Online Food Delivery in Moving Trains ~ Simple Website, High Functionality

Challenges Faced By TrainsCafe in Execution

TrainsCafe sounds like a simple project, but it was full of serious business challenges. The major challenges included the following:

1. Real-Time PNR Tracking

• Train Route Identification: Until the food delivery partners get real-time and accurate train movement data, the order could be misrouted.
• Customer’s Seat & Coach Identification: Additionally, TrainsCafe had demanded to auto-identify the seat number and coach of the customer so that the order may be placed within a few clicks.

2. Order Verification

• Identifying False Orders: In moving trains, unlike a fixed customer address, what if a customer orders food just for fun, without even onboarding the train?
• Identifying To-Be Cancelled Orders: What if a customer misses his/her train and the delivery partner arrives at an empty seat?

3. Early and Late Arrival Tracking

• Tracking A Moving Train in Real-Time: Indian trains are either late or early (early once in a blue moon). So, matching the delivery time with an Indian train was the biggest challenge.

4. Low Networks in Trains ~ Poor Customer Experience

• Interruptions Caused by Network Issues: While travelling, customers often face network issues. Ordering food online becomes difficult this way.

Ezulixian Solution

1. Backend Fetches Data From the PNR Database

• Our developers developed a backend that connects with and fetches real-time data from the PNR database.
• This data includes the train’s time schedule, the customer’s seat number, the coach number, and the train on-boarding status to avoid order misrouting and false orders.

2. Real Time Train Tracking with NTES

• National Train Enquiry System (NTES), an official system maintained by Indian Railways, provides real-time data such as live location, cancellation status, delays, early arrivals, and route diversion for running trains.
• Team Ezulix developed a website backend that can render data straight from the NTES and help the delivery partners track a train’s real-time location and verify the traveller’s details.

3. A Simple Website That Runs Even on 2G

• Our web developers focused on functionality and user-friendliness more than fancy elements and heavy animations.
• The team has designed and developed the web app such that it can also run in 2G networks.

Results

• The technique worked really well, and it has now been 4 years since TrainsCafe has been delivering customers’ favourite food on moving trains by providing a real-time journey through the NTES and PNR database tracking.
• NTES integration helped Trainscafe achieve real-time train monitoring, customer identification, and order verification.
• Connectivity with the PNR database helped Trainscafe to identify train routes, timings, schedules, and customers’ seat and coach details.
• A unique business came to life with dedicated efforts in custom web development. Impossibilities turned to possibilities. Challenges were overcome.

Future Plans

According to the Owner, Mr. Pankaj Jangid, as the business is running fine and the idea became successful, the current web app will be scaled further with-

• PWA Development: Firstly, TrainsCafe will go with Progressive Web App Development (PWA), so that regular users can bookmark the website on their smart device’s screen like a mobile app for a mobile app-like experience without consuming high device memory.
• Mobile App Development: As soon as TrainsCafe completes its 5 successful years, the web app will be further scaled to a dedicated mobile application for a better user experience.