RAIL CATERING
ROGER WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL RAIL CATERING GROUP ROUNDS UP THE LATEST NEWS AFFECTING THE INDUSTRY CROSSING THE BORDER – TAX IMPLICATIONS
Clearly one of the most exciting changes to happen in the European railway industry for many years, ‘Open Access’ has created new opportunities for train operators and their train caterers that were previously restricted by political boundaries.
This has had an impact beyond the railway industry, as highspeed rail networks fight for, and win, market share from some shorter and medium distance flights. The combination of city centre to city centre delivery, no waiting time at the airport, faster and more comfortable trains, great on-board service and a much more environmentally friendly journey is a winning combination after all.
However, as higher numbers of cross border train services are introduced, spare a thought for the onboard catering operators who have to juggle with a nightmare of tax regulations from one country to another. Applying different rates of VAT during a journey means closing services to take stock in order to comply with each state’s tax rules, as well as registering and posting accounts to numerous tax authorities in different currencies. This is especially tough
A VIEW FROM THE TRAIN
on companies such as JLV, based in the Czech Republic, who operate routes where several countries can be traversed in one journey. The International Rail Catering Group is actively seeking a review of this difficult issue with the European Commission in order to simplify the
VR150 - FINLAND STILL ON TRACK AFTER 150 YEARS
VR, Finland’s national railway operator, celebrated its 150th anniversary this year with a series of special events in Helsinki. A heritage train from the 1930’s era, completely refurbished back to its former glory with a beautifully restored private dining saloon was on display at Helsinki’s mainline terminus station, along with a photographic exhibition about how the railway affected people’s lives in Finland over the last century and a half. It’s easy to forget in this modern age how the railway
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www.onboardhospitality.com
brought huge social and economic benefits during the 19th and 20th centuries, such as freedom of travel over vast areas not previously possible, as well as providing thousands of jobs.
At the same time, Finland’s rail and station catering company Avecra, which can trace its heritage back to 1912, celebrated its own centenary, with special ‘Art Deco’ retro menus offering dishes from times gone by. (I’d be interested to hear from any rail caterers who have similar anniversaries).)
complex rules that apply. Ideally we would wish to see VAT for each journey linked only to country of origin of the train. The good news is that we are already seeing signs of support from European politicians so hopefully this will be resolved sooner rather than later.
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