Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Dec 17: Passengers travelling on the Mangaluru–Kasargod sector are among those experiencing IRCTC’s new branded meal trials on select Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains, aimed at enhancing on-board catering services.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC), a Navaratna central public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, is conducting a proof of concept (PoC) that separates meal production from service. As per the release, industrial kitchens, restaurant chains, and flight caterers are being roped in to provide fresh and hygienic meals to passengers.

“These meal trials also offer passengers a diverse, restaurant-quality menu, including local delicacies, with the aim of improving satisfaction levels during travel,” the release stated.

Apart from the Mangaluru–Kasargod–Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express handled by Casino Air Caterers and Flight Services (CAFS), other trains included in the PoC are the Nagpur–Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express with M/s Haldiram’s (Nagpur) and Elior (Secunderabad), the Delhi–Sitamarhi Amrit Bharat Express with M/s Touch Stone Foundation (Delhi), and the Kasargod–Thiruvananthapuram train, also served by CAFS.

“The focus of these trials is on kitchen infrastructure, meal production processes, transfer of meals, and service across the entire supply chain,” the release added.

IRCTC currently serves approximately 16.5 lac meals daily across India. The insights gained from this PoC will be examined to further improve and expand catering services offered to railway passengers.

“With the objective of achieving a paradigm shift in the quality of meal services on trains and ensuring perceptible improvements in on-board catering, IRCTC has commenced meal trials on select trains,” the release said.

Initial passenger feedback has been positive, and the trials are expected to set a benchmark for fresh, hygienic, and locally inspired meals across the Indian Railways network.