IRCTC: Indian Railways to resume serving cooked meals to passengers

The Railway Board on Friday issued an order to resume serving cooked meals to passengers on trains. The same was discontinued in view of Covid-19 pandemic. Officials, however, added that the date for resumption of the service is yet to be decided.

The Railway Board, in a letter, asked the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to resume the service.

Ready-to-eat meals will also continue to be served to passengers, the Railway board also said.

"In view of the restoration of normal train services, requirements of travelling passengers and easing of Covid lockdown restrictions in eateries, restaurants, hotels and such other places across the country, it has been decided by the Ministry of Railways to resume the services of cooked food in trains. Service of ready-to-eat meals will also continue," the letter stated.

Currently, only tea or coffee, snacks and ready-to-eat packaged food, such as noodles, rajma-chawal and soup, are available on long-distance trains. 

Recently, the IRCTC tied up with the Sattvik Council of India to get certified in the process of cooking, transportation and storage of vegetarian food specially on board trains to religious sites with the Railways’ catering arm inviting a third-party audit of its base kitchens where such food is cooked to ensure a vegetarian environment.

Earlier this month, the Railways had announced the running of normal trains, withdrawing the special tag which had been in place for the pandemic. 

Since March 2020, the railways had suspended food catering business and other services, such as providing bedrolls, blankets, in the wake of a surge in COVID-19 pandemic-triggered lockdown. The suspension of catering services also affected the employment of lakhs of people.

Later, in August 2021, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Cooperation (IRCTC) resumed the e-Catering services.