Irish Rail said it is starting a six-month pilot catering trolley service on selected trains and routes from Monday onwards. It is to start with three services each way daily on the Dublin Heuston to Galway route, with what the company calls the potential to extend to more services and other routes during the course of the pilot.The lack of food and drinks available on trains since Covid has been repeatedly criticised by a number of politicians around the country, especially on longer routes in Mayo and Sligo. As IrishCycle.com reported earlier this year, the Department of Transport blamed other agencies, but a Freedom of Information request showed it had directly vetoed funding for the catering service. The new trial is being run with Sambos.ie, a Kildare-based fresh food and catering business. This afternoon, Irish Rail said: The pilot will be for a period, on a commercial basis without Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding to help determine the potential viability of such a service on the Intercity network.Iarnrd ireann has undertaken extensive market engagement to identify innovative solutions which may enable on-board catering to be provided more extensively on the Intercity network, on a commercial basis, in response to customer demand, the Irish Rail said. A spokesperson for Irish Rail said:We know how much our customers value an on-board catering service, and with record demand for our train services, we appreciate that it has been frustrating that it has been limited to Dublin to Cork, also benefiting most Limerick and Kerry customers, and Dublin to Belfast routes over recent years.We will undertake this pilot with Sambos.ie to help determine the potential for more extensive catering operation on a commercial basis, which will be decided upon completion of the pilot, in consultation with the NTA, the spokesperson said.Irish Rail said that, for staff training, some trolley services will be provided on services over the coming days ahead of the pilot commencing.The State-owned company said that catering services have been provided on the Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Belfast routes since May 2023 within the PSO funding envelope.Timetable for trolley services from Monday:Monday to Saturday07.35 Heuston/Galway* 11.05 Galway/Heuston09.25 Heuston/Galway 13.05 Galway/Heuston11.30 Heuston/Galway 15.05 Galway/HeustonSunday08.00 Heuston/Galway 11.00 Galway/Heuston10.30 Heuston/Galway 13.40 Galway/Heuston11.40 Heuston/Galway 15.00 Galway/Heuston(*Fridays only change at Athlone)