Big Mac on wheels now?

Railway seeks services of food chains McDonald's and Nirula's for image makeover, reports Harish V Nair.

The next time you have lunch on train, you might not have to settle for leathery chapatis and bland daal. You might just find burgers from McDonald’s and rolls from Nirula’s on the menu.

HT Image

Under fire from the Delhi High court for the “unhygienic” state of railway pantry cars, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to seek the services of reputed food chains McDonald’s and Nirula’s for an image makeover.

A surprise check by a court-appointed committee in November had revealed the nauseating state of kitchens in Jammu Rajdhani, Karnataka Express, Chhattisgarh Express, Purushottam Express, Punjab Mail and Swaraj Express trains -- first reported by the Hindustan Times on November 23. Following this, the court had sought a report from the IRCTC.

Additional Solicitor-General Milon Banerjee, appearing for the corporation on Wednesday, told the court that 150 locations have been identified to set up kitchens from where food will be loaded onto the trains. The IRCTC, he said, is also finalising contracts with McDonald’s and Nirula’s in developing some of the base kitchens. Cooking inside the pantry cars will be kept to a minimum, keeping in mind the difficulty in maintaining cleanliness, he said. The IRCTC also held a meeting on the issue of hygiene and quality.

Goswami, also a member of the committee, revealed that food was stored in dirty containers and kept in the open inside the pantry cars.

Email Harish V Nair: harish.nair@hindustantimes.com