Buffet cars
The passenger
wants honesty
and authenticity,
not camouflage
and fakery
What trends have you seen
regarding food service?
Food service on trains is at its lowest
point of development at the moment. It
has fallen from being a noble restaurant
with white tablecloths to a low cost
(for the operator), easy-to-clean, dingy
environment. These cars remind me
of homes for the elderly, what says a lot
about how our society treats the elderly.
Operators are trying to camouflage
the poor quality by pushing dishes
developed by TV chefs. They grin into
your face on the menu, which doesn’t
make the menu better.
What do passengers and
operators really want from
a buffet car design?
The passenger wants honesty and
authenticity, not camouflage and fakery.
Operators have to take a decision:
either they invest in staff who can cook
and serve, not just press the button
on a microwave and open a bottle; or
they can install a high-quality vending
machine. Both approaches are honest
and worth their cost.
What challenges are
involved in meeting
these requirements?
Treat the passenger as a guest who is
paying for the experience of travelling,
and not as a carriage case. Be honest
about your service with your guests.
What design solutions
would you suggest to
meet these challenges?
Design is a process, where the solution
evolves at the end, not at the beginning.
Each operator has a different set of
problems and realities. First be honest
about what you want and then develop
the solution you need together with the
design team. However, please, why is
it seemingly so difficult to get design
basics like illumination, seating comfort,
colours and materials right?
What food/beverage solutions
have featured on your latest
design projects?
The airline catering industry provides
great convenience food solutions all
over the world, which are easy to serve
and yet may offer something different
to the chocolate bar you can buy at
the station. Surprise people and you
will be surprised.
Eating is not just about nutrition,
it is social, cultural, psychological and
emotional. There is nothing that can lift
the spirits more than good food and
nothing that can spoil it more than bad
food served in an unhappy environment
following a long wait.
ANDREAS VOGLER
FOUNDER OF ANDREAS
VOGLER STUDIO
ABOVE: Andreas Vogler Studio is finalizing a dining
car for its AeroLiner3000 demonstrator, which
would have a similar mood to the rest of the concept
pictured, with atmospheric dimmed table lights
LEFT: A buffet car design by RCP
ANNUAL SHOWCASE 2019 Railway Interiors International 53
Andreas Vogler Studio
Gabriele Rigon