PupCuff
Member
It sounds as though you're describing how you think a service centre should be run rather than how one is actually run.I can understand your thinking but the day doesn't start and end on the train. The crew have to get ready for the day, e. g. order any stock they might need, and at the end of the day, dispose of wasted stock.
From what you've posted I think you're mixing up service centre staff and catering crews. The service centre staff are the staff that work the service centre, ie do the service centre ordering, dispose of waste products, fill urns etc (where used), prepare any freshly baked products (where used), do pre-service checks on trolleys (where used), deliver stock to trains etc. The catering crews are the staff that work on the train running the buffet cars, trolleys, first class catering etc, rather than doing any of the service centre ordering/wasting etc. It's not usual for the same staff to do both duties although perhaps it happens somewhere.
Catering crews wouldn't routinely order stock to a train they haven't got onto yet because otherwise you might get on and find that there's already loads of it on there and then you'd have wasted the service centre peoples' time bringing it to the train - you'll never be able to sell it all, you'll have nowhere to put it, so it's just going to have to come off again at the next service centre and all you've really achieved is a very expensive and unnecessary transfer of stock from one centre to another. Additionally a catering crew member might start their diagram at a location where there isn't a service centre (using the example of XC you've mentioned above, there aren't XC service centres at Manchester, Leeds or Bournemouth, but catering crews start and end their diagrams there) so there's no benefit to them ordering stock before they get on the train anyway.