Dining car serves its last supper

Fresh-cooked meals were prepared in tiny travelling kitchens on-board trains.

The last meals are being served in dining carriages on the main Norwich to London Liverpool Street railway line.

Up to 22 restaurant service cars ran daily through Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, providing a meals service.

But the facility, on the UK's shortest InterCity route, was no longer profitable, National Express East Anglia said.

The decision to cut it was made in conjunction with plans to cut up to 300 staff across the company.

Jonathan Denby, head of corporate affairs for National Express East Anglia, said the award-winning dining cars will be missed.

He added: "We've all been very proud of what's been achieved on the restaurant and that's why it's survived so long.

"On the shortest InterCity route in the country, you might argue it should never have lasted that long.

"But because there was a good team, a lot of commitment, it worked very well and people liked it, we were able to keep it going.

"Unfortunately you can't argue with the economics of it, and yes, we recognise that for some people who are passionate about the restaurant they'll find that sad and they'll be disappointed."

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