LPG shortage disrupts fresh meals on premium trains, snacks at railway stalls

The ongoing LPG squeeze triggered by the conflict in West Asia has begun to affect catering services on the Indian Railways, disrupting the supply of freshly-prepared meals on some premium long-distance trains.

According to reports, the IRCTC's cloud kitchen at Sewri in Mumbai, which prepares meals daily for around 4,500 passengers travelling on the Central and Western Railways, was unable to cook on Wednesday (March 11) after running out of LPG.

The Sewri kitchen supplies food to several premium trains, including the Vande Bharat Express, Rajdhani Express, Duronto Express, Shatabdi Express, and Tejas Express. As a contingency measure, railway officials stocked ready-to-eat food items in the pantry car of the Rajdhani Express departing from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

Suburban commuters may lose favourite snacks

The LPG shortage could also impact suburban commuters in Mumbai, as popular railway-stall snacks such as vada, samosa, and bread pakoda may disappear temporarily. These items require large quantities of LPG for frying.

Freshly-prepared items like idli and poha may also become scarce at station stalls.

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A food stall owner who operates multiple stalls on both the Western and Central Railway networks told Hindustan Times that the existing LPG stock will last for around a week. Large electric stoves and induction cookers meant for commercial use are expensive, which makes their purchase unviable, he was quoted as saying.

According to railway data, the Mumbai division of the Western Railway has more than 460 food stalls, including 264 on the Churchgate–Dahanu suburban stretch. The Central Railway operates 194 stalls, of which 152 are located on the CSMT–Karjat, Kasara, and Panvel suburban corridors.

IRCTC advises alternative cooking methods

Amid the looming crisis, IRCTC has issued an advisory to catering licence holders across both railway zones, instructing them to ensure uninterrupted food services for passengers.

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The advisory recommends switching to alternative cooking methods such as microwaves and induction stoves to offset potential LPG shortages. As a result, small electric induction stoves have begun appearing at some food stalls to heat pre-prepared food that cannot be served cold.

Railways seek assured LPG supply

Meanwhile, concerns remain about possible curtailment of catering services on long-distance trains. IRCTC sources said the situation is currently under control but remains fluid.

Also Read: Commercial LPG shortage hits restaurants across India; menus cut, shutdown fears rise

Chairperson and CEO of the Railway Board, Satish Kumar, has written to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas requesting uninterrupted LPG supply for essential railway services. The Railway Board has sought continued availability of over 8,000 LPG cylinders required at around 340 stations across various railway divisions.