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Food service, Railways' way
THE NEWS that Railway Catering had been handed over to a separate Railways hospitality corporation — no doubt, many readers will know its correct name — had me looking forward to the food service during a couple of recent railway journeys, especially as it had been some years since I had travelled by day trains. What a mixed experience it was!
On the Shatabdi from Bangalore, there were immaculately clad waiters scuttling back and forth serving you something right through the trip. Welcome drinks, snacks, tea and dinner were served well and fast — and, being tasty too, it was food service that could be the envy of even the best of airlines. True, you paid extra for it, but what was provided was value for money by a staff that gave the appearance of being every inch professional.
What a difference it was on the Vaigai and the Brindavan! Yes, there was some food or drink that came around every half hour or so. But did it have to be brought around by shoddily clad, scruffy looking Railway vendors? Did items like vadais have to come exposed in open trays and be plopped on to plates by ungloved hands? Did items like pongal and rice have to come without spoons? And did the coffee have to be treacly sweet at a time when most people are cutting down on sugar?
Half a dozen tourists from Germany aboard the Vaigai shunned all the exposed food and hoped to find solace in black coffee. Alas, black coffee is not something anyone with the Indian Railways is likely to think of. Now, that might be forgivable, but certainly not the unhygienic, gloveless, tongless, spoonless service.
Even on the Shatabdi, plastic-gloved waiters would have made many happier, but at least everything served comes pre-packed and no one is likely to take the lack of gloves amiss. That cannot be said of the service on the trains where food and drink is SOLD. A few paise more spent on hygiene is unlikely to draw complaints from passengers.
A fellow traveller on the Vaigai, watching the plight of the tourists, sounded the last note: "No wonder we are unable to get tourism right!"
S. MUTHIAH
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