RailEnquiry

LUDHIANA: The travellers on trains passing from the city railway station and those boarding a train from here will soon have an option to grab a bite of fresh food with the re-opening of the refreshment room on the platform.Tenders for the refreshment room, which was closed in January, were called on Thursday. The contract will be assigned on the last day of accepting tenders, which is January 4. Station superintendent R K Sharma said the refreshment room was closed in January as the assigned contractor had personal problems in continuing his business. "He had been serving good quality food and the service was satisfactory as well, but we do not know why he decided against continuing his contract," he added.Sharma said the tenders are being accepted from Thursday onwards, "But, most interested parties turn up directly on the last day, as that is when the contract is decided". The reserve price for the tender has been fixed at Rs 15.6 lakh for a year. The refreshment room would hopefully be open by February and the travellers would be able to get a good quality hygienic food at cheaper rates.However, sources said the previous contractor had given up his work because of the service tax he had to pay, though the food for Shatabdi was not taken from him, but another city restaurant.The news has come as a relief to passengers from the city."A refreshment room is a must on the railway station, as many-a-times children ask for food and there is no option except the unhygienic food on the stalls," said Civil Lines resident Alka Kapoor."I generally feel hungry as soon as I board a train, but there is nothing good enough on the platforms. Apart from the refreshment room, there should be outlets of good food chains, as there are on New Delhi railway station," said Rajguru Nagar resident Sukhminder Singh.