Mumbai: The ministry of petroleum and natural gas advised state-level nodal agencies to prioritise the supply of 19kg commercial LPG cylinders to railway kitchens to ensure uninterrupted catering services on trains, amid concerns over cooking gas availability for pantry cars and base kitchens.As part of the coordination mechanism, contact details of state nodal agencies were shared with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), while the corporation also provided the phone numbers of its officials to the states to enable direct communication.Officials said the move aimed to improve coordination between LPG suppliers, state agencies and railway catering units so that supply-related issues could be addressed quickly.The directive followed reports of LPG shortages affecting pantry operations on several long-distance trains. Railway officials flagged that the situation was becoming serious and could worsen if immediate steps were not taken to streamline the supply of commercial cylinders used in railway kitchens.Due to the limited availability of LPG cylinders, railways also explored serving ready-to-eat meals on premium trains such as the Vande Bharat Express and the Rajdhani Express.Officials said the directive was expected to ease the situation in the coming days. “State-level nodal agencies were requested to facilitate the availability of 19kg cylinders for railway kitchens. With contact details shared between both sides, any supply bottleneck can be addressed promptly,” a senior railway official said.IRCTC serves nearly 17 lakh meals daily across the country through pantry cars, base kitchens and onboard catering units, with around 20% of the demand coming from the western zone. Officials said improved coordination was expected to help restore normal catering services soon.Licensees of catering units were also instructed to promptly inform IRCTC if cooking operations using LPG were discontinued at any unit so that alternative arrangements could be made.Railway officials said the move was intended to ensure seamless catering services to passengers despite possible fuel supply disruptions.
