Food in Trains - Additional Inputs

Dear all:

Below, please find the Issues, Root Causes and Solutions for the State of Food in trains.

If you have anything specific to add, identify what it is (Issue, Root Cause or Solution) and submit your views as a comment.

We look forward to any additional inputs and then submitting the whitepaper to the Senior Leadership and the Hon'ble Minister of Railways!

Ministry of Railways

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State of Food in Trains - Issues, Root Causes, Solutions

Issues Identified:
1. Oil used in food is smelly
2. Pantry car is in a very unhygienic condition
3. Food is served cold
4. Chapatis are under-cooked
5. Tea bags are sub-standard
6. Water bottles served with broken seals
7. Presentation is bad – trays are wet and dirty
8. Pantry boys don’t wear a uniform or gloves
9. Trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani also serve sub-quality food
10. Utensils used are dirty
11. No proper place for food storage. Food trays kept on the floor
12. No way to provide feedback on food

Root Causes Identified:
1. Catering services are outsourced, no system for quality check
2. Contracts are usually taken by small time vendors/ businessmen who want to make maximum money during contact period
3. Food is prepared and served by novices
4. No background check while choosing vendors
5. No sense of responsibility - they use substandard food ingredients to save more & more money
6. There is a corrupt nexus between the vendors and the officials
7. Mistakes of the food contractors and pantry boys are overlooked
8. Pantry boys fill the bottles with tap water and make money on them
9. Contractors not fined in case they don’t meet the required standards
10. No supervisor appointed to oversee the pantry operations
11. Pantry boys not educated on self -hygiene
12. Visitor entry allowed via pantry to different coaches – brings more dirt to the pantry car
13. Insufficient facilities to preserve huge quantity foods

Solutions Identified:
1. Standard dispensing machine should be installed for items like milk, cornflakes, coffee, tea etc.
2. Passengers should be able to pre-order from a fixed menu
3. Tough quality checks should be put in place for selecting food vendors
4. Menu cards and price list is to be displayed in the coaches
5. Food contractor's name and contact number, along with the concerned IRCTC Supervisor's name and contact number are to be displayed in each bogie
6. The serving boys should necessarily wear a clean uniform and identity cards
7. Pantry boys should be trained on maintaining hygiene and cleanliness
8. CCTV should be installed in the pantry cars
9. The unauthorised vendors should not be allowed to enter the platforms
10. Regular surprise quality checks of the pantry should be done by senior officials
11. High penalty should be imposed on defaulter contractors
12. Contracts should be given to big and established vendors
13. An effective feedback mechanism should be set up
14. Railway officer must take action on any complaint within specified period of time
15. Pantry coach should be redesigned with modern facilities and amenities
16. Engaging Local Self Help Groups or NGOs for food outsourcing can improve the situation more  

View all 285 comments Below 285 comments
I am a frequent traveler in upper class category. The vendors do trouble in the comportment s and even theft is common in some sectors. They keep the passengers inconvenient most of the time by blocking the passenger in moving one place to other place. They are very dirty looks, in all respects like cloths , appearance, maintain un healthy appearance and trying to touch all the surfaces of the compartments even toilets , with the same hands they serve to all by touching the serving items without any protective gloves...etc. The matter it should to monitored every step, by avoiding them to sell in un authorized manner and try to avoid them completely. Provide employment for un employed youth by giving proper license, and make them in swatch bharath team to provide healthy food to be served . more  
We Indian should oppose for Non Veg at public places. Railway should serve only VEG. more  
I USUALLY TRAVEL TO AND FRO FROM CHANDIGARH TO NEW DELHI. I OBSERVED THAT NON - VEG ITEMS ARE OF SUB-STANDARD QUALITY AND WHEN QUALITY IS OK, THEN THE QUANTITY IS FAR LESS THAN SPECIFIED IN THE MENU.THIS IS DONE WITH CONNIVANCE OF RAILWAYS FOOD INSPECTORS . BECAUSE I REPORTED THE MATTER TO MOBILE NO. 0F DGM / QUALITY CONTROL DURING THE JOURNEY. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE DGM/QUALITY CONTROL EITHER DURING JOURNEY OR THERE AFTER.THIS ASPECT NEEDS TO BE CHECKED VERY STRICTLY. ANIL KUMAR MIDHA 9877022569 more  
instead of pantry cars online food service should be provided and free and open reviews . This will allow passengers to make informed choice http://www.travelkhana.com/travelkhana/jsp/order.jsp more  
Recently I happen to travel from Bangalore to Delhi through Bangalore Rajdhani. I had a very shamfull experience in a premier train like Rajdhani on account of food services. The food provided was very inferior quality and tasteless though presentation was good and good was hot but no quality in food. The cleanliness was also bad in compartment of 3A, Cockroaches were seen near the first cell adjoining entrance doors of compartment. It was unthinkable in a premier train like Rajdhani. But yes quantify and items were satisfactory more  
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