Many trains have pantry cars and serve food on trains across the country. But the quality of the food served leaves a lot to be desired. The food dishes on offer are also not to the liking of great many passengers. After years of indifference towards the food needs of the traveling passengers, the railway department is thinking of improved food quality on trains. It is planning to provide region-wise food in Rajadhani, Shatabdi and Duranto trains. Regional dishes will be on offer. The railways will also serve pre-packed meals. There will be special stress on hygienic preparation and cleanliness in pantry cars.
Private catering companies will provide quality vegetarian as also non-vegetarian food. Depending upon the response to the pilot project, the new railway catering scheme will be extended to more trains. More well-known catering brands are in the race for the likely catering contracts.
IRCTC’s First Steps –
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation is also introducing IRCTC railway catering on trains, which have no pantry car. It will now be possible for the passengers of such trains to book dishes of their choice from the menu. They will be able to book orders on the website, www.ecatering.irctc.co.in, by calling phone numbers 1800-1034-139 (toll-free), 0120-4383892-99 (toll) or by sending SMS Meal to 139. They will have to provide their PNR number at the time of booking the order. They will have to make an e.payment.
The facility, available at present only at Muzzaffarnagar, New Delhi, Ambala, Jaipur, Mathura, Bharuch, Agra Cantonment, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Alwar, Vapi and Vadodara, may be extended later to more trains. The food on offer includes a thali, biryani, and pizzas. The services are on only between 6 am and 10 pm. The mandatory minimum order is Rs60.
TravelKhana Is Marching Ahead –
TravelKhana, an award-winning food-in-train service, makes a wide range of quality food available to passengers at their seat at hundreds of stations across the country.
It offers more variety, better quality and its food is prepared in hygienic conditions. The choice of food is from vegetables, non-veg dishes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis, bread preparations, rotis, South Indian dishes, pizzas, Chinese food and much more. TravelKhana also offers to serve tasty dishes from popular restaurants and food outlets in the city where the train is reaching in two hours. Passengers can thus taste dishes from popular restaurants in different cities at their seat. They can order food by logging in at the website or on phone. The payment can be through net-banking, credit cards or on delivery of food. The passengers have to order the food an hour and a half before the train reaches the station where they want the food. The food is packed in casseroles, keeping it fresh and warm. After the ticketing revolution, the train passenger is in for a train food revolution in near future.