Railways revises catering policy, popular food chains could soon open at railway stations
New Delhi: Passengers may soon find popular food chains such as KFC, McDonald’s, Baskin Robbins, Pizza Hut, Haldiram’s and Bikanerwala at railway stations. The railway board has revised its catering policy to allow premium brand catering outlets to operate at stations across the country.The proposal to issue guidelines for premium single-brand catering outlets was mooted by the South Central Railway zone. Sources said the proposal comes at a time when the railways is redeveloping over 1,200 stations across the country, including major ones in mega cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The revamped stations can easily offer space for such outlets.According to the revised norms circulated to all zones on Thursday, zonal railways will allow single-brand and company-owned, operated or franchisee outlets wherever there is demand and justification, by incorporating them into the station plan or blueprint without disturbing the existing reservation policy for allotting stalls. The current reservation policy specifies quotas for SCs, STs, OBCs, freedom fighters and their widows, and persons displaced due to land acquired by the railways.The board has clarified that stalls for premium brands cannot be allotted on a nomination basis. Such outlets will be allotted only through the existing e-auction policy, and the tenure for operating each outlet will be five years.At present, stations have three types of stalls selling food products—beverages, snacks, tea, milk bars and juice bars. Now, a new category, “Premium Brand Catering Outlet,” has been added as the fourth type.Around 2.3 crore passengers travel by train in India every day.Sources admitted that there is a demand for such outlets at several stations where the footfall is high. “The zones concerned will carry out an assessment of demand, available space and how to implement it. They will formulate special conditions of contract as per requirement,” said an official.
