GWR Pullman dining reinstated

[stephens]

So if one books Pullman, there's only a 50% chance you can actually have it?

If you’re lucky enough to be joining the train at a station where you can observe the food being loaded (eg.Plymouth), then simply travel in that unit.

 

[Essexman]

Does anyone know when we’ll get the full menu back?
Then I’ll start dining again.

 

[Class800]

Only if you get on the wrong portion of the train. Usually it's in the train at the London end of the platform.

But do you not have to join the carriage your reservation says? Maybe the issue is a lack of integration between Pullman and seat reservations?

 

[Private Baxter]

If you’re lucky enough to be joining the train at a station where you can observe the food being loaded (eg.Plymouth), then simply travel in that unit.

It has caught a few people out before, particularly when boarding at stations where it is the last call for Pullman, such as Reading. However if you reserve online, they do explain this in the confirmation email. Furthermore the team are pretty good and will 'phone you to advise where the restaurant is located, providing you include your contact details. Currently there are three Pullman services diagramned as a ten car, whilst the other three are nine.

Does anyone know when we’ll get the full menu back?
Then I’ll start dining again.

I've got my finger crossed for May.

 

[Horizon22]

So if one books Pullman, there's only a 50% chance you can actually have it?

Not necessarily. The Pullman works on several 9-cars too and stock can or will be adjusted if its booked to be a 5 car. And also it is normally clear when boarding at Paddington where it is - and clearly stated when in the other section.

 

[robert thomas]

Not necessarily. The Pullman works on several 9-cars too and stock can or will be adjusted if its booked to be a 5 car. And also it is normally clear when boarding at Paddington where it is - and clearly stated when in the other section.

Whenever I've joined at Neath it's always been in the front set but can be at the rear if it's a 9 car set

 

[ainsworth74]

But do you not have to join the carriage your reservation says? Maybe the issue is a lack of integration between Pullman and seat reservations?

Not really. In theory you're supposed to sit in your reserved seat on an AP but in reality it's never enforced and certainly wouldn't be if you were using train facilities. If you don't have an AP then there is no requirement to sit in a reserved seat at all. Simply join the portion of the train where the restaurant is located. At least that my understanding of how it works!

 

[Max]

All depends whether they move the lunch time one forward by an hour.

That's the plan, from what I heard.

 

[cambsy]

I m doing a First class day return from Paddington to Penzance on the 7th April, out on 10.04 Paddington-Penzance, back on 16.15 Penzance-Paddington, which from Plymouth is Pullman dining, and having done it quite a few times over the years, but not since start of Covid, have reserved a table, and am sampling it again, to see what the set menu is like, compared to the old A La Carte menu, and what’s it generally like now.

Has anyone tried it recently, since its restart? And is the Steak available on the 18.16 Plymouth-Paddington on a Thursday? Im looking forward to trying Pullman dining again, and if its up to old standard and enjoyable experience like before covid, then ill look to start doing again quite often, as to me its one of the best ways to spend a few hours on a train, and is something id recommend to anyone, wether rail enthusiast pr general public, its one of the treasures of the railways in my opinion.

 

[Private Baxter]

Good to see you're planning to do it again. I have done it numerous times since its return, and can confirm that steak will be available on that route on the Friday evening.

Now this is just my personal opinion of course, but the current set menu isnt't as good as what went before. I have tried everything on the menu at some point, and whilst all peefectly edible, there just seems to be something missing, and doesn't quite live up to the previously set high standards. Furthermore, the menu hasn't changed since the service's reintroduction in July, when considering they used to have a three week rotating menu, which was regularly being tweaked. One can hope that this format will eventually return.

But I agree there are few better ways to travel between London and the west country, so hope you very much enjoy it. Look forward to reading your thoughts.[/QUOTE]

 

[Goldfish62]

So if one books Pullman, there's only a 50% chance you can actually have it?

Basically yes.

 

[Class800]

Basically yes.

Pretty shocking - should ensure Pullman is always a 9 car

 

[berneyarms]

But as several posters have pointed out, if you reserve a seat for dinner you’ll be told where to go.

So no it’s not a 50% chance at all.

 

[185143]

But as several posters have pointed out, if you reserve a seat for dinner you’ll be told where to go.

So no it’s not a 50% chance at all.

Now that's no way to treat fare paying passengers!

 

[Horizon22]

Basically yes.

