Food At Your Fingertips During Train Journey

Food is an essential part of a journey. Bad food can mar a trip. People remember both good food and bad food; however, the former kindles happiness while the latter gives rise to annoyance. You would say, “I would never travel in that train. Its pantry car serves horrible meals.” Or you would say, “My train journey was great. What lip smacking meals and what landscapes – incredible!”

Food can change moods. It can make or break a journey. It can light up faces with a smile or it can make for a devastating travel experience.

No matter how long a journey, availability of good food during train journey transforms an otherwise tedious journey into an exciting one. Yes, a humble meal can do this. When a traveler is hungry a simple meal can be one of the most satisfying things in the world…and if this meal is of your choice, your satisfaction increases manifold.

How e-catering helps

The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has done a commendable job through e-catering. The new Catering Policy of 2017 serves as icing on the cake. It has empowered IRCTC to handle e-catering outlets, rope in major food brands, introduce e-catering to new train routes, and also manage Automatic Vendor Machines (AVMs).

The project that started with 45 major stations today features 408 stations in its network and the number is increasing. The success of the e-catering project lies in the delivery of high quality food that comes with choices.

Passengers were fed up of eating the same menu in trains. Gradually, things started to worsen. The food turned out to be bad. There were even reports of dead insects inside food.

Amidst the grim catering situation of pantry cars, e-catering emerged as the “Knight in Shining Armor.” It has arrived at the right time. The image of food services in Indian Railways was about to be tarnished when IRCTC decided to take things in control in collaboration with the Railway Ministry.

Easy order

One of the best parts of e-catering service is that anybody can avail themselves this service. It is not limited to smart phone owners. This is because you have options. You can either send a simple SMS to 139 that can be done through any handset, or you can download an app and order food. The latter requires a smart phone.

Another option is to simply call at a toll free number. You will be connected to an executive, who will take your food order. Those who love to browse the internet can log on to IRCTC’s official website and enter the e-catering section.

Again, payment comes with options. You can do it in the simplest manner – through cash. You can also do it through plastic money.

So, in a way, e-catering caters to all kinds of people – those who are tech savvy and those who believe in simple living. Perhaps herein lies the secret of e-catering’s profound success. Now, getting good food during train journey is no big deal. Just a few clicks or a single call and you await a scrumptious meal.