The post you are reporting:
I read this yesterday in "Rail" magazine, it's by their resident timetable guru Barry Doe.
"Maidstone West has HS1 services to St Pancras International at 06.56, 07.26, 07.56 and 19.13, returning at 06.25, 17.14, 17.44 and 18.14 (tables 194 & 208).
What an indictment of High Speed! Here we have 140mph trains averaging 54mph end-to-end on a 43 mile journey, for which the poor users will be charged a premium. It's laughable.
Meanwhile SouthEastern has finally removed all catering from it's trains (table 212). It has carried on the proud Connex tradition and finally transformed this part of British Rail's splendid main line network into a service not even befitting a municipal tramway - and for this it has earned a franchise extension."
I just wonder how many will avail themselves of the Maidstone service, it will be interesting to see what the loading is.
As to catering it takes me back to the old days of the buffet cars. As an "experiment", BR took them off the busy Ramsgate - Victoria service where they were well patronised and moved them to off peak Charing Cross trains. They then said, in effect, "Oh look they're not economic" and scrapped them.
I rode the last one back from CX along with some other die-hards. It shouldn't have been the last one, there should have been another after, however, as was the norm although it was timetabled it was rarely staffed as that would have meant paying overtime.
Terry