IRCTC Tests New Catering Model On Select Vande Bharat And Amrit Bharat Trains

As part of its efforts for "perceptible improvements in on-board catering services in trains", Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC), is undertaking Proof of Concept (PoC) in some select trains, de-linking meal production and meal service, so that branded Food and Beverage players - industrial kitchens, restaurant chains, and flight caterers - are roped "to provide fresh, hygienic meals for service to the passengers". According to a release, PoC is being conducted across various zones in some of the newly introduced Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat Trains.

IRCTC is a Navaratna, Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, and is serving approximately 16.50 lakh meals per day across the length and breadth of Indian Railways. The release said IRCTC is consistently working to enhance the services being provided to the travelling passengers. "In order to have a paradigm shift in the 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 in some select trains," the release said. "The focus through these trials remains on kitchen infrastructure, meal production processes, transfer of meal and service of meal in the entire supply chain," it added.

The trains with PoC include Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express by M/s Haldiram's (Nagpur) and Elior (Secunderabad); Delhi-Sitamarhi Amrit Bharat - M/s Touch Stone Foundation (Delhi); Kasargod-Trivandrum - Casino Air Caterers & Flight Services (CAFS) and Mangalore-Trivandrum- Vande Bharat Exp - Casino Air Caterers & Flight Services (CAFS)

"These meal trials also provide passengers with a diverse, restaurant-quality menu including local delicacies aimed at improving satisfaction level during travel," the release said. It said there has been positive feedback from the passengers about meal services in aforesaid trains. The insights gained from this PoC shall be examined to bring about further improvement and expansion in the catering services being provided to the travellers, the release said.

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