IRCTC resumes onboard meal service as train catering becomes essential

Ready-to-eat food packets served on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Shatabdi Express on Thursday. PICS/NIMESH DAVE

Catering onboard long-distance trains has been declared an essential category even as the cooking was restored, and regular catering has been started from Thursday night.

The petroleum ministry, following a letter from the Railway Board, has advised petroleum companies - BPCL, HPCL, and Indian Oil - and all the states to provide 19 kg cylinders to all railway kitchens as per the requirement. Mid-day had mentioned in Thursday's edition that ‘catering on trains may become an essential service'.

"The total allotment for Mumbai has been about 171 gas cylinder units, and our teams have now gone to procure them. So cooking will begin tonight," a railway source said.

Seven cloud kitchens

While IRCTC did not comment on the issue, sources said the Mumbai region IRCTC has about seven cloud kitchens that supply cooked food onboard premium trains. The seven cloud kitchens are Sewri, Kurla, Borivli, Chembur, Panvel, Valsad, and Powai.

171
Total allotment of cylinders for Mumbai