On-train catering staff

What do they do?

Avecra’s on-train catering staff work in the restaurant cars on long-distance trains, helping to ensure the success of the customer’s journey. Their work includes customer service and sales as well as preparing food and drinks. In some trains they provide a trolley service. Catering staff are also responsible for keeping the restaurant car clean and tidy.

Before the train departs, the on-train catering staff prepare the restaurant for business. When the train arrives at its destination, they close the restaurant and settle up the accounts. Catering staff order the food and other items for the trains and receive them. They also participate in product development teams set up by the employer.

What are the requirements?

Appropriate qualifications for on-train catering staff are a basic vocational qualification in catering or in the hotel and restaurant sector. The basic qualification can also be competence-based.

On-train catering staff are expected to possess skills as waiters and in customer service. The ability to get on with different types of people, flexibility and initiative are other important characteristics. A sunny disposition and a sense of humour are also of advantage. Swedish and English language skills are necessary, and some knowledge of Russian is useful.

The work of on-train catering staff requires good physical condition, for working on a moving train and in a limited space is strenuous. Working on your own, the long shifts and difficult situations in customer service may make the work challenging psychologically.

On-train catering staff work shifts, and the working hours can vary from morning to night. Some of the busiest routes are the trains to Lapland during the skiing holidays and to St Petersburg in the summer.
On-train catering staff are literally on the move all the time. The area where they work is all of Finland, but they normally return to their point of departure after their work shift. Occasional nights are spent away from home.

What are the opportunities?

As staff acquire skills and knowhow, they can move on to supervisory duties.


Read what one on-train caterer says about their work >>