Not having your cake - nor eating it

摘要

DINING on trains, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner, has always been a special experience. With more focus on operator profits, it's a tradition that seems to be falling out of fashion. While some long-distance operators still provide a reasonable meal service albeit in first class, Chiltern Railways is the latest to axe on-train catering, following the lead of others who have - over the years - diluted and cheapened their offerings to nothing more than a paltry 'snack box' or what a colleague described as 'microwaved mush'. Genuine train catering - other than on charter trains with proper kitchen cars manned by a chef- almost seems have become an inconvenience in today's instant and fast-food age.