As mercury climbs, rlys curb sale of Rail Neer

Railway sources said catering stalls at stations have been informed of the shortage. As a stopgap measure, the railways will allow them to sell bottled water from private companies, which is otherwise barred on railway premises. While Rail Neer is sold for ₹14 per bottle, other brands sell for a rupee more

MUMBAI: Summer’s here, but Rail Neer won’t be available at many railway stations until July. The decision to curtail the supply of Rail Neer – bottled water sold by the Indian Railways – is due to a production shortage at the railways’ Ambernath plant, its only plant in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Ludhiana, India – June 05, 2019 : A passenger quenches his thirst with Rail Neer bottle at Railway Station in Ludhiana on Wednesday, June 05, 2019. (HT Photo)

As a result, Rail Neer will not be sold at stations from Borivali to Surat on the Western Railway, and Thane to Karjat on the Central Railway. According to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which runs the Ambernath plant, the curbs will remain in force from March 10 to June 30.

Railway sources said catering stalls at stations have been informed of the shortage. As a stopgap measure, the railways will allow them to sell bottled water from private companies, which is otherwise barred on railway premises. While Rail Neer is sold for ₹14 per bottle, other brands sell for a rupee more.

The IRCTC’s Ambernath plant has a production capacity of 14,500 cartons of Rail Neer per day, each carton being 12 bottles, whereas demand on both railways typically exceeds supply by 4,500-5,000 cartons a day during peak summer months. “We have informed both railways and allowed them to sell bottled water of other approved brands,” according to an IRCTC official.

While IRCTC curtails supply for 10 to 12 days during summer every year, this is the first time suppky has been hit for an extended period.

“We have to pay more to private bottled water companies to procure stocks. Plus we have to place bulk orders without knowing if the stock will be consumed before June 30. If we try to sell this water after that date, there is every chance the railways will fine us,” said a catering vendor.

The IRCTC has received approval for a second production line of Rail Neer at its Ambernath plant. This would increase production to 29,000 bottles a day. Work on the project, expected to begin this month, is expected to be completed by next year at an estimated cost of ₹50 crore.