Catering can be ordered by app on the Zentralbahn
Coffee, croissants, mineral water: Zentralbahn passengers between Lucerne and Interlaken BE can now order catering from their seat - thanks to a new app.
The "BistroOrder" app from ZB Zentralbahn and the caterer Elvetino is being tested in a pilot project. The app will break new ground in rail catering, the ZB announced on Wednesday. With the free app, passengers traveling in first class on the Lucerne-Interlaken Express over the Brünig can order drinks and snacks from their seat in the Elvetino bistro car. The order is confirmed to the customer with details of the delivery time. It is then brought to the seat, where the customer can also pay for it. Ivan Buck, Head of ZB Marketing, said on request that the pilot phase would last until the end of September 2016 and that no additional staff would need to be hired. If there is a large crowd in the bistro car, the app will be blocked so that no orders can be placed from the seat. The app could also be offered in second class at a later date. However, there are no plans to extend it to the second zb line, the one between Lucerne and Engelberg OW. The journey time of 43 minutes is too short for such a catering service, said Buck. Elvetino is a subsidiary of SBB, and zb is two-thirds owned by SBB. According to SBB, the "BistroOrder" project is running independently of its own rail catering plans. SBB will abolish the minibars at the end of 2017. (SDA)
