Poor quality of food has been a woeful experience for the passengers travelling by train in India. Reports of food infested with cockroaches, lizards and rats have come to the fore in recent times. Besides this, passengers have often complained about being served stale food during the journey, leading to much embarrassment for the Railway officials.
The Indian Railways, catering to about a billion people, has been grappling with issues related to alleged misgovernance. However, the advent of new services has revolutionised the way Indians dine on the country’s rail network.
From retail food giants like Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) to Domino’s Pizza to latest smartphone app Travelkhana, getting quality food is just a click away. Travelkhana, founded in 2012, ropes in restaurants close to the stations along busy routes, and delivers food for a fee.
“There are around 5,000 long distance trains with an average journey of around 770 kilometres (480 miles), but only six percent of them have a proper food service,” Pushpinder Singh, founder of the app, told AFP.
“This is the section we are targeting,” he added further. Last year, the Indian Railways invited giants like KFC to join its e-catering service, enabling the commuters to pre-order food online or through phone and avail service at major stations.
The Railways will be establishing “base kitchens” in the major stations to allow companies to prepare freshly cooked food for delivery on the trains, railway ministry spokesman Anil Kumar Saxena told AFP. All the service providers have only one success mantra-speed and quality.
