GWR Pullman dining reinstated

[skyhigh]

I feel like they wouldn’t cut it two weeks after bringing it back, it would have just not come back if they didn’t want it back.

You quoted a post from July 2021, not 2 weeks ago!

 

[Ashley Hill]

Maybe on station posters but no publicity to get those who never travel by train. If they had the ‘named trains’ advertised as those with Pullman dining, it might help.

Unfortunately GWR don’t seem to name their trains at the moment. You seldom hear of the Torbay Express or the Cornish Riviera. The Golden Hind is certainly not golden anymore and currently has no dining. It’s former status as an “untouchable “ train that must not be delayed appears to have gone and now it’s just another train.

 

[daodao]

There is a case for some form of hot meal provision on selected services between London and Cornwall (and also from London to Scotland), due to the length of these journeys, but it isn't needed elsewhere, and should be provided in the most economical way possible. So I presume it's bye bye to GWR "Pullman" Dining.

 

[jfollows]

GWR does advertise Pullman dining on station posters including the price for two or three courses. Unfortunately it doesn’t show which trains have a restaurant.

It's also advertised in the new, much improved all-line timetable at https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/dec2022/ (also, shortly, https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/the-timetable/electronic-national-rail-timetable/), specifically https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/dec2022/135 London, Reading, Cardiff, Bristol and Taunton to Exeter, Torbay, Plymouth and Penzance.pdf page 7 for example.

 

[IKB]

It's also advertised in the new, much improved all-line timetable at https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/dec2022/ (also, shortly, https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/the-timetable/electronic-national-rail-timetable/), specifically https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/dec2022/135 London, Reading, Cardiff, Bristol and Taunton to Exeter, Torbay, Plymouth and Penzance.pdf page 7 for example.

If GWR have advertised Pullman Dining in the Dec 2022 timetable, then does this suggest it's not being axed ?

 

[jfollows]

If GWR have advertised Pullman Dining in the Dec 2022 timetable, then does this suggest it's not being axed ?

I suspect that, unlike the previous maintainers, BrianB takes pride in doing as good a job as possible with the new all-line timetable, but has no more information than we have in this thread himself, so I wouldn't want to read anything more into it - I'm pretty sure that GWR won't have been responsible for this information directly. I hope I'm wrong!

 

[WesternLancer]

With the ridiculously overpriced product I think hot meals should be included in the price. Any supplement is day light robbery

You mean like the poor quality hot food / microwaved product offered by LNER and Avanti - or the even worse free food offer on EMR - no thanks. 'Included in the price' is just a recipe for the bean counters to provide the cheapest food they can get away with "including".

 

[43066]

You mean like the poor quality hot food / microwaved product offered by LNER and Avanti - or the even worse free food offer on EMR - no thanks. 'Included in the price' is just a recipe for the bean counters to provide the cheapest food they can get away with "including".

Yes, the EMR offering really is a shadow of it’s former self. All the worse when surely the offering over and above just getting a better seat is more important to the appeal of first class on journeys up to around two hours, than it is on the longer distance operators.

 

[jfollows]

You mean like the poor quality hot food / microwaved product offered by LNER and Avanti - or the even worse free food offer on EMR - no thanks. 'Included in the price' is just a recipe for the bean counters to provide the cheapest food they can get away with "including".

I agree, and I'd been thinking about posting something similar but you said it better before I did.
I've been priced off Avanti's food offering, but to be honest it wasn't much anyway, I'm more annoyed that Subway in Wilmslow has closed so it's no longer a source of something better to take on the train with me. And in the reverse direction there's plenty of choice of food to buy at Euston even if I haven't already got something.
I'd pay for good food on the train, I've said before that something like the old Manchester Pullman would be worth paying for, and I wouldn't mind at all if it had the same stock and running times that it used to have.
The GWR option always looks significantly better to me, and I'd like to try it sometime. Hopefully.

 

[WesternLancer]

I agree, and I'd been thinking about posting something similar but you said it better before I did.
I've been priced off Avanti's food offering, but to be honest it wasn't much anyway, I'm more annoyed that Subway in Wilmslow has closed so it's no longer a source of something better to take on the train with me. And in the reverse direction there's plenty of choice of food to buy at Euston even if I haven't already got something.
I'd pay for good food on the train, I've said before that something like the old Manchester Pullman would be worth paying for, and I wouldn't mind at all if it had the same stock and running times that it used to have.
The GWR option always looks significantly better to me, and I'd like to try it sometime. Hopefully.

Yes, thanks - It looks like it would be best for you to get in fast.

