Train travel could soon become even better, with passengers able to savour their favourite delicacies from popular brands, right on board!Indian Railways has begun testing a revamped on-board catering model on selected trains, as the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) looks to upgrade the quality and delivery of meals served to passengers. Under a Proof of Concept (PoC) currently underway, IRCTC has separated meal preparation from meal service, allowing established food and beverage brands, including industrial kitchens, restaurant chains and flight caterers, to step in and supply meals. The aim, the corporation said, is “to provide fresh, hygienic meals for service to the passengers” and drive “perceptible improvements in on-board catering services in trains”.

The trials are being conducted across multiple railway zones on some of the newly introduced Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains. IRCTC, a Navaratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the ministry of railways, presently caters to nearly 16.50 lakh meals every day across the Indian Railways network. According to an official release, the corporation has initiated the trials to bring about a “paradigm shift in quality of meal services in trains”. “In order to have paradigm shift in quality of meal services in trains and with an objective to have perceptible improvements in on-board catering services in trains, IRCTC has commenced meal trials is some select trains,” it said. The PoC is designed to assess every stage of the catering supply chain, with emphasis on “kitchen infrastructure, meal production processes, transfer of meal and service of meal”. Specific train services have been paired with different catering partners as part of the exercise. The Nagpur–Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express is being serviced by M/s Haldiram’s (Nagpur) and Elior (Secunderabad), while the Delhi–Sitamarhi Amrit Bharat train has meals supplied by M/s Touch Stone Foundation, Delhi. Casino Air Caterers & Flight Services (CAFS) has been engaged for the Kasargod–Trivandrum service and the Mangalore–Trivandrum Vande Bharat Express. “These meal trials also provide passengers with a diverse, restaurant-quality menu including local delicacies aimed at improving satisfaction level during travel,” the release stsated. IRCTC said initial passenger feedback on the trains covered under the PoC has been positive. The findings from the trials will now be reviewed to support further improvements and potential expansion of the catering model across more train services, the release added.