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Cell kitchens at platforms for trains sans pantry cars
INDIAN RAILWAYS Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has now come up with a new concept ?Meals on wheels?. Under the initiative, the IRCTC will soon supply foodstuffs, specially prepared in newly constructed cell kitchens at the platforms, in all the trains which will run without pantry cars.
INDIAN RAILWAYS Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has now come up with a new concept ‘Meals on wheels’. Under the initiative, the IRCTC will soon supply foodstuffs, specially prepared in newly constructed cell kitchens at the platforms, in all the trains which will run without pantry cars.
The move would help passengers on such trains get a variety of edibles at a reasonable cost with a guarantee of quality.
Talking to HT on phone, Chief Regional Manager (CRM), IRCTC Lucknow, Devesh Mishra said, “To carry out the work, we will be setting up cell kitchens at a number of stations including Allahabad, Kanpur, Etawah, Aligarh and Tundla in Uttar Pradesh”.
There will be one cell kitchen at each station and these will be created in place of the present refreshment rooms. These cell kitchens will be run by private parties.
“The order will be placed to the private parties for preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner and these fresh items will then be supplied in all the trains which don’t have pantry cars”, said Mishra.
He said that the menu and the rate card of the foodstuffs have already been decided by the IRCTC.
In Rajdhani Express, the corporation has decided to rotate the menu on daily basis so as to have a fresh menu of meals on each weekday, he added.
“With this concept, the corporation will be able to cater to the needs of a large number passengers moving on the trains as we have made efforts to cover all the trains without pantry cars”, he claimed.
The services are being provided under the ‘Train Side Vending’ that includes provision of bedrolls for the passengers and keeping the trains clean.
“We have already floated the tender and the services will be made open to passengers within a couple of months”, said Mishra.
