Dining cars 'good for passengers'

Dr Gibson said he believed passengers enjoyed having hot food on a journey

The proposed removal of dining cars from Norwich to London mainline trains is to be raised in Parliament.

Last week National Express East Anglia announced it was planning to change the way food and drink was provided on the trains by removing the restaurant car.

The rail operator said it wanted to improve its buffet and at-seat service.

Norwich North MP, Dr Ian Gibson, said he believed passengers wanted hot food on a journey and that dining cars made people use the railway.

"There's a phrase in the franchise that says they ought to have a kitchen," Dr Gibson said.

'Peel bananas'

"Now I can't see that having a kitchen doesn't mean having a restaurant car - what would you do in a kitchen? Peel bananas, make sandwiches or what?

"Kitchens are about stoves and cooking hot food and people want a hot meal - it's good for their health and makes them feel good and it makes them want to come back on the railway again."

Dr Gibson is to raise the issue during transport questions in Parliament.

The MP for Colchester in Essex, Bob Russell, is also putting down an early day motion deploring the rail operator's announcement that it was to discontinue the restaurant car service on the Norwich to London line.

The nine restaurant cars have been voted by Rail magazine as the best in the UK for three consecutive years.

As well as removing the dining cars, National Express East Anglia said it was to close its call centre in Norwich with the possible loss of 73 posts.