Countrylink trains & food (was QR Tilt Train - trip report)

[Graham Duffin <duffin@dyson.brisnet.org.au>]

"Garry R. Ford" <garry@merddyn.apana.org.au> writes:

> I have almost become a monthly
> commuter between Brisbane and Melbourne over past couple years and:
> 
> 1. 9 times out of ten the station staff at Murwullimbah, make the gestapo look
> like a frienship corp.

Why, what are the station staff doing at Murwillumbah?  Please give us
some details so we'll know what to avoid.

<snip>

> 4. Finally, it goes without saying, the only food on any XPT worth eating is the
> Ham & Cheese Cro. or the Chicken Rolls.
> 
> On one Canberra run, the second time only I bought other food, the container
> looked like it had been reheated twice, and tasted like it had been previously
> consumed.

I travelled XPT Bris-Syd-Melb-Syd-Murwillumbah last month (Oct 98) and
found that on every train every day the menu never changes.  The problem
is that the menu for meals is not very big and after two meals (lunch
and tea) on every train (8 meals) you get tired of the lack of variety.
When I travel by plane overseas I've not found this lack of variety a
problem.  QANTAS seem to have a rotating type menu or maybe each airport
where food is loaded has different food.  Anyway the food doesn't seem
to get repetitiously boring like the Countrylink food does.
 
> In Brisbane one is best to eat at the Roma Street Terminal while in Sydney the
> YHA Cafe across the road or Market Place or anywhere else.

In Sydney which road is the YHA cafe on?  Where is the Market Place?
I'll be in Sydney next Friday (20/11)and Saturday (21/11) for our
timetable club meeting so might give them a try.

You're right about the food at the Roma Street terminal.  There is plenty
of variety there although one or two of the food counters may not be as
good as all the others.

Graham Duffin,
Salisbury, Qld.