Bizarre instrutions to customer host - FGW with an underhanded plan re buffets?

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

Where does the insomniac special start from - the one that leaves WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) at around 5am

[Don]

The 5am HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to Paddington is stabled at Worcester overnight.  I have travelled on it a couple of times, in both cases there were less than 10 passengers on the train before the Oxford stop.  It only became full at Reading.

Thanks Ollie for answers to my previous post.

[IndustryInsider]

The 5am HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to Paddington is stabled at Worcester overnight.  I have travelled on it a couple of times, in both cases there were less than 10 passengers on the train before the Oxford stop.  It only became full at Reading.

Well, in my experience (I've probably caught it 30-odd times over the years) it's a hell of a lot busier than that! Granted the Worcester and Evesham stops don't get much trade - that's partly to do with the 15 minute rest the train has at Moreton-In-Marsh meaning the following train isn't too far behind and the fact that it is a new service.

Custom from Moreton onwards is far more than 10 passengers though. Typically (and this is erring on the side of caution) 15 join at Moreton, 10 at Kingham, 15 at Charlbury and 10 at Hanborough. Then around 80-100 swamp it at Oxford. Didcot Parkway varies considerably depending on whether the platform 2 departures there are running to time and Reading is also hit and miss depending on what else is around, but usually it's a case of nearly every seat taken after Reading.

[Don]

Oh Good, last time I traveled on it was last winter and it did make me wonder if it was soon for the axe. 

[broadgage]

If they are to "mothball" the buffet, why have they revamped the travelling chef and committed to mini-buffets? 

I would not call replacing proper buffets with mini buffets a commitment to catering !

And as for the travelling chef, it is a slightly improved hot buffet, and a very poor substitute for the Pullman restaurant formerly provided on busy trains.
Those expecting a hot buffet might well be impressed with the travelling chef, those expecting a proper restaurant would be less impressed!

Downgrading restaurants to a braserie/travelling chef/select travelling chef/pullman brasserie/latest re-branding is not a commitment to catering.

[Btline]

D/M, the above post is a better explanation of my "I think you've answered your own question" comment!

By "committing" to mini-buffets, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are showing that they are not "committed" to catering.

[Tim]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are to be congratulated for keeping at least a half decent level of catering with travelling chefs and mini-buffets on some of their trains at a time when other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are doing much worse in terms of cutting restarants etc (NXEA^▸ (National Express East Anglia), NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast), XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) etc). 

My main complaint is that they keep chopping and changing abandoning and relaunching things like teh travellingchef the public (and staff) don't have time to get familiar with the product and for it to bed-down in terms of consistancy before it gets changed.  I fear that thsi will lead to falling custom and more cuts