No more cooking fresh food in pantry cars of long-distance trains, passengers unhappy with IRCTC

PUNE Really do not be shocked the subsequent time you are travelling by a very long-length train if the foods served does not truly feel contemporary due to the fact the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has stopped cooking foods inside of the pantry coaches of these trains due to the fact past week. The reason cited by the IRCTC is cylinder blasts and consequent burning of coaches. Hereon, the IRCTC will cook foodstuff in its mobile kitchen on system range 1 of Pune railway station and provider just about 300 meals day by day to 15 trains. Aside from foods, other foodstuff things such as breakfast, snacks, packed and preserved foods goods and water bottles, far too, will be delivered from the IRCTC mobile kitchen.

A senior IRCTC official of the Pune division on affliction of anonymity stated, “The choice was taken by the IRCTC large-level committee previous week and as for every the recommendations specified, we have now completely stopped cooking foodstuff in pantry autos. The gas cylinders have been eradicated from the coaches and foodstuff is getting cooked spherical-the-clock as for each the timings of the trains via our mobile kitchen area here at the Pune railway station.”

Previously, passengers would get freshly-cooked foods within pantry vehicles on very long-distance trains but now the system has altered completely. The cylinders have been eradicated from pantry cars and trucks and food is becoming cooked from the base ‘cell kitchen’ on system variety 1 of Pune railway station from exactly where it is taken to the pantry autos. At present in the Pune division, all-around 300 meal packets, the two veg and non-veg, are remaining despatched daily to 16 long-length trains.

Questioned how meals will be served in Pune’s prestigious Deccan Queen convey train that has its very own dining motor vehicle, the official explained, “Currently, all cooked breakfast things these as vegetable cutlets, bread omelet, tea and espresso are cooked in this article at the station and then sent into the prepare. While just after the new coaches appear on June 22 for the Deccan Queen prepare, there will be an electric powered induction program in which at least breakfast things can be cooked.”

In the meantime, travellers are not happy with this final decision of the IRCTC. Harsha Shah, president of the Railway Pravasi Group, said, “The explanation specified by the railways for eradicating the cylinders from the pantry cars and trucks is totally baseless. In my 60 years of travelling by the railways throughout the region, I have by no means read of any incident the place pantry autos have caught fire. In addition, the food which is cooked hrs in advance of will not stay in fantastic quality when it is served to travellers on long-length trains.”

Another passenger Shailesh Kshirsagar who often travels to Delhi for his get the job done mentioned, “When I vacation in extensive-distance trains, it is envisioned to get perfectly cooked food items in the coach even though travelling. Now if we are getting meals which is cooked several hours ahead of we take in and our wellness deteriorates, who is to blame for it?”