SIR,—Almost a year ago, Cyril Ray drew attention to the
inferior quality of the food served in restaurant cars operated by the Pullman Car Company. There has been no improvement since then, at least in the cars working the Southern Region.
Yesterday. for a midday meal, the quality of which is better left undescribcd, I paid the minimum a la carte charge for three courses with coffee of 12s. 8d. The 9s. 6d. table d'hOte provided by British Railways; whatever its shortcomings, is a banquet by compari- son with the Pullman burnt offering . . . for burnt it was, to add insult to injury.
Another aspect of Pullman's activities which calls for comment is the charges made for drinks on the boat trains serving the Channel ports. For a small gin they charge 2s. 9d. and for a Guinness 2s. against 2s. and Is. 6d. respectively in their non-boat-train cars.
The cars are the same, the drinks the same, the measure the same, only the charge differs.
Pressed for an explanation, the chairman of the company has told me that the boat trains run 'mostly' in one ,direction only and that a higher charge is demanded to make the service economic! --Yours faithfully,
STEPHEN PRESTON
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