More than 99% train passengers still eat Indian Railway food

Train passengers have more than 500 restaurants, fast food chains and food aggregators, including McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Haldiram’s and Foodpanda to chose from but more than 99% train passengers still eat food provided by the Indian Railways

Ministry of Railways had given a target of selling 1 lakh meals per day through e-catering services but only 7,000 train passengers order online food on train daily. Photo: HT
Ministry of Railways had given a target of selling 1 lakh meals per day through e-catering services but only 7,000 train passengers order online food on train daily. Photo: HT

New Delhi: Ordering food from online service providers is becoming common in urban areas but Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)’s e-catering service has failed to attract train passengers. Even though the online service features more than 500 restaurants, fast food chains and food aggregators, including McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Haldiram’s, Rajdhani, Pind Balluchi, Foodpanda and Zoop, more than 99% train passengers still eat food provided by the Indian Railways.

According to a PTI report, IRCTC’s e-catering service accounts for less than 1% of meals served on Indian Railways. E-catering is used by 7,000 train passengers on average daily as compared to 12 lakh meals served by Indian Railways daily.

According to the railways, the e-catering service picked up from 400 meals a day in October 2015, after it was launched, to nearly 12,000 meals a day in August 2017, but has been falling since, with only about 5,000 meals booked daily in December 2017.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Railways in 2017, IRCTC, which is a mini ratna PSU of Indian Railways, was asked to reorganise and revamp marketing strategies to popularise e-catering and achieve the target of 1 lakh meals per day.

Although IRCTC has expanded the e-catering service by adding over 300 stations from where you can have food delivered inside your train and even allowed food booking through a dedicated website, mobile app ‘Food on Track’ and a toll-free number (1323), the service is yet to find many takers.

Expenditure on e-catering is also affecting IRCTC’s balance sheet. In 2017-18, IRCTC spent Rs 3.9 crore on its e-catering service but earned revenue only of Rs 1.82 crore, minister of state for Railways Rajen Gohain said. The revenues have dropped from 2016-2017, when it earned Rs 1.38 crore against an expenditure of Rs 2.89 crore on the service. In 2015-2016, it earned Rs 14.83 lakh against an expenditure of Rs 1.29 crore.