The Indian Railways has launched a pilot project called Yatri Seva Anubandh (YSA) to improve the passenger services on six pairs of Vande Bharat Express trains in the Southern Railway. The scheme aims to provide a world-class travel experience to the passengers by offering them various value-added services.
The passengers will get assistance from the Railways at the originating and destination stations, such as cab booking, wheelchair and buggy drive. They will also have access to travel essentials and accessories on board.
Infotainment and food service
The passengers will enjoy quality content on the onboard infotainment system, which will comply with the laws related to data protection, broadcasting and intellectual property rights.
Also, passengers will have a choice of dishes from an exclusive food menu, which will be prepared and sourced from ISO-certified base kitchens. The Railways aim to provide their passengers aboard Vande Bharat trains with high-quality cuisine. For the contractors that prepare and serve the food, they thus have certain guidelines. The following is a prerequisite for the contractors:
First, Enough people with food and housekeeping training. The Railways will review their payments and documentation from time to time. Second, A clean and big kitchen in Chennai that can make many meals every day. The contractors must show that they have given many meals before.
The Railways will appoint a service provider with a proven track record in catering and housekeeping to implement YSA. Each coach will have a trained housekeeping person to ensure cleanliness.
Passengers can order pre-paid meals at the time of booking ticket or through the Yatri Seva app, or opt for a la carte services on board. Beef and pork will not be used in any food item. The contractor will have a qualified person in each train to oversee the food and beverage services.
Vande Bharat routes
The Vande Bharat trains are operated on the following routes in the Southern Railway: Chennai-Mysore, Chennai-Tirunelveli, Chennai-Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram-Kasargod and Chennai-Vijayawada. The sixth route is yet to be announced.