Vintage Trains 2026

Good to hear you're facing the challenges of railtour operation 'head on'.
A few thoughts I had that might raise some revenue in Standard (probably not just VT specific, but wondered if they'd been considered):

Improving the Standard catering offer
Steam Dreams used to offer complimentary at-seat tea and coffee to all passengers in Standard, which made it feel that little bit more 'premium' and allowed higher ticket prices for probably very minimal outlay. There is already a tea/coffee service with the pre-ordered bacon rolls anyway.

The buffet range could be expanded to include things like sandwiches, pastries, hot sausage rolls/pasties etc, and maybe on-demand Bacon/Sausage baps rather than having to pre-order when booking.
IIRC Pathfinder used to allow at-seat ordering from the kitchen car once dining service was done, if you wanted something more substantial than the buffet offer.

There are a few trips I've been on where there wasn't an opportunity to get anything substantial before boarding, and the first opportunity to get something other than a snack/cake wasn't until arriving at the destination many hours later.
I also knew that everything would be closed when I got back, so had to stock up on food for the return journey at the destination, would prefer if I'd just been able to buy it onboard when I got hungry.

I appreciate this would be an up-front investment in terms of facilities and stock, and it may not be as straightforward when stewards are volunteers rather than paid staff, but it might mean some of the food & drink spend stays onboard rather than going elsewhere.

Improve attractiveness for families:
As a more left-field option, I wonder whether there are ways of making longer trips more 'family friendly'. Could there a be a dedicated 'family coach' for families with younger children?
Could a brake area be made into a small play area for those kids that don't want to sit in their seats for several hours?
Could a baby changing facility be added?
Again, it's all investment, but could it be worth the payoff?

Combing train and coach travel
Finally, I wonder if there'd be a market for partnering with local coach companies to offer package deals including a railtour.
Have the coach pick up in a few major towns not served by the train, transfer passengers somewhere like Coleshill Parkway, the passengers get their train trip, then the coach is waiting to take them back home, no worry about delays/missed connections.

I'd certainly use it if it worked out cheaper than a couple of nights in a Birmingham hotel.