I cannot quite recall when the Eurostar service between London and Paris was inaugurated but I do remember I was a Parliamentary research assistant at the time and I had the opportunity to go on on one of their pre-paying customer proving runs so it was certainly the early 1990's......the interior of the trains does not seem to have changed or been cleaned since then. Shame.

Admittedly I'm travelling in Standard Class and, throughout the intervening years, I've usually travelled Business / Premier but this could seriously be improved.

I've just visited the buffet car and to say it is lacking in imagination or style (I would use the word panache or élan but we are not yet past the mid-point of the English Channel) would be an understatement. It's a lost opportunity to both delight passengers and make bucket loads of cash.

Catering choice has been reduced to the lowest common denominator when a range of price points would lead customers gently thorough an "up-sell". Some would argue that a two hour journey doesn't require it but I disagree.

It's 7pm. It's a captive audience. There is a high proportion of relatively prosperous professionals onboard who could use a drink. With imagination Eurostar could be relieving an additional £14 - £20 from many customers with a combination of tasty snacks and decent drinks.

They don't even need to take on any risk. Rather than a partnership with Waitrose which they extol with great virtue. Really ? I'm on the train to Paris and I want my catering provided by the local supermarche (through the tunnel now) ? Why not partner up with some established resturant or drinks brands. Why isn't Pernod Ricard, Remy Cointreau or Moët Hennessy running the bar car ? Profiting, promoting, pioneering ?

Eurostar is one of those brands which needs to be taken by the scruff of the neck and shaken.....a bit like a cocktail, if only you could buy one on this train.......