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HOSPITALITY AND CATERING BUSINESS OF IRCTC:

IRCTC – A Leading Hospitality and Catering Company

IRCTC is one of the largest hospitality and catering companies of the country with a vast gamut of businesses in hospitality and catering spread over passenger trains, railway stations, station premises and other ancillary business activities.

Mobile Catering Business

IRCTC manages the entire on-board catering services of Indian Railways in more than 460 passenger trains with pantry cars that includes Rajdhani trains, Shatabdi trains, Duronto Trains, Gatimaan Express and Mail/Express trains and also in newly introduced passenger trains such as Vande Bharat Express and Tejas Trains. In all the above mentioned trains, the on-board catering services is being provided from the pantry cars.

Cooked food menu

For cooked food menu option please click the below mentioned link:-

http://menurates.irctc.co.in/.

Train Side Vending (TSV)

IRCTC also manages Train side vending contracts on Mail/Express and Superfast trains which do not have pantry cars. In Train Side Vending, the on-board vendors take orders from the passengers from menu chart provided. In accordance with the specified order, the vendors collect the food at the nominated ‘meal pick up points’ and then supply it to the passengers.

Re-Designing and Development of Pantry Cars

IRCTC is in the process of re-designing the pantry cars of trains with modern equipments. The redesigned pantry cars of Rajdhani and Duronto Express will be fully air-conditioned LHB coaches equipped with all modern kitchen equipments such as Combi Ovens, Brat Pans, Deep fryers etc. and will have adequate storage facility for dry and perishable items, proper exhaust chimneys, appropriate garbage bins and will also have accommodation for kitchen staff.

Food Plaza

Food Plaza is a multi-cuisine plazas giving a variety of choice for eating. The quality and rates for items of food plazas are market-driven. Food Plazas normally provide multi-cuisine food under one roof, in a relaxed dine-in atmosphere with a good ambience and a common kitchen to provide a wide variety of food items. IRCTC is managing 144 Food Plaza on PAN India basis.

Fast food unit

Fast Food Units are major units, where through self-service counters, fast food items are sold. In these outlets, packaged food is served to customers in take-away packets. The quality and rates for items in Fast Food Unit is also market-driven. IRCTC is managing 160 Fast Food Units on PAN India basis.

Refreshment Room

As per Catering Policy-2017, IRCTC has been mandated for management of Refreshment Rooms at A1 & A Category Stations only. Refreshment Room serves snacks and a-la-carte items, standard breakfast, standard meals, Janta Khana as authorized by the Railways. In addition, these units also serve approved brands of packed items such as aerated drinks, Biscuits, Chips, Namkeens, Chocolates and Ready to Eat meals (RTE) and Railneer PDW etc. on MRP basis. IRCTC is managing about 180 Refreshment Rooms at A1 & A Category Stations on PAN India basis.

Jan Ahar

As per Catering Policy-2017, IRCTC has been mandated for management of Jan Ahaars at Railway Stations. Jan Ahaar serves Snacks and a-la-carte items, standard breakfast, standard meals, Janta Khana, as authorized by the Railways. In addition, Jan Ahaar also serve approved brands of packed items such as aerated drinks, Biscuits, Chips, Namkeens, Chocolates and Ready to Eat meals (RTE) and Railneer PDW etc. on MRP basis. Jan Ahaar meals comprise a variety of economical regional and local items. IRCTC is managing about 58 Jan Ahaars on PAN India basis.

Cell Kitchen

Cell Kitchens are generally the Mini Base Kitchens which supply food to other catering units, static/mobile, and at the same time can sell food and beverages directly to the passengers. IRCTC is managing 02 Cell kitchens on PAN India. .

Base Kitchens

Base Kitchen is a catering unit having large cooking and packing facility set up in the vicinity of Railway premises whether inside or outside Railway premises, from where food is prepared and supplied in trains or to the static units. There will be no sale of food directly to the passengers from Base kitchen. In order to provide quality meals to the passengers on trains, these kitchens are provided equipped with modern cooking equipments. These kitchens are also enabled with CCTV camera for monitoring. Further, QR code facilities on meal packets being supplied from Base Kitchens are also implemented progressively. Apart from of this, to ensure quality of food production in kitchens, these kitchens are being covered for quality, hygiene check and food sampling by deploying Food Safety Supervisors (FSS). Presently, there 11 Base Kitchens under IRCTC..

