Passengers traveling on Vande Bharat trains in Kerala show the highest demand for non-vegetarian breakfasts compared to other Southern Railway routes. On May 31, the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod Vande Bharat served 411 non-veg breakfasts, closely followed by the Mangalore-Thiruvananthapuram train with 398 orders. The MGR Chennai Central-Mysuru route ranked third with 197 non-veg breakfasts.
Other routes like Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore and Coimbatore-Chennai Central served 173 and 77 non-veg breakfasts respectively, while the Chennai-Vijayawada route recorded the lowest with 35 orders.
Key insights:
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Non-veg breakfasts, typically bread toast and omelette, are preferred over vegetarian options like idli-sambar or roti.
Many passengers buy breakfast onboard due to early departures, while some carry their own food to reduce costs.
The use of automatic doors on trains prevents food purchases during stops, making onboard catering essential.
Despite demand, concerns persist about food quality, especially after a recent hygiene scandal involving a railway contractor’s kitchen.
Passengers in Kerala mostly travel between Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Thrissur, and Ernakulam, not necessarily covering the entire route.
Food is pre-prepared and reheated on the train, but taste quality remains a challenge for Railways.
With plans to launch Vande Bharat sleeper trains from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru, travelers are calling for improvements in food standards.