Catering Facilities on the Home Railways.

Comfortable accommodation on trains undoubtedly plays an important part in attracting passenger business. There are, however, other factors pertaining to this question. Nowadays, the average traveller looks for many facilities undreamt of in years gone by, and not the least appreciated of these advantages centres around the conduct of the catering department, and the provision, at all the important stations, of appetising refreshments, served in clean and pleasant surroundings. The Home railways have attained a very high standard of excellence in the catering branch, and the dining cars and refreshment rooms operated by the four big group systems bring much business to the respective undertakings.

To the chain of refreshment rooms operated by the London and North Eastern Railway, a new Georgian tea room, containing many novel features, has recently been added to the King's Cross terminal, London. The new tea room is 48ft. long by 41ft. wide, and is capable of seating, at small tables, more than one hundred people. The furnishings and fittings are of mahogany of Georgian style, with blue leather chair seats and blue inset table tops of rubber composition. The flooring of blue rubber composition is noiseless and dustless. The walls and ceilings are of graduated tints, the colours ranging from warm orange to light primrose, giving a rising sun effect, while the electric light fittings are of the modern angular reflector type. An ante-room, designed for quick service, is fitted with automatic refrigerator, urns and heating apparatus, and is white tiled throughout. The entrances from the station platform are made draught proof by the employment of revolving doors, and, altogether, the new King's Cross tea room is an excellent example of the modern railway refreshment room.