Source – https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/railways-stops-packaged-food-in-vande-bharat-trains-for-six-months-101695497260649.html
Publisher – Hindustan TimesMumbai: Three days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off nine new Vande Bharat routes on Sunday, the rail ministry took three important measures to improve overall passenger experience based on past suggestions and complaints from passengers who have travelled by these premium semi-high speed trains. The measures have been broadly copied from the service pattern provided by airlines to their passengers.
Senior railway officials said that a crucial element in the passenger feedback was the unwanted congestion inside the coaches because of vendors focused on selling additional a la carte dishes to passengers who had already ordered lunch or dinner. “It has been observed that permission for sale of PAD (bakery products, wafers, confectionery items, cold drinks etc) and a la carte items has been causing passengers grievances,” says a railway circular. The circular adds that the major problems caused by hawking is the overstocking of food items in the passage and the frequent opening of the automatic doors both of which inconvenience passengers and hamper their movement. “In view of the above, it has been decided that permission for sale of PAD items/a la carte shall be discontinued in Vande Bharat trains on a pilot basis for six months,” states the circular.
The rail ministry has also directed IRCTC not to stock a double supply of Rail Neer bottled water for round trips, as this takes up more space. Bottles will now be stocked for a single trip and replenished.
Sources in the railways said there has been confusion over what food items will be available inside Vande Bharat trains. From now on, SMSes regarding catering services will be sent to passengers at the time of booking and 24 to 48 hours before a journey for reconfirmation. Those who do not opt for a prepaid meal will be charged ₹50 extra if they order on the train and if food is available.
“The SMSes will also inform passengers about the meals and the quantity of food that will be served,” said rail officials. “Many passengers complained that they were served a vegetarian breakfast even though they had paid for a non-vegetarian one. The new system will bring in more transparency and passengers will know what they are paying for.”
All zonal railways have been asked to make announcements about the pantry services in Vande Bharat trains at the originating stations as well as at every boarding station. To ensure that passengers get cold bottled water and warm food, the respective departments will ensure that the pantry equipment is in working condition before the start of the trip.
Meanwhile, the new Vande Bharat trains will run on the Udaipur-Jaipur, Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Vijayawada-Chennai (via Renigunta), Patna-Howrah, Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram, Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri, Ranchi-Howrah and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad routes. They will be the fastest trains on the routes with a time saving of 30 minutes to three hours.
