Longest/shortest services without/with catering

[telstarbox]

What are the longest services without onboard catering (over the entire week as some routes have weekday catering) and the shortest services with catering, both in terms of journey time and distance?

The Cumbrian Coast end-to-end (Lancaster-Carlisle) is 3h 36m without catering for, er, starters.

 

[wimbledonpete]

I know it's not quite what you mean but announcements on platform 12 at Clapham Junction (ie for the 6-7 minute run to Victoria) say "a trolley service of drinks and light refreshments is available on this service." Always makes me want to search it out and down a can and a packet of crisps!

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

What are the longest routes without onboard catering (over the entire week as some routes have weekday catering) and the shortest services with catering, both in terms of journey time and distance?

The Cumbrian Coast end-to-end (Lancaster-Carlisle) is 3h 36m without catering for, er, starters.

Wrong. Preston-Carlisle is the longest via the CC.

 

[SS4]

I imagine Crewe - Euston with LM is quite long to be without catering

 

[Flying Snail]

I would think that Gatwick Express would be the shortest with catering but I'll probably be proved wrong by some once-a-week anomaly or similar.

Would be amusing for a catering trolley to be taken for a spin on the Stourbridge PPM, or maybe the guard could have a sideline in selling mars bars onboard after his 15 seconds checking tickets is done.

 

[Kneedown]

Nottingham to Norwich has no catering these days. 2hr 40min.

 

[Eagle]

Brighton to Great Malvern has no catering. 5h 38m. Beat that :P

 

[dk1]

Nottingham to Norwich has no catering these days. 2hr 40min.

And the funny thing is, this part of the route now seems busier than ever

 

[pemma]

What are the longest routes without onboard catering (over the entire week as some routes have weekday catering) and the shortest services with catering, both in terms of journey time and distance?

So are you looking for journey length or journey time? Longest routes implies answers should in the format of x miles, while shortest services implies answers should be in the format of y minutes.

 

[ert47]

I'd think the shortest (in terms of distance) would be the Jubilee line...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywLhNwSBizE (Link fixed)

 

[telstarbox]

Should have said services in both cases.

 

[westcoaster]

What are the longest services without onboard catering (over the entire week as some routes have weekday catering) and the shortest services with catering, both in terms of journey time and distance?

The Cumbrian Coast end-to-end (Lancaster-Carlisle) is 3h 36m without catering for, er, starters.

shortest what about EMT's corby- kettering shuttles in the evenings and weekends.

 

[David10]

Brighton to Great Malvern has no catering. 5h 38m. Beat that :P

Done 0600 Penzance - Cardiff 6h 18m http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/C22485/2012/10/15

 

[Whistler40145]

Shortest journey without catering facilities could be Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town?

 

[wintonian]

I know its not the question but I nominate Leeds - Heysham Port as the longest without catering for which no shorter services are available with catering covering all parts of the route.

Come to think of it there are no other services covering all parts of the route.

Anyway I believe it is aprox 2hr 50 mins, so quite long without a trolley anyway.

 

[HH]

Shortest journey without catering facilities could be Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town?

That wasn't the question...

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

Done 0600 Penzance - Cardiff 6h 18m http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/C22485/2012/10/15

That's shocking. You would think that the TOCs would put catering on such a service, heck First Class as well, and not such a dismal unit like a 150, 153, 155 or 156 - what are FGW thinking? Should be 158 operated.

 

[Cable Car]

Glasgow-Stranraer boat train after privatization became food and drink free.
From a buffet and hard to believe now, a first class coach, to a virtual sealed train.
Like the one the little chap who started the USSR travelled in.
Not bad for what was an inter-city train.

 

[SS4]

I'd think the shortest (in terms of distance) would be the Jubilee line...

http://www.youtube.com/ywLhNwSBizE

Error 404.

 

[wintonian]

I'd think the shortest (in terms of distance) would be the Jubilee line...

http://www.youtube.com/ywLhNwSBizE

Error 404.

This one prehaps?

 

[SprinterMan]

That's shocking. You would think that the TOCs would put catering on such a service, heck First Class as well, and not such a dismal unit like a 150, 153, 155 or 156 - what are FGW thinking? Should be 158 operated.

It's even worse than that. FGW have no 155s or 156s so it will be worked by a 150/153 formation.
Here is a picture of it being worked by a 150/1 with 3+2 seating!
http://www.railwaymedia.co.uk/DMU/150/16193163_2GzpTP#!i=1881281752&k=dW2JswJ

Adam

 

[CC 72100]

That's shocking. You would think that the TOCs would put catering on such a service, heck First Class as well, and not such a dismal unit like a 150, 153, 155 or 156 - what are FGW thinking? Should be 158 operated.