I'm not sure why people think it's expensive. I ate out with friends last night at a restaurant in our city centre. Paid pretty much similar sort of price to GWR Pullman dining. Food was of mixed quality, service very poor (had to wait almost an hour before starters served), understaffed in the kitchen etc etc, no effort to sell us drinks when glasses empty. Toilets grotty. MNger even came over to aks if 'our meals were ok' when one of the 4 of us hadn't even got their meal yet! All round poor experience. Complaint at the end to the much under pressure waitress resulted in her suggesting that we might want to not pay the service charge that was already included inthe bill at 12.5% - ie the sum that she and her colleagues would presumably have reecived, when it was poor restaurant managemnt and owner decision at fault.

Pullman dining offer is not to be compared with some rail equivalent of airline food - it's to be compared with a top quality restaurant dining experience. And in my experience it regularly surpasses that in many such 'land located' venues. It's a shame more people seem unable to see it for what it is and are thus seemingly unprepared to pay for it (unless perhaps they are on someone else's expense account perhaps...).

Yes, the EMR offering really is a shadow of it’s former self. All the worse when surely the offering over and above just getting a better seat is more important to the appeal of first class on journeys up to around two hours, than it is on the longer distance operators.

Yes, I had a 'free' sausage cob the other day (bacon cobs unavailable) - must have been amongst the lowest quality grade of sausages possible to buy and very poor quality bread roll. If you have to buy stuff then at least there is an incentive to provide something of the quality you might actually want to buy! Making it free/included in the ticket reverses that incentive.

 

[robert thomas]

Yes, thanks - It looks like it would be best for you to get in fast.

I'm not sure why people think it's expensive. I ate out with friends last night at a restaurant in our city centre. Paid pretty much similar sort of price to GWR Pullman dining. Food was of mixed quality, service very poor (had to wait almost an hour before starters served), understaffed in the kitchen etc etc, no effort to sell us drinks when glasses empty. Toilets grotty. MNger even came over to aks if 'our meals were ok' when one of the 4 of us hadn't even got their meal yet! All round poor experience. Complaint at the end to the much under pressure waitress resulted in her suggesting that we might want to not pay the service charge that was already included inthe bill at 12.5% - ie the sum that she and her colleagues would presumably have reecived, when it was poor restaurant managemnt and owner decision at fault.

Pullman dining offer is not to be compared with some rail equivalent of airline food - it's to be compared with a top quality restaurant dining experience. And in my experience it regularly surpasses that in many such 'land located' venues. It's a shame more people seem unable to see it for what it is and are thus seemingly unprepared to pay for it (unless perhaps they are on someone else's expense account perhaps...).


Yes, I had a 'free' sausage cob the other day (bacon cobs unavailable) - must have been amongst the lowest quality grade of sausages possible to buy and very poor quality bread roll. If you have to buy stuff then at least there is an incentive to provide something of the quality you might actually want to buy! Making it free/included in the ticket reverses that incentive.

The Tfw offering is far superior, and cheaper, when the trains run!

 

[philjo]

I bet a lot of people don’t even know that GWR run Pullman trains or which ones they happen to be. Where are they marketed to the general public who might never use the trains? Nowhere as far as I can see.

I used the Pullman lunch service from Newport to Paddington in August. The dining service did not appear on the train information on the station screens. As it was a 10 coach train I asked the Newport station Staff which portion would have the dining coach and they denied it existed and there would be a trolley service. Though I think Newport is TfW staff not GWR.
There were 4 of us dining. 2 of the others had joined only after finding out about the lunch service from the on board announcements. The staff had said they had a lot of dining bookings for the evening return service from Paddington that day.

 

[WesternLancer]

The Tfw offering is far superior, and cheaper, when the trains run!

Thanks. Glad to hear that - tho fewer trains per day IIRC. I look forward to trying it at some point.
I don't live far enough west to enjoy these facils as much as I'd like.

 

[jfollows]

Thanks. Glad to hear that - tho fewer trains per day IIRC. I look forward to trying it at some point.
I don't live far enough west to enjoy these facils as much as I'd like.

Thank you, also.
When I get round to my first class ALR with senior railcard I'll certainly think of Wilmslow-Newport as one leg of a journey, which I wouldn't have done previously.

 

[williamn]

Thanks. Glad to hear that - tho fewer trains per day IIRC. I look forward to trying it at some point.
I don't live far enough west to enjoy these facils as much as I'd like.

It’s definitely cheaper but not imho superior. GWR is restaurant level food and service. TfW is decent food and ok service but no restaurant niceties.

