Children travelling on a train from the New Delhi railway station will soon be able to enjoy ‘Chow Mow’, ‘Desi Delight’, ‘Sweet Kid’, ‘Wingy Flutter’ and ‘Big Boy’— names of special combo meals recently introduced here.
From burgers to French fries to sandwiches and ice cream, the ‘combo’ meals have been prepared by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) keeping in mind children between the ages of six and 12 years, for whom the usual food may be boring.
Apart from the New Delhi railway station, the ‘Kids Menu’ is also available at the Mumbai, Howrah, Chennai and Lucknow railway stations. The special menu is part of the ‘Janani Sewa’ initiative of the Railways, under which hot water and milk is provided to those travelling with children.
Turn to IRCTC website
The combo meals can be ordered through the IRCTC’s e-catering website using either SMS or the mobile application.
“The menu for children has been started on a pilot basis at Delhi, Mumbai, Howrah, Chennai and Lucknow. It is meant for passengers between the six to 12 years of age and includes burgers, noodles, french fries, etc.,” said IRCTC spokesperson Sandip Dutta. “The combo meal, however, can be ordered by anyone,” he added.
Interestingly, the menu is different at each railway station. At the New Delhi railway station, passengers can choose between combos that offer burger, potato chips and cold drink (Big Boy), sandwich, potato chips and flavoured milk (Sweet Kid), chicken wings and cold drink (Wingy Flutter) or noodles with ice cream (Chow Mow). Children who prefer desi cuisine can order the Desi Delight combo that offers stuffed paranthas with curd and pickle.
Of late, the IRCTC has been trying to offer more choices to passengers. As part of this, a variety of teas was introduced on premium trains such as the Delhi-Agra Gatimaan Express and the Rajdhanis.
Also, later this year, mandatory catering will be made optional for passengers on the Delhi to Mumbai and Patna Rajdhanis and the Pune-Secunderabad Shatabdi Express and Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express. The scheme has been already been launched and passengers booking tickets on these train can opt out of mandatory catering.
