Railway to refund passengers amidst food shortage in trains due to LPG crisis

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The heat of the deepening LPG crisis across the country has now reached the tracks of Indian Railways. Due to the acute shortage of cooking gas, the catering services of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) have been badly disrupted. The situation has become so serious that the Railways is now seriously considering temporarily stopping the service of serving cooked food in trains. In such a situation, the Railways is planning to give refund to the passengers who have already paid for the food along with the ticket booking.

IRCTC base kitchen goes out of business

According to railway officials, the gas crisis has hit IRCTC's base kitchens hardest, where food is prepared daily for thousands of passengers. Typically, train pantry cars are used solely for heating and distribution, while the main course is prepared and loaded in these base kitchens. Due to the shortage of LPG cylinders, it is now becoming nearly impossible to prepare food for long-distance trains in these kitchens, threatening to disrupt the entire supply chain.

Alternative fuel and contingency plans implemented

In view of the crisis, IRCTC issued an official letter on March 10, instructing all its catering licensees, food plaza operators, and public food outlets to remain on alert. The department has clarified that a contingency plan (alternative arrangement) should be implemented with immediate effect to ensure that food service to passengers is not disrupted. Refreshment rooms located at stations have been instructed to use other alternative fuels or power-based resources for cooking in case of LPG shortage.

Trouble may increase for passengers

This potential decision by the Railways could cause inconvenience to millions of passengers who rely solely on railway food during long-distance travel. However, IRCTC says this step is being taken out of necessity to avoid any confusion or inconvenience to passengers. If gas supply is not restored within a day or two, passengers may be forced to bring food from home or rely solely on ready-to-eat (packaged) food.