How to Enjoy Food on Indian Trains

Most of us have experienced the impeccable meal service on airlines. The quality of food is really top class being delicious and safe. Now those who travel by train also wish the food on trains be at least a fraction of good as much as that on flights.

The airlines hire the service of only the best vendors so their food is of top quality. The menu of rail food is boring, tasteless and insipid. Some prefer not to eat than consume the food offered on railways. This is especially the case with pantry car catering on long distance trains.

Food stalls on railway stations offer slightly better tasting food, but there are two problems. One is that the `conditions on stations might be unhygienic with contaminated water and the scourge of flies and insects. The vendors at stations use unwanted waste material to prepare meals so as to cut down cost and hoodwink customers. The second is that train may not stop as stations for sufficient time to purchase food items.

The question befuddling everyone is why IRCTC and Indian Railways are unable to provide quality food to passengers. Why can’t it function efficiently like airplane food? Why is it impossible for the largest rail network in the world (Indian Railways) to feed its passengers? Compare this to airlines where food is charged exorbitantly, but still has many takers as food is delicious and of high quality. The bottom-line is that if the food is good, it will sell.

Now, there is good news. Recently the private companies have found a means to improve food availability on trains. Several private operators, like Travelkhana.com, provide food delivery on seat by taking online and phone orders. These operators have tied up with over 200 restaurants with local restaurants of stations across India.

On seat delivery of food is made available at no extra cost. For placing g orders, one must access the site www.travelkhana.com or ring up the helpline number available at the site. You must furnish details like train number, coach, berth number, etc. The passenger can choose from an amazing variety of food choice   to be served by various vendors of the site. The site currently serves 2000 trains plying daily in India.

The food is packed well ensuring it reaches you with no spillage or damage. The food arrives hot and fresh and tastes good. If the train is exceedingly late, the order gets cancelled automatically. Hence, it is a no trouble- no fuss way of eating during a long distance journey. The food gets delivered to your seat and you have the option of cash on delivery provided you keep change ready to pay.

Thus, the good news is that airline like service of catering has arrived on Indian Railways. Even for moderate price, the ordinary passenger can have access to good food like good lunch on train. The good news is that PNR status enquiry service of www.travelkhana.com is also linked to IRCTC. You can track the Passenger Name Record number (PNR indicating bookings status) just like tracking your meal order with www.travelkhana.com.

Author Bio:
Jyoti Rana is a freelance journalist. Her areas of interest are sports, leisure and travel. She has travelled extensively by Indian Railways. She contributes tips and articles on travel by the Great Indian Railways to websites like http://foodintrain.in .