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

["Service Planning" <Service.plan@qr.com.au>]

Graham Duffin wrote in message <911009060.731020@gateway1.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.

Well I have to agree, I have returned myself from a trip to melb. . I travel
in first class and was in car A all the way to and from melb. The country
link train crews where Bland, hard and rude. Now don't get me started about
the station staff a Murwillumbah. On arrival to the station 10 Mins BT, A
train load of people(me included) had to wait 50 mins to sort out what
busses would take them where. The station staff just sat in thier office and
did very little. I shall stop there.

As a point of intrest, P & O have the contract to prepare and supply food
for the country link services.
And yes I agree that the menu was boring after that many country link trips.
(4 in total)

This trip was not the best that I have travelled on country link, I am happy
to say It won't be my last.

David L.