Trains are a common means of transportation, and many people choose to travel by train, especially for long-distance travel. The food on the train is a topic that many people care about, and it is also the object of many people's complaints. How unpalatable is the food on the train? Why would some people rather go hungry than eat?
To unravel the mystery, we spoke to a retired train attendant who had worked on trains for nearly three decades and witnessed first-hand the changes and developments in train meals, and he told some surprising truths.
The history of train meals
The history of train meals can be traced back to the fifties of the last century, when trains were steam locomotives, slow speeds, long journeys, and many passengers, and meals on the train were a necessity. At that time, train meals were mainly provided by the restaurants of the railway station, and at each major station, there would be special personnel to deliver the meals to the train, and then the crew would distribute them to the passengers.
At that time, there were not many types of train meals, mainly rice, steamed buns, dishes, soups, etc., but the taste was not bad, the price was cheap, and the passengers were very satisfied.
With the development of the times, the speed of trains is getting faster and faster, the journeys are getting shorter and shorter, the demand of passengers is getting higher and higher, and train meals have begun to reform and innovate.
Since the 80s of the last century, buffet cars have appeared on trains, and passengers can choose their favorite meals at reasonable prices. Since the nineties of the last century, fast food box lunches have appeared on trains, and passengers can enjoy them anytime and anywhere, conveniently and quickly.
From the beginning of this century, more varieties of meals appeared on the train, such as noodles, porridge, fried rice, barbecue, fruits, drinks, etc., to meet the tastes and needs of different passengers.
The current state of train meals
The current situation of train meals can be said to be full of flowers, in a variety of forms, some people are full of praise, and some people are constantly scolding. Why is this happening? Our interviewee, a retired train attendant, gave a few reasons.
First of all, the quality of train meals varies, some are good and some are bad, mainly depending on the class and route of the train. Generally speaking, the quality of meals on high-speed trains and bullet trains is better than that of regular trains because of their higher operating costs, high service levels, and more guaranteed suppliers of meals.
And the quality of the meals on ordinary trains depends on luck, some routes have good meals, and some routes have poor meals because of their low operating costs, low service levels, and unstable meal suppliers.
Secondly, the price of train meals is on the high side, and some even exceed the market price, making many passengers feel that it is not worth it. This is because the cost of train meals is high, including raw materials, processing, transportation, storage, distribution, etc., and the sales volume of train meals is unstable, sometimes selling more, sometimes selling less, so the price of train meals should be higher to ensure profits.
However, many passengers do not understand this, they feel that the price of train meals should be the same as outside, or lower, so they feel that train meals are not cost-effective and are reluctant to buy them.
Again, the taste of the train meals is not to the palate of the passengers, some are too salty, some are too light, some are too oily, some are too dry, some are too spicy, some are too sweet, in short, it is difficult to satisfy everyone.
This is because the taste of train meals should take into account the habits and preferences of different regions and adapt to different groups of people, so the taste of train meals should be relatively mediocre and not too extreme, so as not to offend some people.
However, many passengers are not accustomed to such tastes, they feel that the train meals are not distinctive, flavorless, and soulless, so they feel that the train meals are not delicious and do not want to eat them.
Finally, the hygiene of the train meals is poor, some have peculiar smells, some have bugs, some have mold spots, and some have expired, which makes many passengers feel nauseous and uneasy. This is because there are some problems in the storage and distribution of train meals, such as inappropriate temperature, insufficient freshness, poor packaging, and lax inspection, resulting in the quality of train meals declining or even spoiling.
However, many flight attendants are unaware of these circumstances, or for the sake of sales, they desperately sell train meals to passengers, causing some undesirable consequences.
The future of train meals
The future of train meals, our interviewee, a retired train attendant, expressed some expectations and suggestions. He said that train meals are an important part of train services and a necessity for passengers to travel, and should be given more attention and improvement.
He hopes that the quality of train meals can be improved, the price can be reasonable, the taste can be diverse, and the hygiene can be guaranteed, so that passengers can eat at ease, eat happily, and eat full train meals, which is an indispensable part of many people's travel, and is also a topic that many people pay attention to and discuss.
The history of train meals is a history of the development of train services and a history of changes in Chinese society. The current situation of train meals is a realistic picture of train service and a portrayal of the life of the Chinese people. The future of train meals is the direction of improvement of train services, and it is also a beautiful vision of the Chinese dream.
It is hoped that the train meals can continue to improve and innovate to meet the needs and expectations of passengers, so as to make train travel more comfortable, more enjoyable and better.
We also hope that passengers can understand and support the work of train meals, give more respect and encouragement to the workers of train meals, and make the work of train meals smoother, more meaningful and more valuable.
Train meals are not only a meal, but also a love, a love, and a responsibility. Let's work together for the train meals, for the train service, for the Chinese dream, come on, work hard, struggle!