 

[WizCastro197]

It’s definitely cheaper but not imho superior. GWR is restaurant level food and service. TfW is decent food and ok service but no restaurant niceties.

Is catering only offered on the premier service?

15 pounds seems okay for good food on a 3-4 hour train ride. I wouldn’t mind paying that except do you have to be seated in first?

 

[Haru]

We did the 13:04 Paddington- Plymouth Pullman last week, there were only about 10 diners so wasn’t too busy but staff did say they had 16 booked on way back.

It was mentioned that there would be a new menu in dec so I guess it’s lives on.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

there were only about 10 diners so wasn’t too busy but staff did say they had 16 booked on way back.

Oh, well that totally merits wasting half a carriage on Every Single GWR Train for a kitchen that isn’t used at any other time.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Oh, well that totally merits wasting half a carriage on Every Single GWR Train for a kitchen that isn’t used at any other time.

Except for boiling the water on every IET which has catering, storing the sandwiches and cold drinks in the fridge which then go out to be sold and storing the trolleys when they aren’t going through the train.

Agree they could be smaller but the kitchens are actually used on every GWR train which has catering.

 

[wellhouse]

Just attempted dummy Pullman reservations, and was offered availability for December 15th and 21st

 

[williamn]

Maybe there’s hope for my trip on the 12th after all. Am assuming the up lunchtime train from Plymouth won’t usually be too busy on a Monday? Travelling on standard tickets.

 

[wellhouse]

Maybe there’s hope for my trip on the 12th after all. Am assuming the up lunchtime train from Plymouth won’t usually be too busy on a Monday? Travelling on standard tickets.

You can check availability on the Pullman booking page and saying you hold a First Class ticket.

Book Pullman Train Dining Experiences | Great Western Railway

Book Pullman Train Dining Experiences

www.gwr.com

Currently showing 17 seats available

 

[Private Baxter]

Maybe there’s hope for my trip on the 12th after all. Am assuming the up lunchtime train from Plymouth won’t usually be too busy on a Monday? Travelling on standard tickets.

Up services can be quite busy on a Monday (both lunch and dinner), but I'm sure you will get a seat. As Wellhouse suggests, check the booking lage closer to the time. For better or worse, the IETs cater well for solo diners, so I doubt you will have a problem.

 

[alastair]

Maybe there’s hope for my trip on the 12th after all. Am assuming the up lunchtime train from Plymouth won’t usually be too busy on a Monday? Travelling on standard tickets.

If you are boarding at Plymouth I'd be amazed if you had a problem. On my most recent trip, most of the diners boarded at Totnes (1342) plus 1 at Exeter. All were accommodated.

 

[williamn]

Up services can be quite busy on a Monday (both lunch and dinner), but I'm sure you will get a seat. As Wellhouse suggests, check the booking lage closer to the time. For better or worse, the IETs cater well for solo diners, so I doubt you will have a problem.

Neglected to mention there will be two of us. Thanks all!

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Except for boiling the water on every IET which has catering, storing the sandwiches and cold drinks in the fridge which then go out to be sold and storing the trolleys when they aren’t going through the train.

Agree they could be smaller but the kitchens are actually used on every GWR train which has catering.

Yes, true. The space required for everything apart from the Pullman is more in the order of "two cupboards" rather than the rather capacious kitchen, I guess - isn't one of the cupboards on the train already a storage area for one trolley?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Yes, true. The space required for everything apart from the Pullman is more in the order of "two cupboards" rather than the rather capacious kitchen, I guess - isn't one of the cupboards on the train already a storage area for one trolley?

Cupboards, fridges, coffee machine, water boiler, hand wash sink etc. There’s still quite a lot needed. But yes if you had no dining there would be less kitchen equipment.

The staff bunk, ie some seats for on duty staff to provide a small rest area is also within the kitchen (the replacement for the old HST buffet bunk and guards compartment in the TGS).

 

[RPI]

Cupboards, fridges, coffee machine, water boiler, hand wash sink etc. There’s still quite a lot needed. But yes if you had no dining there would be less kitchen equipment.

The staff bunk, ie some seats for on duty staff to provide a small rest area is also within the kitchen (the replacement for the old HST buffet bunk and guards compartment in the TGS).

Well, two tip up seats in the crew only doorway!

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Well, two tip up seats in the crew only doorway!

Which is better than nothing! There’s space to charge personal devices in the kitchen too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Which is better than nothing! There’s space to charge personal devices in the kitchen too.

And I guess prevents the old Virgin "Coach K issue" by providing them dedicated space.