Station based e-catering for passengers soon

Aarti Kapur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 22

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) has decided to launch station-based e-catering service for passengers to deliver food on order.

Now, you can order food from your favourite eating joint on the train.

As per decision taken by the IRCTC, any passenger who boards a train from Chandigarh, or passes from the city station or whose final destination is Chandigarh can order the food from the train and get it at the station where one wants delivered.

The e-catering facility allows the passengers to order meals while travelling, either online at www.ecatering.irctc.co.in or by making a phone call to 0120-2383892-99 or the toll-free number at 1800-1034-139. They can also choose to do so through an SMS on 139 by giving details of their PNR and seat number.

The IRCTC, will soon float expressions of interest (EOIs) to ensure participation of experienced professionals and reputed food chains such as KFC, McDonald, Haldiram, Bikanerwala, Nirulas, Sagar Ratna, Wangs Kitchen, Sarvana Bhavan, Subway, Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Kelloggs.

New Delhi IRCTC PRO Sandip Dutta said that earlier this facility was for those trains only which did not have the facility of pantry but now this service will be available on all trains. At 45 stations this service will be introduced in phases and Chandigarh is one of them, he said.

The facility will be extended to more stations depending on the responses received. For passengers who order food online will have to make pre-payment, but for those who order on phone or SMS, it will be cash on delivery.

As per the plan of the IRCTC, minimum five vendor brands will be shortlisted at every station to ensure availability of a wide variety of choices to the passengers at different stations.

The new facility has been launched in accordance with this year’s Railway Budget announcement for progressive introducing of e-catering service in The Railways.