Don't have enough of them. There is a paignton - Cardiff which takes 90 minutes to do Exeter - Bristol, with advances available from £3.30 (with railcard). I'd be tempted to do that if I could be sure that it was a 158 and not do the voyager that leaves about 10 minutes before, but all to often it is a 150/1(as like the Penzance - Cardiff) with that misreable interior and 3+2 seating with no legroom that I've come to hate.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It's even worse than that. FGW have no 155s or 156s so it will be worked by a 150/153 formation.
Here is a picture of it being worked by a 150/1 with 3+2 seating!
http://www.railwaymedia.co.uk/DMU/150/16193163_2GzpTP#!i=1881281752&k=dW2JswJ

Adam

Yep, that's what I'm talking about!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

That's shocking. You would think that the TOCs would put catering on such a service, heck First Class as well, and not such a dismal unit like a 150, 153, 155 or 156 - what are FGW thinking? Should be 158 operated.

Disregarding the fact that FGW have no 155s or 156s, presumably you'd then relegate the Cardiff-Portsmouth 158 to 150 or similar? I think I know which needs it more, and I'll give you a clue, it's the one linking Hampshire with Wales. There are a lot of options from Penzance - FGW HSTs and XC Voyagers to Taunton or Bristol and onward travel from there - I'm not sure if it's permitted via Bristol Parkway (with regard to ticketing) but if it is then it's entirely possible to do the journey on a Voyager / HST then another HST (all with First Class, catering etc) with just one change. I doubt very many, if any at all, use if from one end to another - I suspect it's made up of smaller flows (Cornwall-Plymouth, Plymouth-Exeter etc) combined.

 

[Eagle]

That's shocking. You would think that the TOCs would put catering on such a service, heck First Class as well, and not such a dismal unit like a 150, 153, 155 or 156 - what are FGW thinking? Should be 158 operated.

If you want first class on that route, take a Voyager or a HST and change at Bristol Parkway or Taunton. It'll be faster, too.

 

[Nestor]

Shortest journey without catering facilities could be Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town?

The op meant - shortest with, longest without!

 

[calc7]

That's shocking. You would think that the TOCs would put catering on such a service, heck First Class as well, and not such a dismal unit like a 150, 153, 155 or 156 - what are FGW thinking? Should be 158 operated.

Surely nobody uses it end-to-end?

 

[MCR247]

Exactly.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Looking at the timetable (I appreciate it may have altered slightly for leaf fall), the times (and facilities) are as follows:
0600 - ALL (I make that 23) stations to Taunton; Plymouth 0814, Exeter St D 0918, Taunton 1005, Bristol TM 1111 - FGW Sprinter - no First Class or catering.
0628 - Principal stations to Bristol TM; Plymouth 0820, Exeter St D 0922, Taunton 0951, Bristol TM 1025 - XC Voyager - First Class and catering.
0645 - Principal stations to Taunton, plus Lostwithiel, St Germans, Saltash and Ivybridge; Plymouth 0849, Exeter St D 0956, Taunton 1027, Bristol TM 1123 (change at TAU) - FGW HST - First Class and catering.

I can't really see why anyone would use the former for anything beyond Plymouth. After that then you're into regional journeys around Somerset and Severnside, which don't warrant First Class or catering, much like the hourly Taunton-Cardiff services!

 

[calc7]

Looking at the timetable (I appreciate it may have altered slightly for leaf fall), the times (and facilities) are as follows:
0600 - ALL (I make that 23) stations to Taunton; Plymouth 0814, Exeter St D 0918, Taunton 1005, Bristol TM 1111 - FGW Sprinter - no First Class or catering.
0628 - Principal stations to Bristol TM; Plymouth 0820, Exeter St D 0922, Taunton 0951, Bristol TM 1025 - XC Voyager - First Class and catering.
0645 - Principal stations to Taunton, plus Lostwithiel, St Germans, Saltash and Ivybridge; Plymouth 0849, Exeter St D 0956, Taunton 1027, Bristol TM 1123 (change at TAU) - FGW HST - First Class and catering.

I can't really see why anyone would use the former for anything beyond Plymouth. After that then you're into regional journeys around Somerset and Severnside, which don't warrant First Class or catering, much like the hourly Taunton-Cardiff services!

Thanks for doing the analysis Your conclusions are spot-on.

 

[TEW]

I can't really see why anyone would use the former for anything beyond Plymouth. After that then you're into regional journeys around Somerset and Severnside, which don't warrant First Class or catering, much like the hourly Taunton-Cardiff services!

Cost, the cheapest AP tickets from Penzance-Bristol at that time of day are on the 0600 service, so people are encouraged to use it for long journeys.