• Source:JND

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East is beginning to impact India through disruptions in LPG and crude oil services. Due to the disruption in gas supply, hotels, restaurants, and even railways have decided to temporarily suspend food services. Meanwhile, the Indian Railways has issued orders to continue food services for passengers on premium trains and has also suggested the use of several alternatives besides LPG.

Premium train like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Vande Bharat will continue to serve meals as IRCTC has initiated specialised measures amid concerns about an LPG supply crunch. Currently, pre-cooked meals are supplied to train pantries from strategic IRCTC base kitchens located at major hubs such as Delhi, Kanpur, and Prayagraj along the Delhi-Howrah route.

Proactive Measures For Station Kitchens And Food Stalls

Following reports of potential commercial LPG shortages, IRCTC has issued urgent directives to its catering units. The goal is to ensure that food plazas, refreshment rooms and Jan Aahar outlets at railway stations remain fully operational regardless of fuel availability.

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Key instructions include:

Alternative Cooking Methods: Indian Railways instructed units to use microwave ovens and inductions cooktops if LPG supplies disrupted.

Buffer Stocks: To meet passengers' demands, vendors must maintain full stocks of "Ready-to-Eat" meals along with standard food items.

Immediate Reporting: Immediately inform West Zone Control in case of being forced to halt LPG-based cooking

 

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Immediate Implementation: These guidelines have been put into effect across the network to prevent any service disruptions.

Safety Protocols And Shift To Electric Equipment

In alignment with Railway Board safety mandates, LPG cylinders are strictly prohibited for cooking inside pantry cars. This policy was adopted to minimise fire hazards on board. Instead, trains now utilise induction heaters and other electric appliances to reheat or prepare light meals.

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Most catering today follows a "Base Kitchen" model where food is prepared at stationary facilities and merely distributed or reheated on the train. Railway authorities conduct regular inspections to ensure no inflammable materials or gas cylinders are being stored by vendors or pantry staff.

Scale of Operations

The primary challenge lies at the major railway junctions where base kitchens are situated. If these centralised hubs face a fuel crisis, the entire supply chain to the trains is affected. Highlighting the scale of this logistical task, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha in August 2025 that Indian Railways serves approximately 1.65 million meals every single day across its vast network.


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