The iconic Deccan Queen was the only Express train on Indian Railways to have a dining car, till it lost it in December 2014. Recent newspaper reports say that Central Railway has decided to replace it with a pantry car, since the codal life (the duration for which a coach is worthy of being run on tracks) of the dining car built in 1988 is now over.

A pantry car is only for the preparation of food, it does not have a dining area where food can be served to passengers. A dining car has a food preparation area as well as a sit-down dining area and evokes the romanticism of a bygone era.

The dining car of Deccan Queen is as famous as the old queen herself. Stories about the food served on board, the people encountered mid-journey and the staff who managed everything so efficiently for years on end have passed into railway lore. Not only did passengers love the dining car they also found it more convenient. The hallmark of the Queen should be brought back. Even if it means building a new dining car or retro-fitting an existing carriage. The Queen deserves nothing less.