The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation — the catering and tourism arm of IR — is set to restart its e-catering services for passengers travelling in the currently operating special trains. The service was suspended on 22 March, 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown.
The service allows passengers to order an array of food of their choice from reputed brands as well as popular regional and local delicacies on phone or online while traveling on trains and get the same delivered to their seats at railway station. During the pre-Covid period, IRCTC had started clocking 20,000 e-catering orders per day.
With the gradual resumption of passenger train services and amidst the new normal wherein IRCTC is serving only ‘ready to eat’ meals to passengers on trains, there has been a huge demand for resumption of e-catering services. The ministry of railways has also given the go-ahead to resume the services which will commence in a phase-wise manner from February, 2021.
The services will start in over 30 railway stations catering to approximately 250 trains and the IRCTC is ensuring that all its partners ensure proper health and hygiene protocols.