| Re: Catering on the WoE line? Posted by Ralph Ayres at 19:06, 8th October 2026 |     |
Let's hope it results in the return of catering, which would have been particularly useful with the current slower and so longer journeys. Even if I juggle a drink onto the train along with my luggage I'm likely to want another one after a while.
I'd say part of the reason for catering failing previously (albeit my main experience was on the Portsmouth line) was the tendency of the catering person to hide at the end of the train, not bothering to come along until halfway through the journey, leaving me thinking that next time I'd pick something up at Waterloo having worked up a thirst after the Underground leg of the journey.
| Catering on the WoE line? Posted by bradshaw at 18:42, 8th October 2026 | |
SWR are running a survey to gauge possible demand levels.
Note Woking changes
This is from the new SERUG letter
You may have heard that South Western Railway are running a survey to gauge the demand to support the development of a business case for the future introduction of a trolley service.
SERUG have long campaigned for the re-instatement of catering on the West of England line - so here's a chance to influence SWR's thinking by completing the survey below.
https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/91179760/SWRcateringsurvey
Bruce and I are well aware that we've been rather quiet over the past couple of months but there's little "new" news to impart at present. We still have no date for the termination of the SMD timetable and SWR's Modernisation Plan remains at the development stage with no firm date for publication. As soon as we have news on that we'll be in touch.
GBR's Rolling Stock Strategy has been published. It's very light on specific detail, but for our line, it looks like Battery/Electric will be the likely solution. The link is below:
Great British Railways: rolling stock and infrastructure strategy
One piece of news to impart which has not been widely communicated by SWR...the majority of West of England trains are NOT now stopping at Woking. A change at Basingstoke is required. That is not good news for those with luggage intending to use the bus link to Heathrow. Whether this is a permanent decision or simply temporary (to improve winter timekeeping) is not yet clear.
SERUG have long campaigned for the re-instatement of catering on the West of England line - so here's a chance to influence SWR's thinking by completing the survey below.
https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/91179760/SWRcateringsurvey
Bruce and I are well aware that we've been rather quiet over the past couple of months but there's little "new" news to impart at present. We still have no date for the termination of the SMD timetable and SWR's Modernisation Plan remains at the development stage with no firm date for publication. As soon as we have news on that we'll be in touch.
GBR's Rolling Stock Strategy has been published. It's very light on specific detail, but for our line, it looks like Battery/Electric will be the likely solution. The link is below:
Great British Railways: rolling stock and infrastructure strategy
One piece of news to impart which has not been widely communicated by SWR...the majority of West of England trains are NOT now stopping at Woking. A change at Basingstoke is required. That is not good news for those with luggage intending to use the bus link to Heathrow. Whether this is a permanent decision or simply temporary (to improve winter timekeeping) is not yet clear.