Not at all - it will be made clear where on the service the Pullman is, there will be announcements and directions to the correct coach.

 

[modernrail]

There is some very silly thinking going on on the railways at the moment.

Of course early travel is going to be popular if done right, if not more than before. Lots of people are starting to go back to meetings and lots of people have moved out and would use the morning trains if not so utterly insanely priced. The latter passengers will often be very price sensitive as they are paying themselves and the railways needs to get its head around that. At the moment they find it cheaper to travel off peak the night before and stay in London with a mate.

Those who would quite like to travel to London for meetings will be told by bosses to go virtual or for owner run businesses will chose to go virtual if the rail ticket is over x price.

GWR and all rail cos have the chance to create a real ‘club feel’ to these important morning and evening services going forwards, for regular up to London and vice versa and people heading to meetings and the new cohort that have moved out but will still need to head back in.

A morning service with fares at least half what they are now and a breakfast supplement with a good cooked breakfast would be packed every day, even now. People would absolutely love it.

Concentrating on a marginal off peak dining service rather than nailing the peaks with the new reality shows how the railway has lost the plot. The peak service pricing has been the railways ransoming the passengers since it came in. It has always been objectively insane and just plain out of order.

The railway now has the chance to spread load over the day, reduce prices in the peak and fill all seats very comfortably, making the journey better for everybody and improving overall profitability. The roads haven’t stopped been massively congested and won’t anytime soon. Younger people are more than happy to use the train if the price is right and passionately want to make that choice for environmental reasons. There is a massive additional market there for the taking.

And so whilst I am very pleased the Pullman service is back, I am much more interested in when the railways are going to wake up to the massive opportunity they have on their hands, realise change is needed to untap that opportunity rather than completely stuffing it up as they are now.

The Treasury/DfT is primarily to blame by inexplicably ordering cutting services during a recovery that were allowed to run and carry fresh air during the pandemic. The moron civil servants doing this need to realise they can’t even choose seats or cloth and so need to crawl back into their land if ill-informed judgment. They really are idiots of the highest order that could successfully run a real life company into the ground in a matter of days I suspect.

The railway companies need to get on the front foot and show what new could look like. They are being so so timid.

There is severe danger in this no man’s land between the end of franchises and the creation of a no doubt botched GBR. If you care about the railways I would wake up rather than worrying about where the steak is coming from. The industry is currently without a rudder other than a very poor Sec of State. They need to be run as a company (whether public or private or both) and not as some weird play thing of a totally inexperienced civil service.

 

[berneyarms]

Now that's no way to treat fare paying passengers!

Quite lol!

I should have said that you'll be informed exactly which part of the train to sit in. So I don't buy this 50% chance at all.

 

[Goldfish62]

Not at all - it will be made clear where on the service the Pullman is, there will be announcements and directions to the correct coach.

Things have obviously changed then. Good job as well.

 

[robert thomas]

That's the plan, from what I heard.

The chief steward on the 13.22 ex Swansea on Friday confirmed that from the May change the 12.22 from Swansea and 17.48 return will be the Pullman services.

 

[Bikeman78]

The chief steward on the 13.22 ex Swansea on Friday confirmed that from the May change the 12.22 from Swansea and 17.48 return will be the Pullman services.

I'll have to try and fit in a trip on the 18:48 before May then. No way I'm paying peak fare.

 

[Requeststop]

One of the delights of returning to the UK from working overseas was to travel home to Cornwall and enjoy some fine cuisine on the Pullman.
I found though that since the IEP's have been in service and before the pandemic, that the Pullman was only available to Plymouth where the service split meaning to have to haul my luggage along the platform at Plymouth to board the Cornish section to get home.

I'd love to be able to dine again on the Pullman if only once or twice a year. There is nothing better than to have a desert and to finish off a second or third glass of wine whilst travelling between Exeter and Newton Abbott. Happy memories of journeys home.

Is it planned that the services Westwards will still split at Plymouth?

 

[Goldfish62]

One of the delights of returning to the UK from working overseas was to travel home to Cornwall and enjoy some fine cuisine on the Pullman.
I found though that since the IEP's have been in service and before the pandemic, that the Pullman was only available to Plymouth where the service split meaning to have to haul my luggage along the platform at Plymouth to board the Cornish section to get home.

