TRIVIA: Shortest-distance services with on-board catering, longest ones without

[AY1975]

Following on from the thread on services that ought to have refreshment trolleys at www.railforums.co.uk/threads/services-which-ought-to-have-a-refreshment-trolley.157153/, what re the shortest-distance services you know of in terms of end-to-end journey time that have on-train catering, and the longest ones without any catering?

I seem to recall that in BR days, and maybe even in the early days of privatisation, the Gatwick Express had refreshment trolleys despite the Victoria-Gatwick journey time being only 30 minutes. I doubt if there are any services with an end-to-end journey of much less than an hour with on-train catering these days, though.

 

[All Line Rover]

For something more than a trolley, I think the shortest must be Virgin West Coast's weekday 07:41 Birmingham International to Euston (arriving 08:50) service. 1h 09m. A full first class Pendolino breakfast service with the buffet open in standard class.

Some of Virgin West Coast's very short workings (e.g. Chester to Crewe only) are advertised in journey planners as having a buffet but, in my experience, the buffet is never open.

 

[tony_mac]

For the longest without any service, I would open with Lancaster to Carlisle via the Cumbrian Coast at 3:45.
Ironically, about the same distance as Euston to Birmingham.

 

[xotGD]

Carlisle - Preston via the coast: 4 hours 22 minutes with no refreshments.

 

[Ianno87]

Waa only a couple of years ago that Stansted Express (45 mins end to end at best) abolished its trollies.

 

[backontrack]

Does the Heart of Wales Line have trolleys?

Another contender is the Far North Line - most services have trolleys, but whenever catering is cancelled it would certainly be a contender for the longest journey without catering...

 

[transmanche]

Does the Heart of Wales Line have trolleys?

I've been on a 153 with a trolley on the HoW...

 

[wls1]

Heart of wales has trolleys, they have to swap somewhere along the line but cant remember where.

 

[Silver Cobra]

While it doesn't reach the duration of the journeys mentioned so far in this thread, anyone taking a Peterborough to Horsham service from end to end would spend 2 hours 50 minutes on average on a train with no on-board refreshments.

 

[transmanche]

Carlisle - Preston via the coast: 4 hours 22 minutes with no refreshments.

Keeping the Carlisle link: the 17:16 joint Scotrail/Northern Newcastle to Glasgow Central via Carlisle and Dumfries service just pips it at 4 hours 23 mins. (Although it does wait at Carlisle for 25 mins, which is probably enough time to pop out and get a cuppa.)

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Heart of wales has trolleys, they have to swap somewhere along the line but cant remember where.

It was Llandrindod - Llanwryd , a local initiative - out and back , run from Llandod.

 

[KeithP]

I've stood on a Portsmouth and Southsea Platform and listened to an announcement saying something like "this GWR service is for Portsmouth Harbour. Calling at Portsmouth Harbour. A trolley service of light refreshments is available on this train".

A journey time of less than five minutes.
Good luck with getting anything from the trolley so near the end of the route.

 

[380101]

Keeping the Carlisle link: the 17:16 joint Scotrail/Northern Newcastle to Glasgow Central via Carlisle and Dumfries service just pips it at 4 hours 23 mins. (Although it does wait at Carlisle for 25 mins, which is probably enough time to pop out and get a cuppa.)

All the Scotrail Carlisle - Glasgow Central via Dumfries services have catering on them now as far as im aware. Certainly any of the Carlisle/Newcastle services I drive from Glasgow Central or Kilmarnock and back have catering onboard.

 

[hexagon789]

Keeping the Carlisle link: the 17:16 joint Scotrail/Northern Newcastle to Glasgow Central via Carlisle and Dumfries service just pips it at 4 hours 23 mins. (Although it does wait at Carlisle for 25 mins, which is probably enough time to pop out and get a cuppa.)

Doesn't that have catering to Carlisle now though? Could easily be wrong.

