Sitting in Dining Car

Cool_CM

Just wondering, was just running for the 18:00 to Cork cutting it fine without a seat reservation and went to sit in the dining car as it was the nearest and there were only a few people sitting there. There was a guy with a rail gourmet badge standing just inside the door who stood in the way and told me to go to the next carriage as it was only for people eating dinner.

Is this something new that they do sit down dinners or something? I've always sat in that particular car before when in the same position that in the past, in fact the last time was the 19:00 this time last week and never had a problem. During the same times that I've sat there I've never seen anybody being served at a table and people from other carriages get their food and drink in the brown bags, that they "have to give out for health and safety reasons" and take it back to their seats. I was also under the impression that First Class passengers are served in the first class carriage.

It wasn't a problem in th end, just said grand and went further up to find a seat.

Are Irish Rail trying to turn it into a
dedicated dining car where you go to, eat and leave or was the guy just being a dick?

foggy_lad

Cool_CM wrote: »

Just wondering, was just running for the 18:00 to Cork cutting it fine without a seat reservation and went to sit in the dining car as it was the nearest and there were only a few people sitting there. There was a guy with a rail gourmet badge standing just inside the door who stood in the way and told me to go to the next carriage as it was only for people eating dinner.

Is this something new that they do sit down dinners or something? I've always sat in that particular car before when in the same position that in the past, in fact the last time was the 19:00 this time last week and never had a problem. During the same times that I've sat there I've never seen anybody being served at a table and people from other carriages get their food and drink in the brown bags, that they "have to give out for health and safety reasons" and take it back to their seats. I was also under the impression that First Class passengers are served in the first class carriage.

It wasn't a problem in th end, just said grand and went further up to find a seat.

Are Irish Rail trying to turn it into a
dedicated dining car where you go to, eat and leave or was the guy just being a dick?

The 6pm train is advertised as having a restaurant service so people could come to the dining car from other carriages and sit there to eat a meal of sorts, while the 7pm train only has a buffet bar and snack cart serving food in brown bags so sitting in the dining car would not be as important to people when getting food.

corktina

just say you ARE eating a meal and then order something cheap* and take your time....

* relatively so...

Cool_CM

Ah right, so he wasn't just being a dick so! Good to know, thanks!