High-Speed Train Passengers No Longer Have to Eat Mush-With-Rice
This post comes courtesy of our content partners at TechNode.
Despite traveling at 300km per hour, as of today, it is now possible to order takeaway to your train seat. No longer do you need to circumnavigate the misery of the plastic yellow trays of microwaved mush-with-rice. And, yes, of course, you can pay by WeChat.
The official train booking system, 12306, has allowed restaurants to integrate with the high-speed train network. So far, 27 stations offer the service (see list at the bottom) as part of the pilot, but only along the high-speed bullet train (高铁) network.
A new food delivery icon has appeared on the 12306 app
Passengers can use the 12306 app or website to order food from a station along their route and must place the order at least two hours before they are due to reach the station. The food is prepared by the restaurant, delivered to the station, loaded onto the train and then brought right to your seat.
We planned a fictitious journey from Beijing through to Shenzhen to check out the options. Beijing is notably absent from the first batch of stations offering the service. We would have to pack our own breakfast, but moving on to lunch, the options opened up and we could have dumplings delivered for RMB 28 plus a RMB 8 delivery fee – similar to using food delivery apps when not on a bullet train.
We were a little disappointed at the choices available on day one, as there are a lot of fast food with KFC, Dicos, and McDonalds, but we hope for high-speed improvements. As the system develops it should be possible to order the specialties of the regions you speed through.
Enter your train number (beginning with G or D) to pick a station
Passengers do not need to have bought their train tickets through the 12306 app or network to be able to use the order service. Once you’ve got the ticket, you can order food with your ticket and contact details.
Choose a restaurant and book two hours before you get there – the app calculates the cut-off point
While the system is thus far still controlled and not open to the likes of Meituan-Dianping, it will still come as a relief to passengers in China who have long complained of the poor options on board the country’s rail network.
Finally, you choose from the menu and pay via WeChat
The service is currently available at:
Changchun, Changchun West, Changsha South, Chengdu East, Chongqing North, Fuzhou, Fuzhou South, Guangzhou South, Guiyang North, Hangzhou East, Hankou, Hefei South, Jinan West, Lanzhou West, Nanchang West, Nanjing South, Nanning East, Shanghai Hongqiao, Shenyang Bei, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan South, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xiamen North, Xi’an North, Xining and Zhengzhou East
Images: Estanda.com, 12306
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