CHENNAI: The sight of men kneading the flour dough and chopping vegetables in pantry cars, preparing to feed the hungry passengers, even as the train passes through the countryside, might soon be a blip in the public memory.
Under a future envisaged by the Indian Railways, the pantry cars are likely to be used as storeroom, where the action is limited to pre-cooked food being heated before being served to passengers.
The possible changes feature in the draft catering policy, that is currently under deliberation by stakeholders. A final decision is yet to be taken regarding the policy which seeks to replace the previous catering policy unveiled in 2010.
The main highlight of the draft is that it seeks to un-bundle the catering services on trains, meaning there would be a distinction between food preparation and food distribution. However, it is the future of pantry cars, listed separately in the draft, that asks for specific attention.
The draft states, “Pantry cars should be designed to ensure that pre-cooked and hygienically packed food are supplied from base kitchens with minimum handling in transferring the same to passengers. This, in other words, removes the need for pantry cars acting as kitchens, where food is prepared to feed the hungry passengers. Instead, it will merely be a place where the food is safely stacked and perhaps heated before distribution.”
Explaining the challenging reality which pantry cars confront presently, senior railway and IRCTC officials say questions over quality control and declining patronage had forced a rethink over strategy.
“Based on our general assessment over the last three years, only about 20% of all on-board passengers purchase food from pantry cars. The others either bring in their own food or purchase from vendors in the station,” an IRCTC official told Express.
It is in the light of this challenging background with concerns over quantity and hygiene, the official said, “Pantry cars have lost their credibility.” Significantly, this situation has forced railways to introduce measures such as e-catering, which currently sees 350 meals booked daily in the Southern Railway.
If they would have it their way, IRCTC officials, who have been advising the ministry regarding the policy, suggest that every alternate coach must have a minipantry facility. “This facility is currently there in trains such as Shatabdi Express where there is a microwave heater, a deep freezer and tea/coffee vending machine,” the official said. Furthermore, the absence of a standalone pantry car would help railways have another compartment, accommodating more passengers, he opined.