{"id":1542,"date":"2025-08-10T03:50:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T03:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railtravels.org\/?page_id=1542"},"modified":"2025-08-10T03:50:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T03:50:05","slug":"irctc-catering-services-precaution-to-prevent-the-spread-of-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.reilsolar.com\/train\/irctc-catering-services-precaution-to-prevent-the-spread-of-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"IRCTC Catering Services-Precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

IRCTC Catering Services-Precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19<\/strong><\/p>\n

Passengers kindly note that IRCTC has initiated actions\/changes with regard to catering services provided at stations & in trains as a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19 it has been decided by the Competent Authority to take the following action regarding IRCTC units:-<\/p>\n

1. The Food Plazas, Refreshment Rooms, Jan Aahars & Cell Kitchens should be closed until further advice.<\/p>\n

2. The static units supplying meals to the prepaid trains which are in operation may continue to operate.<\/p>\n

3. The on board catering services in Mail Exp trains & TSV trains should be closed until further advice.<\/p>\n

4. If there is demand of on board services then only PAD items, Tea & Coffee may be allowed to be sold in the train. Such operation should be conducted using the minimum number of staff.<\/p>\n

5. The licensee should be requested to take care of their catering staff on humanitarian ground during this period of closure.<\/p>\n

6. These instructions shall come into force from 22.03.2025.<\/p>\n

7. List of such mobile and static units shall be intimated to the CO.<\/p>\n

8. For the purpose of license fee this period will be covered under force majeure. If there is demand license is permitted to sell PAD items. Tea & Coffee.<\/p>\n

Here are the enhanced IRCTC catering service precautions<\/strong> implemented to minimize COVID-19 risk and ensure on-board food safety:<\/p>\n

\n

COVID-19 Precautions in IRCTC Catering Services<\/h2>\n

1. Early Pandemic Measures (March 2025)<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Effective March 22, 2020<\/strong>, IRCTC closed Food Plazas, Refreshment Rooms, Jan Aahars, and Cell Kitchens<\/strong> until further notice.<\/li>\n
  • In-train catering<\/strong> on Mail, Express, and Tejas trains was suspended. Only pre-packaged items<\/strong> like tea, coffee, and basic snacks (PAD items) were allowed, with minimum staffing and licensees given relief under force majeure<\/strong> terms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n

    2. Safety Protocols for Catering Staff and Units<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Catering staff were strictly restricted from working if showing symptoms (fever, cough, respiratory issues).<\/li>\n
    • Mandatory hygiene measures:\n
        \n
      • Wearing face masks, gloves, head covers, and clean uniforms.<\/li>\n
      • Regular handwashing and avoiding touching their face.<\/li>\n
      • Frequently disinfecting surfaces\u2014such as countertops, billing machines, and door handles\u2014in catering areas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Unauthorized access to kitchens and pantry areas was strictly disallowed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n

        3. Resumption of E-Catering\u2014Contactless Delivery<\/h3>\n
          \n
        • IRCTC\u2019s e-catering service<\/strong>, especially via RailRestro, restarted with zero-contact protocols. Key safety measures included:\n
            \n
          • Thermal screening<\/strong> of restaurant and delivery staff.<\/li>\n
          • Mandatory mask usage<\/strong>, sanitization<\/strong> of kitchens and delivery bags.<\/li>\n
          • Delivery personnel must wash hands before pick-up, use the Aarogya Setu<\/strong> app, and maintain social distancing during delivery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n

            4. Broader Hygiene Enhancements (Post-Pandemic)<\/h3>\n
              \n
            • Meals are now prepared in modern base kitchens<\/strong> with standardized processes. These facilities are:\n
                \n
              • Monitored via CCTV<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
              • Managed by qualified food safety supervisors<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
              • FSSAI-certified and audited regularly\u2014both internally and by third parties. Meals include QR-coded packets indicating kitchen details and prep dates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
              • On-board IRCTC supervisors<\/strong> ensure adherence to hygiene and menu compliance.<\/li>\n
              • Continuous deep cleaning<\/strong>, pest control<\/strong>, and food sampling<\/strong> are conducted to uphold quality standards.<\/li>\n
              • Passengers receive printed menu cards onboard<\/strong> and SMS alerts in advance for price transparency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n

                5. Panel Observations from Travelers (Reddit)<\/h3>\n
                  \n
                • Several travelers avoided pantry food entirely, citing poor hygiene or overcharging; instead opting for e-catering services<\/strong> as safer alternatives.<\/li>\n
                • Reports of compromised pantry hygiene\u2014cockroaches, spoiled food\u2014highlight the importance of standards and compliance enforcement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                  \n

                  Summary Table<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                  Aspect<\/th>\nCOVID-19 Precaution \/ Safety Measure<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
                  Food units<\/td>\nClosure of public eateries; only pre-packaged PAD items allowed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                  Staff hygiene<\/td>\nMandatory masks, gloves, screening, clean attire, supervision<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                  Kitchen sanitation<\/td>\nRoutine cleaning, surface disinfection, restricted access<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                  E-Catering protocols<\/td>\nContactless delivery, sanitization, thermal screening, app-based tracking<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                  Base kitchen upgrades<\/td>\nCCTV monitoring, food safety overseers, FSSAI compliance, QR-coded packaging, audits<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                  Onboard transparency<\/td>\nPrinted menus, SMS tariff alerts, on-train supervision<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                  Passenger preference<\/td>\nIncreased reliance on e-catering; observed hygiene issues with pantry services<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                  \n

                  If you’d like guidance on using e-catering safely, or tips about vetted routes and kitchens, feel free to ask\u2014I\u2019d be glad to help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  IRCTC Catering Services-Precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19 Passengers kindly note that IRCTC has initiated actions\/changes with regard to catering services provided at stations & in trains as a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID As a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19 it has been decided by the Competent Authority to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1542","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reilsolar.com\/train\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reilsolar.com\/train\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reilsolar.com\/train\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reilsolar.com\/train\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reilsolar.com\/train\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.reilsolar.com\/train\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1542\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reilsolar.com\/train\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}