Catering and Logistic Services for Great Western Railways

Background

First Greater Western Limited, trading as "Great Western Railway" (GWR), provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services. We help over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year - across South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, and large parts of Southern England.

Find out more here: https://www.gwr.com/about-us

GWR are looking to better understand the market offer for on train catering services and logistics. GWR want to discuss opportunities, ideas and innovation with suppliers who can offer catering products and logistics to be delivered across the fleet. The suppliers can offer both catering products and logistics as one offer or just one of the options, we are keen to understand, talk through options and meet suppliers.

GWR hope to go out to tender with this contract opportunity late 2025.

Scope:

As a high level brief GWR want a supplier to provide catering products and logistic services across the GWR network. This includes:

Route details:

GWR manage a number of station routes with catered first-class lounges in Paddington, Cardiff, Penzance, and Truro as part of the logistics supply.

We run 254 catered trains a day Monday - Friday,

280 catered trains on Saturday and

210 on a Sunday.

Fleet:

Our current fleet GWR offers catering which comprises of:

92 Bi-mode Hitachi Intercity Express Trains comprising of five and nine car trains.

Five car trains can run as independent five cars or couple up to be 10 car trains these are often uncoupled/coupled mid journey to make a 10 back into a five and vice versa. This adds flexibility to the fleet and allows us to run more services. When in 10 car formation there is no way through the train to both ends so they run independently with each end having a kitchen, first class and at seat trolley service meaning two independent deliveries and top off to different locations on one train.

We also run nine car trains which are full units with one kitchen offering first class and standard class.

We currently operate a Left on Board Found on Board system (LOB FOB) this means we leave non-perishable stock on train overnight when it goes back to the Hitachi train care depot.

We currently fully destock four trains a day seven days a week which means all GWR owned equipment and stock is removed by the logistics provider, washed, counted, and repacked to the levels GWR set and then delivered back to the same train the next day or when it returns into operation.

Catering offering:

GWR offer many variations of catering which the logistics provider must source products/deliver for:

Standard class:

Retail at seat trolley-Offering snacks, sandwiches, drinks, confectionary and alcohol.

First class:

Complimentary items offering drinks, snacks, sandwiches, and made-up weekend boxes, we have period rotations of cakes and sandwich fillings to keep the range changeable

Sleeper:

Retail range as above with a few specific products for this service. Complimentary in cabin breakfast items

Pullman:

Fine dining services, six full three course dining services per day Monday to Friday only.

First class lounges:

Complimentary drinks and snacks consisting of a mix of current on train lines and a few bespoke lounge items.

Special events:

Ad hoc orders for special events and buffets for meetings are often requested and the logistics provider would be expected to source and price up these.

Innovation:

We are looking for a supplier who has innovation and ideas to support us in growing and driving change

Logistics:

Locations - GWR requires the contractor to take full management of catering logistics.

The below service centres are leased and maintained by GWR, and these service centres are available for use by the catering logistics provider:

GWR has four main service centres all located within the station building:

Paddington, Swansea, Plymouth, and Bristol

Currently the layout works for delivery, and we have varying modes of transport for delivery to train dependant on location.

Current operating hours are:

PLYMOUTH Mon-Fri 4.30am-midnight Sat 4.30am-10pm Sun 7am-10pm

PADDINGTON 6am-10pm 7 days a week

SWANSEA 24 hours apart from close 9pm Sat and reopen 6am Sunday

BRISTOL Mon-Sat 4am - 8pm Sun 7am-7pm

At this point we are drafting a specification and hope the market engagement will help develop GWRs requirements to ensure a robust procurement. We would welcome any interested supplier to make contact.

Contract

The estimated budget is: £8.4 million Inc VAT

The contract lifetime: 5 years (3+1+1)

Contact

For more information, to register your interest or if you feel you could offer this service/supply of goods and would like to discuss with us further, please contact:

[email protected]

This preliminary market engagement notice will expire on: 15.09.25 at 17:00