The Dreaded Dining Car Experience: A Taste of Indian Railway's Pitfalls
Travelling by train in India can be a splendid affair when you've got your homemade food, but it doesn't always turn out that way. My last excursion on the Indian Railway's Howrah Puri Duronto teaches an unforgettable lesson in the ins and outs of train food service. This recounting isn't just about a bad meal, but about the gross injustices faced by passengers due to the current catering policies.
The Setup: A Last-Minute Dash to the Duronto
Due to a tight schedule, I found myself boarding the Howrah Puri Duronto, a luxury train, directly from my office to my destination. A last-minute decision with no plans for homemade dinner, and a trip involving four of us left us with a special predicament. Being a vegetarian, dietary restrictions complicated the matter further, leading to a misguided choice of a vegetarian thali as our only meal option for the night.
The Nightmare Begins: A Meal of Cold and Raw Food
Opening the thali revealed a sad state of affairs. The chapatis were raw and cold, while the rice and dal/vegetables did not fare much better. The conditions were abysmal, leaving one to wonder if the food was even fit for consumption. For a 8-hour overnight journey, our expectations were betrayed.
Understanding the Disgust: A Colleague's Intervention
Upon tasting the cold and unpalatable food, we quickly put it away. My three colleagues joined in, not even bothering to open their own meal trays after spotting what I had experienced. With polite but clear communication, we conveyed to the pantry server that the food had not been touched. To our relief, the server understood and took the meals away. This relief was short-lived, as we realized the desperate situation.
The Hero and the Struggle: A Lifesaver on the Journey
Thanks to a dear colleague whose wife packed some snacks, we survived the night. The tale of our return journey was markedly different. At the hotel, we ordered pre-packed dinners, each costing only 100 INR, which was the same as the catering charge on the train. However, the quality of the food was a stark contrast to what we experienced earlier. The meals from the hotel were fresh, delicious, and filling, completely negating the need for the restrictive catering service of the railway.
An Eye-Opening Realization: Catering Charges and Food Quality
Our experiences highlight a critical flaw in the catering service offered on the Duronto and Rajdhani trains. Catering charges are no longer compulsory, yet the quality of the food served is shockingly low. Passengers who pay hefty catering charges are not just subsidizing a service that doesn't deliver; they are facing the disrespect of being served inedible food.
A Call to Action: The Need for Change
It's not just me; countless others have shared similar stories. There needs to be a change in the current catering policies to ensure that the quality of food matches the price paid. For the Indian Railways to truly serve its passengers, immediate action is required to address these issues. Until then, passengers will continue to face the risk of traveling with disappointments in food, making the journey an ordeal instead of an adventure.