Executive Lounges

To cater to the demands of the mid-segment and high-end passengers for comfortable place to relax at the railway stations with facilities to dine in a clean environment, IRCTC introduced the concept of Executive Lounge. Based on the concept of airport lounges, IRCTC has already opened 08 Executive Lounges in the Railway Stations at New Delhi (Paharganj Side & Ajmeri Gate side), Agra Cantt, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Madurai, Sealdah and Varanasi. Besides the spacious environment of the executive lounges, many other facilities is being provided to the passengers at nominal charges such as reclining sofa, meals in buffet service, wi-fi internet services, shower facilities and so on. Presently, IRCTC is managing 8 Executive Lounges on PAN India Basis..

Retiring Rooms

IRCTC is managing Retiring Rooms at major railway stations across the country to improve the accommodation facilities for the travelling public. Presently, IRCTC is managing retiring rooms at Railway Stations on PAN India basis. Presently, IRCTC is managing 23 Retiring Rooms on PAN India basis.

Rail Yatri Niwas/BNR Hotels:

IRCTC is presently operating two Rail Yatri Niwas at New Delhi and Howrah railway stations and two BNR Hotels at Puri and Ranchi.

Non-Railway Catering(NRC)

IRCTC manages various canteens; cafeterias, kiosks etc. located in various Govt. as well as non Govt. offices including institutional catering for provision of hospitality and catering services. The NRC unit serves quality & hygienic breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks etc. Moreover, IRCTC also undertakes outdoor catering events through these units. IRCTC is managing 7 NRC units on PAN India basis.

E-Catering Business

E-Catering is the latest addition to the catering and hospitality business of IRCTC through which the company has been able to amalgamate technology with food. This internet based service is an initiative of IRCTC that allows passengers to book food of their choice from partner restaurants and food outlets through a mobile application while travelling on train. Food is being delivered to the passengers on their respective seat/berth. Booking can be done in advance.

The salient features of E-Catering are:

The service is available for passengers travelling on reserved tickets only.
Passengers can choose from a range of delicacies which are offered in the app on line.
The Menu is set by the service providing restaurants and often as per choice of passengers for bulk orders.
At present the e-catering service of IRCTC is available at approximately 300 stations and the company is booking approximately 20,000 meals in a day.
Passengers can make payment for the meals ordered by pay on delivery (POD) as well as on line (Prepaid).
Passengers can give feedback on e-catering website itself after delivery of order.

Ensuring Quality in Hospitality And Catering

Customer Satisfaction Survey

IRCTC understands the need of providing clean and hygienic food to the traveling passengers across the length and breadth of the railways. The company conducts Customer satisfaction Surveys through third party professionals and empanelled agencies to gauge the quality of food being served to the traveling passengers. During the year 2018-19, IRCTC conducted customer satisfaction survey in 362 passenger trains and 263 Food Plazas and Fast Food Units to assess the quality of food and extent of customer satisfaction.

Food Safety Audits

Keeping in view the impact of food safety on public health, IRCTC conducts food safety audits through third party agencies accredited by National Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB).

Complaint Monitoring and Redressal

IRCTC has developed internet based module of Catering Services Information Management or (E-CSIM) with a dedicated comprehensive portal for its catering businesses called www.catering.irctc.co.in launched on 01.04.2019. The module is also being used for online redressal of catering complaints of passengers at stations and on trains. Alternatively a passenger can also give feedback or make complaints against catering services on ‘Rail Madad’ module that allows passengers to lodge complaints through mobile app/web platform and enables them to check real-time feedback on the status of redressal of their complaints.

For complaints and feedback, please log on to : -

www.catering.irctc.co.in
www.railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in

Onboard Monitoring

IRCTC has deployed its brigade of catering supervisors in most of the passenger trains to closely monitor the on-board catering services. Apart from monitoring, these supervisors have been provided with online feedback devices for taking feedback from passengers to ensure better services.

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