The company, which runs inter-city services from London to Aberdeen through Yorkshire and the North East, is bringing the pudding back after 25 years.

It is part of the company's Go Eat food service, offering rail passengers traditional and wholesome food.

A GNER spokesman said: "Roly-poly used to be a feature of British Rail menus in the 1970s, but it must be about 25 years since it was last offered.

"We are sure the jam roly-poly will go down a treat in our restaurant car."

It is a change of direction for the rail operator, which has increasingly been making its buffet food more upmarket.

Recently it donated a 1980s-style burger to the National Railway Museum at York to show how on-train catering had improved.