The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has opened a state-of-the-art Cell Kitchen at Tiruchi railway junction to supply hygienic and quality food at the station and to pantry car trains, stalls and trains with licence for train side vending.
The Union Minister of State for Railways E. Ahamed inaugurated the Cell Kitchen at Tiruchi Junction which is the seventh of its kind in the South Zone. Set up on a total area of 4,738 square feet, the Cell Kitchen consists of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian segments with provision for dining facility. It will provide standard items such as breakfast, meals, coffee and tea at controlled prices as stipulated by the Railway Board to cater to the budget travellers. Established at a cost of Rs. 45 lakhs, the Cell Kitchen has modern gadgets such as steam cooking, dish washing system, cold storage room and will be managed by catering professionals.
The basic objective is to reduce cooking in trains and provide uniform and hygienic food to the travelling public as envisaged by the IRCTC with the help of state-of-the-art equipment and modern gadgets. Cell Kitchens are an extended version of refreshment rooms set up with a view to supplying quality food at stations and to pantry car trains, stalls and trains with licence for train side vending.
The IRCTC Regional Director, South Zone V. Sriram, Divisional Railway Manager, S. Subramhanyan, and officials participated in the inaugural function. An IRCTC release said Cell Kitchens were proposed to be established at Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Jolarpet, Madurai, Villupuram, Virudhunagar, Ernakulam North, Ernakulam South, Mangalore, Kannur, Shoranur, Quilon, Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Calicut, Kankanadi and Bangalore.
