Now fresh and delicious food will be available in trains also, IRCTC has signed an agreement with Haldiram, CAFS, ISKCON

Train Food Quality: Complaints about train food are frequent. In view of this, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has started completely changing this system. Railways has separated food preparation and food serving. The work of preparing meals is now being entrusted to professional F&B operators. Meaning, passengers will get the same fresh and hygienic food in the train, which is usually available in airlines or big restaurants.

Its trial has started in trains like Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat. Operators like Haldiram’s, Casino Air Caterers & Flight Services, Safal Foodies, Vaishno Devi Sarovar Portico and ISKCON are serving food on many routes. Feedback from passengers has been positive. IRCTC is preparing to implement it on a large scale.

From local flavor to hygiene

Earlier, IRCTC used to manage the preparation and service itself or get it done through vendors, but there were complaints regarding quality and hygiene. Now the model is completely different. The food is cooked only by someone who is an expert in this industry. With this, everything is improving from local flavor to branded hygiene in trains.

Trial in Vande Bharat Express

Vande from Nagpur to Secunderabad is managing Haldiram and Alier Meals in India. CAFS is preparing food for trains from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru to Thiruvananthapuram. CAFS Gandhinagar Kitchen and Safal Foodies Rajkot are providing service in Ahmedabad-Veraval. Vaishno Devi Sarovar Portico is catering in both the Vande Bharat trains going from Katra to Srinagar.

Trial in Amrit Bharat Express

Sitamarhi wali amrit from Delhi Touch Stone Foundation is giving food in India. ISKCON is serving meals to the passengers in the Bapudham Motihari to Anand Vihar train.

What changed in the menu?

Local flavor has been added according to each route. Local curries and snacks in trains in South India, special thali and millet based options in North India. Some trains are also offering packed meals of regional brands. This is the new formula of IRCTC. The food of each route is being prepared according to the taste of that area. This will improve the experience of passengers.

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What is the plan of IRCTC?

IRCTC is analyzing the feedback of the trial. If everything goes according to plan, this model will also be implemented in Shatabdi, Rajdhani and other premium trains. The government’s aim is that the food served in the train should be like airline standard and the passengers can eat without any worry.