E-Catering Resuming Tomorrow with Contactless Delivery of Food in Trains by RailRestro
Zero Contact Food Delivery in Trains through IRCTC-Authorized E-Catering Partner, RailRestro
E-catering services will resume in Indian Railways nationwide from tomorrow, 8th June 2020.
The e-catering service providers had requested the Ministry of Railways to let the services resume in the trains. It has been confirmed by the Ministry of Railways that e-catering services would be allowed to operate from 8th June 2020 upon following the hygiene protocols.
As the restaurants are getting opened in the unlock phase 2, the food delivery services will resume in full swing. Dominos, Zomato, Swiggy and other food aggregators have already started contactless food delivery in the country amid coronavirus.
RailRestro, an authorized e-catering partner of IRCTC, will be offering zero-contact food delivery in trains.
Even as the special train services were started by Indian Railways to transport stranded migrants and people stuck in the lockdown to their home, the passengers are facing difficulties in satiating their hunger during the long train journeys and are complaining about the lack of food in trains.
No Pantry Cars Are Allowed in Special Trains to Avoid the Spread of Coronavirus
During the lockdown, 103 pairs of trains were run by the Indian Railways. This is going to increase with more Shatabdi and Garib Rath trains reported to run soon. Among these trains, 37 pairs of trains are running without a pantry car. This has caused the problem of food unavailability in trains.
Given the current pandemic scenario, Railways has taken several safety measures to control the spread of coronavirus in trains. Railways had discontinued pantry food services in the trains and did not allow e-catering services to operate in the special trains. The passengers were instructed to carry their food.
E-Catering Will Solve the Problem of Providing Hygienic Food in Trains with Zero Human Contact
Food packets are being made available to passengers by Railways upon paying a certain amount. But, they were found to be insufficient for long-distance travel. With no means available to buy food in trains, passengers were left hapless during their long-distance journey to their home.
The directive to restart e-catering in trains is a welcome measure by Indian Railways which will help the passengers get their favourite meals in trains. As the number of trains running is increasing gradually by the Indian Railways, more passengers would get benefit from this service.
Safety Guidelines Followed By Restaurant Partners of RailRestro
All the restaurant partners have been asked to ensure hygienic food preparation and follow safety guidelines such as:
• The restaurant kitchens are being sanitized multiple times during the day.
• Thermal screening of restaurant staff is being done.
• Only asymptomatic restaurant staff are being allowed inside the restaurants.
• Wearing of protective masks and gloves is compulsory for all kitchen staffs.
Safety Guidelines for the Delivery Boys of RailRestro
Delivery boys of restaurants will ensure contactless delivery of food in trains and follow hygiene measures during the food delivery such as:
• Only asymptomatic delivery boys will be allowed to deliver food.
• Thermal screening of delivery boys is mandatory.
• Wearing of masks and gloves is mandatory for all delivery boys.
• The delivery bags have to be sanitized before and after each delivery.
• Each delivery boy has to install and use the ‘Aarogya Setu’ app.
RailRestro Has Served More Than 30 Lakh Meals on the Trains
RailRestro has partnered with more than 8000 restaurants across India to deliver food at more than 450 railway stations of India. In the 4 years of its operation, RailRestro has served more than 30 lakhs meals on the trains.
E-catering has Major Advantages over Pantry Food during Coronavirus
Maintenance of social distancing would be possible by the online ordering of food and contactless delivery of food in trains. There will also be decongestion at food plazas or food stalls of the railway station. Delivery of hygienically prepared and well-packaged food from FSSAI-approved restaurants will help in avoiding the spread of coronavirus. Passengers can pay for their choice of food online with zero-human contact and avoid the risk of coronavirus.
RailRestro Will Deliver Food in Trains at 100 Major Railway Stations
RailRestro will resume delivery of food in more than 100 railway stations initially including Itarsi junction, Bhopal Junction, Gorakhpur Junction and more. At present, RailRestro can deliver food at more than 450 stations across India. As more restaurants get opened and trains start running, RailRestro would be providing e-catering services to even more stations in the coming months.
RailRestro App for Ordering Food in Trains Online
The process of ordering food in trains online is very simple with the use of RailRestro App. The app which is available in both Android and iOS version is used to serve more than 10,000 meals in trains across India and is used by more than 5000 people to order food in trains every day.