Mumbai Among First Cities to Experience Cloud Kitchens for Train Catering by IRCTC

Mumbai, 11th September 2024: After numerous complaints from passengers regarding the food quality on long-distance trains, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is implementing a major change. The traditional base kitchens of Indian Railways will be replaced by cloud kitchens, with Mumbai among the first cities to experience this shift. These cloud kitchens have already been supplying food to trains for nearly a month.

The establishment of cloud kitchens, operated by professional caterers, is well underway. IRCTC has plans for at least 200 cloud kitchens in the western region, which includes Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.

“In Mumbai, cloud kitchens will be set up in Powai, Kurla, Panvel, Thane, and Chembur,” said a senior IRCTC official. “The Kurla kitchen is already operational, and others are in various stages of completion. Currently, work is ongoing on 90 cloud kitchens, with 50 already functional. We aim to have around 200 kitchens operational within the next three months.”

The Kurla kitchen, located on LBS Road, is the largest, with the capacity to prepare and deliver 4,000 meals daily, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Private operators will manage the kitchens and ensure timely delivery to long-distance train pantry cars using cold storage vans.

These cloud kitchens will operate on seven-year contracts with various caterers, featuring modern equipment and CCTV monitoring to maintain strict hygiene and cleanliness. Importantly, this setup reduces reliance on single-location production, such as the base kitchens at CSMT and Mumbai Central, which produce 8,000 to 12,000 meals daily.

IRCTC officials explained that cloud kitchens offer flexibility in operations and reduce the dependency on base kitchens. Indian Railways has been producing meals for long-distance trains, including Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Tejas Express, for many years. More recently, meals were also supplied to Vande Bharat trains from these base kitchens.

Despite efforts such as live streaming, hefty fines ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹5 lakh (implemented in November 2023), and even contract terminations, complaints about food quality persisted. IRCTC received an average of 300 to 350 complaints per month, with around 10 to 12 serious cases involving foreign objects in the food.

“For instance, during a journey from Mangalore to Mumbai, I encountered stale food. I filed a complaint and shared my experience on social media,” said Kamlakar Shenoy, a resident of Mazgaon, recalling a June incident.

Caterers argue that pricing plays a crucial role in maintaining food quality. “The railways need to set menu tariffs closer to market rates. Otherwise, compromises will be made in either sourcing ingredients or food preparation,” explained a caterer working with Indian Railways. Many passengers are willing to pay higher prices through e-catering for better quality meals from branded outlets.

Since the introduction of cloud kitchens, IRCTC has reported a positive response, with food-related complaints dropping to 70-80 per month, with only one or two serious cases. Between April 2021 and March 2024, IRCTC received nearly 12,000 catering complaints, during which show-cause notices were issued.

IRCTC Cloud Kitchens in the West Zone:
– Total planned cloud kitchens: 200
– Cloud kitchens nearing completion: 90
– Operational cloud kitchens: 50
– Trains to be served daily: 500
– Daily meals prepared: 1,000-4,000
– Previous monthly food complaints: 300-350
– Current monthly complaints since cloud kitchen launch: 70-80
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