Traveling via non-pantry train? How to get fresh and tasty food in trains!
It was Nov.2015 when the news media and internet were flooded by the news of Indian Railways decision to withdraw pantry cars from some of the long distance journey trains. This didn’t go well with the passengers as it will lead to massive problem of food availability in trains. On the other end, good news was announced and most awaited by the passengers. It was the catering department of Indian Railways known as IRCTC was going to be launched online. Through e-catering, passengers who are traveling in train can easily order food online in train within few clicks and the service had proved to be a boon for the travelers who were traveling in non-pantry trains. Here’s the list of some of the long-distance trains lacking pantry car where e-catering service has actually proven to be a blessing or a god gift for the travelers. Now, order hot and fresh food in train is from the comfort of your seat.
Howrah Dehradun Upasana Express (12327) This train departs from Howrah (West Bengal) and arrives at Dehradun after crossing 18 stops. The scheduled journey time is almost 30 hours and without food. As the train departs from Howrah by 1’o clock you can order your lunch at Asansol station. Had your lunch earlier? Looking for snacks or dinner option? You can order food in train at Kiul junction or Patna junction at ease. The train arrives at Kiul by early 7′ o clock and Patna by 9’o clock. It is advised to order food before one hour to ensure timely food delivery at the station. RailMitra delivers food on the train at all major stations en route.
Howrah Haridwar Kumbha Express (12369): The train departs from Howrah and reaches Haridwar after a 27 hours journey without a pantry car. The train leaves its source station by 1:10 pm and reaches its destination by 3:00 pm next day. You can board the train after having your lunch, or if you wish, you can also order food on train by RailMitra mobile application. The train halts at 17 stations during the journey where you can plan your meal. Order dinner at Kiul Junction or at Patna Junction and celebrate the tasty treat in train. Sleep and relax! In the morning, sip a cup of coffee or tea and order food at Bareilly Junction where the train crosses after 10:30 AM. You can also opt for a brunch option at Moradabad where the train reaches by 12:30. So, if you are traveling via this route, you needn’t worry about food availability in the train.
PNBE VSG Express (Patna Vasco Da Gama Express 12741/12742): The train departs from Patna junction and reaches Vasco Da Gama station (Goa) after a long journey of 43 hours in the train. Same train returns to Patna from Goa with train number 12741. It is a weekly train without a pantry car. The train departs from Patna junction on its scheduled time by 2’o clock on Saturday clock and reaches Goa by 9’o clock on Monday (3rd of the journey). Traveling 2,418 km in a non-pantry train demands a well planning of ordering food in train. This train halts at 21 stops where you can order food. As the train departs by 2’o clock then certainly you can have your meal earlier before boarding the train or order it online via e-catering services. You can order your evening snack or dinner at Din Dayal Upadhyay Junction (Mughal Sarai Station) where the train reaches nearly 6’o clock in the evening. Ordering your meal at Din Dayal Upadhyay Junction is a wise idea because as the next stoppage lies at Satna station (Madhya Pradesh) by 11‘o clock in the night leaving you with fewer food options. In the morning you can order breakfast or brunch at Khandwa station where the train reaches by around 11′ o clock. If you want to opt for a healthy lunch, then order food at Bhusaval junction where the train reaches by 1:30 or at Khandwa itself for early lunch. Ordering food in train of your choice was never so easy.
Howrah Patna junction Shatabdi Express (12023): The train departs from Howrah at 2:05 pm (scheduled) and reaches Patna at 10: 15 pm (night) on the same day journey. Though the train takes almost 8 hours of the journey, still your dinner timing should not be disturbed. You can order snacks at at Chitranjan where your train passes around 5 ‘0 clock. Stoppage timing is very less, so avoid de-boarding train at some stations.
Garib Rath Express (Bhagalpur to Anand Vihar Terminus) (22405): The train starts from Bhagalpur and reaches Anand Vihar Terminus (Delhi) by next day morning around 8:30 am. This train takes almost 19 hours of journey to reach to the destination. You can order dinner in train at Patna Junction or at Danapur station. Order an hour before the arrival of the train at opted stations.
Ananya express (Udaipur City) (UDZ – 12316): The train leaves Udaipur City (Rajasthan) in the night by 12:25 am (as scheduled) and crosses many beautiful cities of Rajasthan at night. You can order a food in train at Sawai Madhavpur, Agra Fort or at Kanpur Central. These are the leading stations where you get multiple food options available for you to order.
Akal Takht Express (Amritsar to Sealdah) (12318): This train connects Amritsar to Sealdah (West Bengal) which departs from sealdah by 5:55 am (in the morning) and reaches Sealdah next day by 3:10 pm. The journey takes almost 34 hours crossing 23 stops. You can order food online in train at Saharanpur station, Moradabad, Lucknow, Bareilly junction, Lucknow Junction, and Varanasi Junction
Aziamabad Express (Patna junction to Ahmadabad junction) (12948): The train runs between Patna to Ahmadabad covering the distance of 1,772 kilometers. The duration of the journey is almost 30 hours (scheduled) crossing 18 railway stoppages. This train doesn’t own a pantry car. Passengers can take a sigh of relief as Railmitra provides food delivery options while journeying. The train starts from Patna junction by 11:30 night and reaches Ahmadabad on the 3rd day from the boarding by 5:30 in the early morning. You can order a meal at Tundala junction, Agra fort junction, Bayana junction, Sawai Madhavpur, Kota Junction. Check the availability of food falling en route and order hot and fresh food for your journey ahead.
Indore Patna Express (1772): This train runs between Indore junctions to Patna Junction. It has almost 28 hours of running time covering 1400 km. In this train, you can order your meal at Bhopal, Kanpur central, and Varanasi Junction. Enjoy food ordering.
Patna Kota Express (13237): This train connects Patna (Bihar) to Kota (Rajasthan). Total travel timing is 26 hours covering total 27 Railway stoppages. The train leaves Patna junction by 11:55 am and reaches Kota next day by 12:55 (afternoon). You can order food on the train at Varanasi, Jaunpur, Ayodhya Junction and other leading stations.
Ordering Tip: Place your food order in train prior to an hour before reaching the chosen station. Minimum of one hour is usually taken by our catering partners to prepare your food and delivering the same to your selected station.
Apart from food ordering in train, RailMitra provides array of services like PNR check, train running status, confirmation probability, and seat availability in trains. So, plan your journey with the best travel app while journey via non-pantry trains.