 

[hexagon789]

Following on from the thread on services that ought to have refreshment trolleys at www.railforums.co.uk/threads/services-which-ought-to-have-a-refreshment-trolley.157153/, what re the shortest-distance services you know of in terms of end-to-end journey time that have on-train catering, and the longest ones without any catering?

I seem to recall that in BR days, and maybe even in the early days of privatisation, the Gatwick Express had refreshment trolleys despite the Victoria-Gatwick journey time being only 30 minutes. I doubt if there are any services with an end-to-end journey of much less than an hour with on-train catering these days, though.

The GatEx had catering trolleys until fairly recently I believe.

 

[Parallel]

Heart of wales has trolleys, they have to swap somewhere along the line but cant remember where.

If passing at Llandrindod the catering staff member from southbound tends to alight at Builth Road and then join the next train back down. This has happened on a few occasions when I’ve been on the line.

 

[transmanche]

Doesn't that have catering to Carlisle now though? Could easily be wrong.

I've never seen a trolley on any Tyne Valley service...

 

[hexagon789]

I've never seen a trolley on any Tyne Valley service...

Sorry, I meant between Glasgow and Carlisle.

 

[185143]

I had a trolley on the ATW Crewe-Chester shuttle once! Went through the train seeing if anyone wanted owt, think it was just a positioning move though.

Longest distance without a trolley must be the West Midlands Trains Crewe-Euston services surely? I was on one once and was invited to pop out for a brew at Stoke as we had a bit of standing time. Came back with a couple of bacon butties as well!

 

[Mag_seven]

Deleted.

 

[mds86]

I've stood on a Portsmouth and Southsea Platform and listened to an announcement saying something like "this GWR service is for Portsmouth Harbour. Calling at Portsmouth Harbour. A trolley service of light refreshments is available on this train".

Surely this train would have started in Cardiff or Bristol?

Worcester Shrub Hill to Worcester Foregate St on an GWR HST - full buffet service.

And this train would have started in London? I thought the thread was about end to end journeys, not two stations close together on a route?

The GWR Great Malvern to Brighton service 1O98 or 1V94 in the opposite direction could be a contender if a trolley doesn't appear at Bristol or Salisbury (travel time 5hrs 24mins)

 

[backontrack]

I've been on a 153 with a trolley on the HoW...

Heart of wales has trolleys, they have to swap somewhere along the line but cant remember where.

It was Llandrindod - Llanwryd , a local initiative - out and back , run from Llandod.

If passing at Llandrindod the catering staff member from southbound tends to alight at Builth Road and then join the next train back down. This has happened on a few occasions when I’ve been on the line.

I see, thanks.

 

[Mag_seven]

And this train would have started in London? I thought the thread was about end to end journeys, not two stations close together on a route?

You are correct - didn't read the thread opener properly, only the title.

 

[cuccir]

What catering is there on the Hull - Doncaster Vrigin East Coast service (20:28)? That's a 56 minute service.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Llandudno - Llandudno Junction (3m 27ch) must be in with a shout of the shortest.

 

[AlterEgo]

Llandudno - Llandudno Junction (3m 27ch) must be in with a shout of the shortest.

Do the occasional one-stop shuttles convey catering? RTT suggests not.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Do the occasional one-stop shuttles convey catering? RTT suggests not.

RTT can suggest what it likes, quite often rather than get off at Llandudno Junction and get back on when the shuttle returns the catering staff choose to stay on the train. It may not be timetabled but happens a lot in practice.

The OP asked for "re the shortest-distance services you know of in terms of end-to-end journey time that have on-train catering" not what RTT says.

 

[Taunton]

Back in BR days a Sunday disruption at Waterloo caused a Waterloo-Kingston Roundabout service to be formed of a Bournemouth REP/TC formation. The buffet remained open and staffed, and given that a number of what few Waterloo station outlets there were in those days did not open on Sundays, and the cancellation of some prior services, it did quite a trade.

 

[superalbs]

I had a trolley on an Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk service. Not very long.

 

[aye2beeviasea]

London Bridge to Lewisham?