it is down to luck?

I would imagine some first class advances are reasonably cheap.  If you take the 1045 from Padd to Swansea which has the pullman (I think only on weekdays) how far should I travel to enjoy the fine dining at leisure as opposed to being constrained by time.  I guess I could upgrade my ticket...

What a fantastic service.  Just a shame there are so few Pullmans and I would not risk buying a standard class ticket on the off chance of gaining a table.  I presume First Class passengers pay extra for the food.

With priv rate I would imagine you can buy a priv rate standard ticket and again gamble for a seat...

Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2018, 08:47:00 »

Yes, first class can book a seat in the Pullman. On HSTs (High Speed Train), standard class can also dine if space is available on the day, but can not book. I presume this also applies on the new trains.

No Pullmans operate on weekends or public holidays.

The time taken to enjoy a meal without rushing, is a bit subjective but I would say at least two hours. I regularly dine on the 18-03 from Paddington, alighting at Taunton. That is just under two hours and can be a little rushed.

The price of the meal is in addition to the fare, expect to pay from about £50 a head up to about £100 a head, depending on what if any drink is taken. Menus with prices are on the GWR (Great Western Railway) website.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9810



View Profile
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2018, 10:10:03 »

Just to add the 10:45 London Paddington to Swansea service serves the brunch menu rather than the full dinner, so you could probably fit in a meal without rushing in around an hour - so London to Swindon or Bristol Parkway.
Logged
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9810



View Profile
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2018, 18:40:42 »

Finally got the chance to take brunch on the 10::45 London Paddington to Swansea South Wales Pullman for the first time since it moved from an HST (High Speed Train) to an IET (Intercity Express Train).

On the ten car service the restaurant is laid up in one of the two first class coaches in the five car set nearest the buffers.

The menu is the same as before with a choice of cereals, porridge or yoghurt (with or without granola).   Following that there is the traditional fried breakfast, vegetarian alternative or salmon with scrambled egg.  For a lower price there is also scrambled egg on toast.





The service is easier for the staff as it is a straight path out of the kitchen to serve the food.  The kitchen features halogen hobs, combi oven and a large grill.  It is also easier for the train planners as all the five car IETs have the same kitchen.  Currently reliability of the service to the West of England is suffering as control struggle to diagram the remaining HST kitchens onto the services to and from Plymouth and keep things like mini-buffets away from those trains.  All the modules used to bring the food and other equipment needed for the service now have dedicated storage places within the IET kitchen, so staff no longer need to push them past diners at the beginning and end of the meal.  They also have a dedicated door to load and unload which will be particularly useful on busy trains where delays can occur while passengers and modules try to board or alight at the same time at the start or end of a journey.

There are currently two things currently missing from the IET service.  There is no steamer so it is cold milk with the coffee (which doesn't really bother me).  However, for reasons no-one can explain, there is also no ice being provided.  Hopefully whatever the reason that will be resolved.

The seat layout may lead to some comment.



The bays of four are much the same as on the HST.  However the tables for two have been replaced by single seats all facing the same way.  I am not particularly worried which way I face so not an issue for me. However someone who likes to travel in a particular direction is either going to have to put up with it or tie up on seat on a bay of four which makes seating those travelling together more difficult.



There is one pair of seats together.  Currently it is not being laid up, and with a lack of any view, it isn't likely to be popular.

The nine car IETs will have a slightly larger kitchen and with first class at both ends of the train the plan is the whole of first class at the London end of the train will be devoted to the Pullman.  They are due to run to and from Swansea from mid-September.

Logged
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7746



View Profile
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2018, 20:07:13 »

I was on the 1255 from Plymouth to Paddington today, Pullman was virtually empty, repeated calls for anyone who fancied eating to go to coach K. As we pulled into Reading I heard the steward and one of the other staff complaining about the kitchens on the IET (Intercity Express Train) and suggesting that the Pullman format will be reviewed later in the year.
Logged
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9810



View Profile
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2018, 20:11:52 »

January/February is always a quieter time on the Pullmans, although usually a Monday is fairly busy - especially on the earlier 12:01.

I am told there is to be a big media re-launch in August when the new trains are here.

I know the West of England crews are very frustrated at the number of times they cannot do a service at the moment due to having a mini buffet rather than a kitchen.  That isn't going to help foster custom in the short or medium term.
Logged
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7156


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2018, 20:38:06 »

The nine car IETs (Intercity Express Train) will have a slightly larger kitchen and with first class at both ends of the train the plan is the whole of first class at the London end of the train will be devoted to the Pullman.  They are due to run to and from Swansea from mid-September.

Really? That would be a change from the plan as always seen so far, with the obvious arrangement of all the first class at one end (DPTS+MS+MS+TS+MS+TS+MC+MF ((in timetables) Monday to Friday)+DPTF).
Logged
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9810



View Profile
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2018, 20:39:17 »

Was news to me, but that is what I was told.
Logged
Richard Fairhurst
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1204


View Profile Email
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2018, 20:50:26 »

The service is easier for the staff as it is a straight path out of the kitchen to serve the food.  The kitchen features halogen hobs, combi oven and a large grill.  It is also easier for the train planners as all the five car IETs (Intercity Express Train) have the same kitchen.

The food does look mouth-watering, but I'll admit to not being convinced that putting a sizeable kitchen on every train is a sensible use of space for units that are going to spend much of their time on commuter duties.
Logged
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 18894



View Profile
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2018, 21:37:12 »

Full fleet flexibility.

And who knows, maybe even a hot food offering in non Pullman 1st Class in the future. Say for journeys of around an hour or more. Just like Virgin West Coast and (soon to be HMG) East Coast.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2018, 22:21:12 by bignosemac » Logged

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

- Sir Terry Pratchett.
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7746



View Profile
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2018, 22:19:11 »

Full fleet flexibility.

And who knows, maybe even a hot food offering in non Pullman 1st Class in the future. Say for journeys of around an hour or more. Just as Virgin West Coast and (soon to be HMG) East Coast.

......they could call it "Travelling Chef" 😂
Logged
devonexpress
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 294


View Profile
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2018, 14:10:58 »

Was news to me, but that is what I was told.

The 9 Car Class 800s & 802s, will have first class at only ONE end. where the kitchen is, the other end will be standard class. As per HST (High Speed Train).
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page