Quotes are from the headline "meet the manager" thread ... I'm replying here to keep the buffet / trolley stuff discussions in one place so it's easier to get the whole discussion.I've read the correspondence with Mark Hopwood on the replacement of buffets with trolleys on the longer distance inter city services with interest.Is this the same Mark Hopwood who,when interviewed in Modern Railways in April 2009 in his capacity as MD of First Great Western admitted that trolleys did not work on long distance services and outlined plans to create a new fleet of Trailer Standard Buffets for its HST▸ fleet to ensure every set had a buffet? He was quoted as saying" I dont think anyone is suggesting that if you're going to be making a journey for several hours we want to withdraw the ability for you to buy food and drink on the train...and yes, the original franchise proposition has changed in that we're not going for the trolley service in Standard Class now"
His current attitude to buffets also contrasts strongly with that of the East Coast where it has been reported that Virgin East Coast fought successfully to secure the inclusion of buffets.I'm afraid my interpretation of the situation is that GWR▸ no longer have an appetite for running the business beyond the current franchise period,have no longer a vision for delivering a quality service and were accordingly prepared to be rolled over by the DfT»
Firstly, the choice that is made by the DfT and the
TOC▸ is one that is the most practical, that hopefully works the best and suits the design a lot. Now, whether the MD did make these comments a lot I am sure that he could have a different opinion or the original attempt of using trolleys was not the best trial and that later on it proved more successful. The reason that East Coast were able to have a buffet on their trains is because they were allowed minor interior adjustments and (this was after the
GW▸ design was confirmed) were allowed to have a buffet on their trains.
Seats are the main thing that DfT want when it comes to new trains and railway upgrades. GWR do still work hard to run the franchise and if they were so incompetent then I am sure they would have been stripped of their franchise. As far as I am concerned I am unaware that the main requirement when running a TOC is to have a buffet and the catering offering is looking to be improved at the moment.
(Apologies if this should be on the buffet question thread however I thought here would be an appropriate place to reply.)
On train refreshments are caught between a rock and a hard place - buffets are far from perfect and trolleys are far from perfect too. And passengers are very much individuals - both in terms of personal choice and in terms of journey metrics.
The current
fare system by general consent is riddled with curiosities, sometime translated as "not fit for purpose", but no-one has grasped the nettle and done a root and branch change. That's because there would be winners and losers. The winners would settle down to the new fares they loved and become naturalised with them in weeks but the losers would be incensed for years at how it was worse for them, and would be picking holes in the new system's teething problems and new wrinkles. The same metrics apply to
refreshment systems though we're further along the way - the changes have been made, the winners are quietly enjoying their new positives and those who have lost what worked for them remain unhappy, and looking to pick any holes they can / point out teething troubles in the new system.
It is worthwhile to provide train operators, and behind them train providers and specifying / contracting authorities with ongoing constructive criticism. Whether you like the new system or not, feedback on teething troubles is useful - both in terms of new ideas and in terms of showing the relative strengths of concerns. But note that the rail industry and those behind them understand deeply what's going on for the most part, and will probably have heard and (I hope) listened to most ideas already - so your rate of return on input may be pretty low. And if your input is "bring back the buffet", at this time you're asking for something that would be pretty expensive involving a refit of trains very new and not due for any form of refit in the near future.
I cannot talk for Mark Hopwood. But I can put myself in his shoes. And I can note the use of the word "now" in the quote from a decade ago too. Given the trains into which the GWR team have no doubt had considerable input, but final decisions are not theirs, the best was forward for the GWR team in to grow and work with what they have - may not be perfect, but it still provides food and drink during the long move. And it can be moved up if we all work it through initial adjustments and teething from merely "providing" to "good" and perhaps "darned good". We will never reach perfect for everyone - but then no system I've seen suggested yet is.
I accept that we'll probably never see a buffet again in GWR country.
I also accept that the kitchen is still taking up space that could be used for seating.
My friend cannot accept that the coffee choices have been reduced from various freshly ground options to just instant.
I accept that the
DFT▸ wanted more seats on the train so the buffet had to go but...............
Why for the love of [insert deity of your choice] did we get stuck in 1st with the rock hard Fainsa seats in sand paper 'feel fabric'. The carpet is softer than the seat fabric which says it all really. At least the previous seats were more ergonomically fitted for your bum (and leather). Even the Adelante trains were nicer in 1st than the
IET▸ .
I'm prepared to trade the buffet for more seats just not those seats with that inernal decor.
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