RailEnquiry

CHENNAI: Many passengers often think twice before buying food from vendors on a train. Some of them reject such items outright, ignoring their gnawing hunger or raging thirst. Why? Because several of them have seen vendors handling the food or beverages near toilets on the coaches. Many who have consumed such food have complained about food poisoning or other problems. With most sleeper coaches not having storage space, caterers stash food and beverages near the toilets before they selling them to passengers. Plastic crates filled with packed meals and snacks are stashed near the doors or toilets or in the vestibule connecting coaches. Vendors pick up the crates and sell food and beverages to passengers on all coaches. This is a common sight on trains leaving Chennai Central or Egmore stations after 7pm. Many vendors blame the lack of space to keep food items. "We are forced to keep them near the doors or toilets because that is where there is some space," said one who sells tea on Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram Mail.

Food loaded either at Central or at Katpadi is stashed near toilets before being sold to passengers. "Earlier, they used to collect orders and supply food when the train reached Katpadi after 9pm. But, they seem to have stopped this practice. Instead, caterers load food and sell it till the supply is exhausted," said A Kumar, a frequent traveller.

Southern Railway has hired private contractors to supply food on trains without pantry cars after the railways took over catering from Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.

A senior railway officer in charge of commercial operations said they always insisted that food not be loaded on to trains. "According to the rule, the contractor should take order and then supply or sell food to passengers through windows. There is no designated storage space on coaches to keep food items. Following complaints, we have ensured food is not opened and handled near toilets or doors of coaches."

"New coaches attached to Shatabdi or Jan Shatabdi come with mini-pantry where food can be stored and reheated. This is incorporated in coaches designed for day trains. But coaches used for express trains do not have space for storing food because such trains are supposed to have pantry cars," he added. Southern Railway has only 84 pantry cars which are used for 55 trains.

Officials of health and commercial departments conduct periodic checks to ensure food is not contaminated. "Toilets are not used if food is stored nearby. Several inspections are being done to ensure that hygiene is maintained," said Southern Railway chief public relations officer V J Accamma.