Food Express: when the bar car becomes a work of art

From the grill-express to the TGV burger, the "Food-Express" exhibition tells the story of how railway cuisine has accompanied the history of train travel.

Tiana Salles Published on 9/9/25 at 3:21 PM

After Arles, Ground Control hosts Food-Express, an extension of Wagon-bar, until October 5, 2025. A short history of railway dining. Conceived by historian and curator Arthur Mettetal, it takes place in the Cathedral, a vast 200 m² space dedicated to the site's major cultural events. With this event, Ground Control reconnects with its rail-related past. Located a stone's throw from the Gare de Lyon, it was for a long time an SNCF postal sorting hall, before being rehabilitated in 2017 as a "tiers-lieu".

A journey through time

Conceived as a visual immersion, Food-Express continues the story of railway meals through the ages. Archival images, contemporary photographs and the reconstruction of a passenger car tell the story of gastronomy on the move, from post-war dining cars to sandwiches served at 300 km/h. " You might think there's not much to say, that everything has already been said. But as soon as you dig deeper, you discover a constantly evolving food culture, made up of technical and organizational innovations to successfully serve on board," explains Arthur Mettetal.

bruno Vignal

The exhibition highlights an unexpected photographic collection, largely made up of images from the archives of the SNCF group and Newrest Wagons-Lits. Initially conceived as simple corporate documents, these photos here reveal an unsuspected aesthetic power and documentary value. The experience continues at Ground Control's food court, where each stand revisits the TGV's famous croque-monsieur: chicken tikka, beef bourguignon or eggplant and feta reinvent this much-criticized classic, which seems to stand the test of time. A tasty way to reconcile travelers with their gustatory railway memories.

Between nostalgia and modernity, Food-Express pays tribute to a little-known railway heritage, and reminds us that food on rails has always been a journey in its own right.