The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC), an undertaking of the Ministry of Railways, is setting up 52 new food courts across India. The new food plazas will help the company offer state-of-the-art catering services to the passengers. A railway officer said, “The opening of food plazas at various destinations will simplify the availability of good and quality food to passengers.”

Currently, the company has about 53 food courts, including public-private paternership (PPP) basis, in India. According to a release by the Railway Ministry, the railways offer catering services through around 10,752 static catering units, in 260 pairs of trains through pantry cars and in 80 trains though train side vending. Total departmental catering units under zonal railways are 56 and those under IRCTC are 1,426. There are a total of 3,473 private licensee catering units under zonal railways and 5,797 units under IRCTC.

To ensure availability of quality and hygienic drinking water facility to passengers, the Railway Board has also approved IRCTC’s proposal for setting of “Rail Neer”, packaged drinking water plants at Pallur in Chennai and Ambernath in Mumbai.