Forget Sherpa's and eleme, China's just taken the waimai game up a notch. High-speed train ticketing platform 12306 is now allowing passengers passing through 27 stations including Shanghai Hongqiao, Hangzhou East, Tianjing West, Xi'an North, Nanjing South and Wuhan to pre-order food to be delivered straight to their seats.
Download the 12306 app or go to 12306.cn and key in your train details – it'll display the food options available depending on which stations you'll be passing through. At Shanghai Hongqiao station, for example, you'll see chain restaurants like KFC, Zhengongfu (真功夫) and Yonghedawang (永和大王). If your train passes through cities like Chongqing or Xi'an, chances are you can pick up local delicacies like roujiamo and yangrou mian.
We're still some way off seeing Sherpa's couriers chasing trains through the countryside...
Food products will be priced the same as in store with an additional 8RMB delivery charge. But be prepared: you need to order at least two hours in advance and pay through WeChat or Alipay.