News: Five-star cuisine soon at Indian railway stations
(TNN 16/09/2006) New Delhi - Now, Rail Bhawan is all set to please the foodie in you. Very soon, you will be able to treat yourself to various five star delectable cusines — be it Chinese or Continental, Mexican or Indian — at both railway stations as well as on trains. The indulgence will also set you back by more than what you spent earlier. All this will be in tie-up with major five star chains.
Rail Bhawan will soon invite bids for around 10 railway stations — including the four metropolitan cities — from the major five star chains to upgrade the catering department of Railways.
It would be on a public-private partnership (PPP) model between private hotels and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) — the Indian Railways’ catering and tourism wing. Besides providing quality meals on trains, they will also sell good quality food at the railway stations.
As per the guidelines of the new pantry car investment scheme, private players will buy stake in operation and maintenance of pantry cars. “Roping in private players will add a genteel touch to catering of the railways and boost the elite ridership. However, it will come with a costlier price tag,” said Rail Bhawan sources.
“We are following a two-pronged model where we will have both base catering (on trains) and cell catering (at stations), so that the commuters are not devoid of the five star food,” added the sources.
While it opens up an untapped market for five star caterers that can generate volume business, many in the hospitality trade feel that pricing will be crucial for success of the move. “It is more likely to work with premium class passengers who want value-added services,” said KB Kachru of Carlson Hotels Asia.
Shashank P Warty, a senior hospitality industry professional, noted that it would be a challenge for five star hotels to cater to a new set of customer profile at railway stations. Transit passengers, at stations, are likely to be key beneficiary of the move, said industry sources.
The Railways had earlier also planned tie-ups with Nirula’s and Taj Group, but none of them materialised due to lack of decision making. However, this time they are pretty confident of striking a tenable deal with the hotel chains.
Rail Bhawan will soon invite bids for around 10 railway stations — including the four metropolitan cities — from the major five star chains to upgrade the catering department of Railways.
It would be on a public-private partnership (PPP) model between private hotels and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) — the Indian Railways’ catering and tourism wing. Besides providing quality meals on trains, they will also sell good quality food at the railway stations.
As per the guidelines of the new pantry car investment scheme, private players will buy stake in operation and maintenance of pantry cars. “Roping in private players will add a genteel touch to catering of the railways and boost the elite ridership. However, it will come with a costlier price tag,” said Rail Bhawan sources.
“We are following a two-pronged model where we will have both base catering (on trains) and cell catering (at stations), so that the commuters are not devoid of the five star food,” added the sources.
While it opens up an untapped market for five star caterers that can generate volume business, many in the hospitality trade feel that pricing will be crucial for success of the move. “It is more likely to work with premium class passengers who want value-added services,” said KB Kachru of Carlson Hotels Asia.
Shashank P Warty, a senior hospitality industry professional, noted that it would be a challenge for five star hotels to cater to a new set of customer profile at railway stations. Transit passengers, at stations, are likely to be key beneficiary of the move, said industry sources.
The Railways had earlier also planned tie-ups with Nirula’s and Taj Group, but none of them materialised due to lack of decision making. However, this time they are pretty confident of striking a tenable deal with the hotel chains.
posted by InCar Group Press Room at 11:04
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