CHENNAI: Southern Railway simplifies the procedure for approving packaged goods to be sold in catering booths at railway stations with a focus on 'Ease of Doing Business' in order to simplify the certification process for its Packaged Drinking Water (PDW) and Proprietary Article Depot (PAD) items, which are offered at its stationary stalls located throughout train stations.

Products under the PAD brand are packaged edibles with branding, such as cakes, biscuits, and chocolates, that are offered for sale at stationary food stands in train stations. The catering stalls in the railway can only sell goods that are approved by the railway administration and that are on approved lists.

The Expression of Interest (EOI) and tender processes were used to approve manufacturers and franchisees of these products, which limited their eligibility and caused delays.

To encourage a more dynamic and approachable business climate, manufacturers and franchisees wishing to sell their goods in Railway catering units can now apply for permission on a walk-in basis at any time of the year.

Interested parties can find the necessary application forms and instructions on the official Southern Railway website at www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in. Form duly filled up along with the required documents and payment of stipulated fees can be submitted in the office of Chief Commercial Manager/Passenger Servi and Catering, Southern Railway, Chennai.