I'd love to be able to dine again on the Pullman if only once or twice a year. There is nothing better than to have a desert and to finish off a second or third glass of wine whilst travelling between Exeter and Newton Abbott. Happy memories of journeys home.

Is it planned that the services Westwards will still split at Plymouth?

Most services to/from Cornwall are now 9 car so hopefully this won't be a problem.

 

[RPI]

One of the delights of returning to the UK from working overseas was to travel home to Cornwall and enjoy some fine cuisine on the Pullman.
I found though that since the IEP's have been in service and before the pandemic, that the Pullman was only available to Plymouth where the service split meaning to have to haul my luggage along the platform at Plymouth to board the Cornish section to get home.

I'd love to be able to dine again on the Pullman if only once or twice a year. There is nothing better than to have a desert and to finish off a second or third glass of wine whilst travelling between Exeter and Newton Abbott. Happy memories of journeys home.

Is it planned that the services Westwards will still split at Plymouth?

A lot of people with standard tickets used to extract the urine though trying to stay in 1st till Penzance after a meal!

 

[cambsy]

I have stayed in First Class, when doing the Pullman dining, all the way through to Plymouth, as the service was usually shut down, tables cleared Newton Abbott-Totnes, cant remember if ever stayed in First Class to Penzance after meal. If second class, next trip with Pullman dining, i am doing on a first class day out so not a problem .

 

[Private Baxter]

One of the delights of returning to the UK from working overseas was to travel home to Cornwall and enjoy some fine cuisine on the Pullman.
I found though that since the IEP's have been in service and before the pandemic, that the Pullman was only available to Plymouth where the service split meaning to have to haul my luggage along the platform at Plymouth to board the Cornish section to get home.

I'd love to be able to dine again on the Pullman if only once or twice a year. There is nothing better than to have a desert and to finish off a second or third glass of wine whilst travelling between Exeter and Newton Abbott. Happy memories of journeys home.

Is it planned that the services Westwards will still split at Plymouth?

Unfortunately there are currently no Pullmans to Penzance, just Plymouth. However there is one service from Penzance which serves dinner from Plymouth, and this runs as a 9 car. The Penzance services where there used to be a Pullman all currently use 9 cars as well.

 

[EAD]

As a data point used the 13:04 off of Paddington to Plymouth on Thursday 10 March. As it was a birthday treat we had booked in advance and as noted above this is usually booked for 2*5, but not an issue as Pullman is usually set up in K/L so near the buffers at Paddington (and confirmation makes that clear too). On the day set was swapped for a 9 in any event with Pullman dining in L.

L was definitely full with a few people asking on the platform to dine and rest reserved in advance. Not sure if they set up a table or two in K in the end. We were on a table of 4 but were politely asked if a gent could join us - did not want him to miss out on lunch so we had an amusing conversation as we headed for Devon. Couple off at Taunton so served first, almost all off at Exeter.

Menu was the current one we are all aware of but steak was also offered on the lunchtime service - not sure if that is new or dependent on availability. Pullman staff were all very friendly and had just the right balance in my view between attentiveness/friendly conversation and letting you sit back and tuck in. Here is hoping things do expand out in May as it is a very civilized way to travel - especially after Exeter where we had it almost to ourselves while sipping a coffee looking out to sea through Dawlish.

 

[cambsy]

EAD, good to hear that steak was available on lunchtime Pullman service. As I am doing Pullman dining, next Wednesday, on the 18.16 Plymouth-Paddington, evening dining service, so ill hope to have steak too, good to hear you had a good experience, as its a great way to spend, couple of hours on a train.

 

[Class800]

A lot of people with standard tickets used to extract the urine though trying to stay in 1st till Penzance after a meal!

GWR website says that Pullman can only be booked by first class passengers, although standard class passengers can ask upon boarding if a space is free - so it seems unlikely there would be space, as first class passengers are likely to want to book dinner?

 

[skyhigh]

so it seems unlikely there would be space, as first class passengers are likely to want to book dinner?

Given Pullman dining isn't complementary, it's fairly unlikely every first class passenger will want it.

 

[43066]

GWR website says that Pullman can only be booked by first class passengers, although standard class passengers can ask upon boarding if a space is free - so it seems unlikely there would be space, as first class passengers are likely to want to book dinner?

I used it a few times as a standard class passenger and had no issues, albeit that was pre 800s, so I have no idea if the amount of space available is the same these days.