Why is food in railway stations so expensive??

Question

ham and cheese baguette over 4 quid in cardiff central

Answer 1

Reality .

The rent to the vendor is very expensive. They want to soak ever dollar out of you and the support staff.

Most rail is union locations and they have to figure out how to pay the beneifts of the employee and pass the buck off to you the consumer

sorry to be blunt on this one.

Answer 2

Network rail charge for use of facilities, the TOC charge for rental space, then the normal overheads. All this has to be paid by the customers.

Answer 3

They charge what they want because they have the monopoly if you are hungry and thirsty you will pay it.   I always buy from outside before I go on the station/train.

Answer 4

A mix of high rents from Network Rail and a captive market.

Usually, it's easy to find a food place within a short walk of the station.  If you ask platform staff or traincrew, they probably know the best places.

For example, at Nottingham Station, if you head towards the city centre, about 5 minutes walk away is a good chip shop that also does kebabs and pizzas (allow 15 minutes cooking time for pizza).

Answer 5

Captive clientele.

If you are waiting for a train and have no time to go elsewhere, you eat where you can.  They know this.  You pay for it........

Answer 6

Because they have a captive audience. Everyone is scared to leave the Station in case that train they've been waiting hours for actually turns up. And trains are so expensive to travel on that only high flying exec types with loads of money can afford to travel on them.

Answer 7

The food businesses on the railway stations have high overheads - rents etc and have little choice but to apply high markups. I usually buy a snack from a nearby shop at a fracton of the cost.

Answer 8

Same reason it's expensive in airports.  They are the only supplier, you can't go anywhere else so they charge what they like.  I've seen AU $15 asked for grey sludge from a bain marie in Sydney.

Answer 9

There is a free discount card that gives 20% off at certain outlets (which in reality means normal prices) - get one at http://www.bitecard.co.uk/outlets.asp .

Answer 10

Cos they know you are stuck there so you havent got a lot of choice, its the same as motorway service stations, they know you are eating there cos you need to.

Answer 11

Why not take your own food with you?Much cheaper.

Answer 12

because you are a captured audience, the same as the new wembley

Answer 13

You are paying for the ambiance of our drab,damp,draughty stations. Enjoy.

Answer 14

As others have said the overheads are high and you are a captive market. If you have time walk outside and find a sandwich bar or chippy. You were in Cardiff not a small place and I am sure you could have got a meal for £4.

Just like airports and motorway service areas you know you are going to be ripped off so either take your own look outside or pay up.

Answer 15

To be honest I do not know why the shops sell food so expensive on Stations. Even us member of staff at some stations do not get a discount even though we should (I normally make my own or buy food from shops near by but not at the station.

Anyway if its any help there is a bite card that you can request via the attached web site. (I gave mine to a Bobby who was patrolling one of our stations as they had not got one and was having to pay the full price)

http://www.bitecard.co.uk/

I hope that this is of help.