Delectable food to go on board

A train would be the last place many would want to be in, if s/he were scurrying to grab a quick bite during a journey, and that too if the trip involves ‘travelling’ into a neighbouring state. Both in terms of quality and variety, Indian Railway (IR) has always made culinary choices difficult for travellers. Be it a nondescript wayside station with fewer footfalls or an eatery in the concourse area of Chennai Central or even onboard a train, the choice of food in  railways changes sometimes every few hundred kilometres, as the trains enter Kerala from Tamil Nadu or vice versa. 

Despite strict enforcement, which involves periodic checks and penalising if found wanting, SR has been struggling to discipline the vendors and licensees who sell the stone-cold idli, half a day-old paratha and vadai to passengers. It has been found wanting, mainly in terms of quality. The advent of takeaway and app-based food delivery services to passengers on platforms, ahead of departure, has only spared people from ‘developed’ towns, while those from elsewhere continue to feel squeamish, where it is the same old onboard kitchen or the wayside vendor, catering to their hunger. Sometimes it not just about quality; even a simple choice is denied to passengers like T Mathias of Vellore, who says; “I started from Mangaluru to Tiruchy. All I could get until I reached Shoranur was palampori (bajji made with banana) onboard Mangalore – Chennai mail. They were selling snacks. No staple food was available. It was after five hours before I managed to get some plain rice.” 

However, there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel, courtesy the new catering policy IR had announced early this year. Sadly, in Southern Railway (SR), it would be at least seven months before stream lining of catering services even commences. Confirming this to DTNext, sources in IRCTC, a subsidiary of IR which would take over all pantry services as per the new policy, said that the process has started in north, but will take six months here. 

Pre-cooked masals dosai and idli to be packaged and oven-heated “The revised policy from SR is yet to reach us. We have made some suggestions. Railway board would either 

agree or recommend changes and send a blueprint to be followed while taking over all pantry services and vendor licensing,” said Deputy General Manager (Catering), IRCTC, Suresh Chandra. The hot and spicy masala dosai would bid farewell and come wrapped in aluminium foil by the end of the year when IRCTC would shut the kitchens and confine pantry services to sale of precooked and packaged food.

However, IRCTC managers have sought a lone exception — installation of tea vending machines. IRCTC has asked coach manufacturers like ICF and railway workshop to explore the possibility of providing better power system that would support tea vending machines and refrigerators so that at least beverages could be served afresh onboard trains. In addition to pantry services, IRCTC also seem to be considering the possibility of setting better quality standards for vendors it issues licenses to. 

Food served on trains have always been a bone of contention, but passengers could soon be spoilt for choice

Tambaram to get Southern Railway’s first two tier food plaza, spread over 13,000 sq ft.

68base kitchens to be set up across the country.

IRCTC to begin the process of taking over pantry services gradually in seven months.

IRCTC is exploring the possibility of installing tea vending machines on board trains, for which existing power supply system needs to be changed.

IRCTC is in touch with coach designers like ICF and even Railway Workshop, to set up the necessary power system required to support tea vending machines.

One of the base kitchens will come up in Chennai.

IRCTC has also suggested a marginal upward  revision in food price.