French fries, juices, ice-cream and popcorn is also on the cards. Get all the details on IRCTC's latest push to revamp food service on trains!
Railway commuters at the Mumbai Central station can now enjoy a fresh pizza and other assorted cuisines from automatic food vending machines at the Gen NX food-vending court.
Collaborating with Bueno Insta Pizza Ltd (YESS PIZZA) and Owl Tech Private Ltd (FRSHLY), the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has set up these food vending machines. More importantly, however, the food served is expected to be fresh.
“The machines will work on the principle of 3Fs: fresh, fast and fun. Passengers can relish fast food items and various cuisines through the vending machines. The outlet will be [operated] from 7 am, and 11 am,” said an IRCTC spokesperson.
At its vending machines, YESS PIZZA will serve everything from thin-crust pizzas, french fries and popcorn to fresh fruit juice and ice cream, reports Times of India.
The centre of attention, however, is the pizza-making vending machine, where customers have the option of choosing the kind of topping they want and witness the entire process of making and delivering the pizza within the span of just five minutes. Each 10.5-inch pizza will cost anywhere between Rs 150-300, while the other items on the menu will cost Rs 100 or less.
FRSHLY, meanwhile, will serve pre-packaged meals from popular brands via an automated machine. With a shelf life of six-eight hours, these meals are packed and stored in the machine, and replaced twice a day before lunch and dinner, according to Times of India. Fitted with a robotic arm and reheating device, the vending machine will serve hot and fresh meals to its customers.
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Instead of depending on unhygienic food on railway platforms, commuters can now choose to eat food from their favourite popular brands. However, like any new piece of railway infrastructure, the question is whether these vending machines can handle the footfall in Mumbai Central.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
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