Train passenger gets pizza delivered to her carrriage mid-journey

[whole diary]

[grahame]

http://travel.aol.co.uk/2013/08/13/train-passenger-pizza-hut-delivery-carriage-station-newport/?

Never mind a cuppa and a packet of crisps, one train passenger got so hungry during her journey, she ordered a takeaway pizza to be delivered to her carriage - in a 50-second station stop.

[trainer]

Full marks for enterprise to both pax and the delivery company.  I notice in the picture with the article, the table is extremely greasy and as I guess it was its last journey of the day, I imagine that the train got a good clean.  I wouldn't want to sit there next day with stale garlic and dead pepperoni wafting into my nostrils  (chose 'cheesy grin' smiley for its food connotations).

[Rhydgaled]

Nice move, can I do that with some Fish 'n' Chips? I do think the railway needs to provide more breakfast/dinner trains (the evening meals on the WAG^» (Welsh Assembly Government - about) Express are too fancy for a very fussy eater like myself though) and/or dining opertunities at stations.

My trip to Lymingnton a few years back to see the last slammers just prior to withdrawall involved using the Cardiff - Portsmouth service. Too small a train to provide anything but a trolley of course but we arrived so late that all I had for 'dinner' was some flapjack my Granmother had packed. I was not pleased.

My regular trips between Aberystwyth and Manchester over the past year weren't much better, with a sausage roll from the cafe at Shrewsbury while changing trains the best we could manage (and the cafe wasn't always open). The Swansea/Cardiff - Manchester route should be an Intercity service (with rolling stock similar to the WAG Express) in my opinion, 2/3-car 175s just aren't sufficent for linking such important cities.

On the other hand, car travellers often have the option of stopping at a motorway services for dinner (although on the Manchester trips this year by car, there was nothing much between Oswestry and home (in Pembs.). On train dining would therefore be an advantage of rail travel, saving journey time by eating on the move, though in cases of short trains early/late openning full-dining facilities at stations might be the more feesable option. This is another concern I have about IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.), the kitchen/buffet appears to be in the first class driving vehicle. Just a trolley for standard class passengers then?

Interesting picture though, Port Talbot to Manchester with a 158 (the route is normally all 175 except one return trip on Saturdays as far as I know).

[grahame]

Nice move, can I do that with some Fish 'n' Chips?

I fear that anything more than a very occasional use of this technique would lead to all sort of issues with the time that a train pauses in a station, and there's a potential effect of the safety of station operation

On the other hand, car travellers often have the option of stopping at a motorway services for dinner (although on the Manchester trips this year by car, there was nothing much between Oswestry and home (in Pembs.). On train dining would therefore be an advantage of rail travel, saving journey time by eating on the move, though in cases of short trains early/late openning full-dining facilities at stations might be the more feesable option.

We could also have all trains stop for a meal break during longer journeys - long distance coaches do it already, and I believe at one time it was proposed that all trains stop for at least 10 minutes at Swindon to allow people to get / buy refreshments - in fact I think the propel was actually implemented for a time

Full marks for enterprise to both pax and the delivery company.  I notice in the picture with the article, the table is extremely greasy and as I guess it was its last journey of the day, I imagine that the train got a good clean.  I wouldn't want to sit there next day with stale garlic and dead pepperoni wafting into my nostrils  (chose 'cheesy grin' smiley for its food connotations).

But there's no difference in table grease quotient for a pizza delivered in through the door at Newport and one purchased at or near Paddington station and taken onto the train by passengers.

It's very interesting to see the starkly different rules here between First (bus) and First (train).  On trains, by all means take your own food and drink [except alcoholic drink on the last train off Weymouth].  On buses, you can be threatened with arrest for even drinking water, and indeed that's happened to one of our members I recall [again, exceptions.   It's OK if you're pregnant]

[ChrisB]

Difference in length of journey, I suspect.

[chuffed]

At the risk of stirring up a whole hornets nest, might I suggest we have a 'hot food' carriage perhaps next door to the buffet where people can eat their own hot food,purchased on or off the train, in the same way that we have a 'quiet' carriage. We can't always ignore it when our ears eavesdrop,  our olfactory organs operate  or taste buds tickle tormentingly. I would not eat normally hot takeaway food, eaten with the fingers, on the train, out of consideration for my fellow passengers.

[ellendune]

We could also have all trains stop for a meal break during longer journeys - long distance coaches do it already, and I believe at one time it was proposed that all trains stop for at least 10 minutes at Swindon to allow people to get / buy refreshments - in fact I think the propel was actually implemented for a time

When they got to build Swindon the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) were running short of money. The contractor offered to build the station for free if he had the catering concession and made all trains stop for 10 minutes at Swindon.

This situation lasted until the 1890's when the GWR decided they needed to loose their reputation for being slow (the fast route to London then was to take the Midland and South Western Junction Railway (MSWJR) train from Swindon Old Town to Andover and take a London and South Western Railway (LSWR^▸ (London South Western Railway)) train to Waterloo).  The GWR therefore had to buy out their contractor.

[brompton rail]

Similar situation on the Midland Railway at Normanton in Yorkshire. Crack Midland expresses stopped for a ' refreshment break'. The story goes that the soup was served at boiling point so that customers found it too hot to eat, left most in the bowl, and the soup was recycled for the passengers on the next express!

Should you visit Normanton station today ( midway between Wakefield Kirkgate and Leeds) you will not encounter any of the grandeur that was the Midland's Dining Rooms. Long since demolished leaving bare platforms and a bus shelter.

[Western Enterprise]

Full marks to your history lesson there ellendune.
They spent so much going through Sonning that the cash ran out!
Well done.

[trainer]

I suggest we have a 'hot food' carriage perhaps next door to the buffet where people can eat their own hot food,purchased on or off the train, in the same way that we have a 'quiet' carriage.

Or possibly simply an Old Curmudgeons carriage where only people who complain about other people's habits are allowed - like chuffed and me  .

[ChrisB]

I'll see you there!

[Timmer]

I'll see you there!

Me too!

[chuffed]

At this rate we'll  be able to hire a complete train! Any more budding Victor Meldrews out there ?

[grahame]

A - silent carriage
B - quiet carriage
C - Cyclists
D - People with dogs
E - For people who wear so much perfume they give others headaches
F - Family Carriage
G - Hot food eating carriage
H - Club car.  For people who want to talk but don't like hot food smells, children, cyclists, dogs or people eating perfume.

Problem - I want to travel with my child and my dog ...

[Red Squirrel]

Could we have a carriage for tolerant people who just want a seat, and to be allowed to get off if the train brakes down?