IRCTC resumes onboard cooking on induction stoves as LPG crunch hits 1,400 trains; margins halved

A 1,000-cylinder/day LPG shortfall has forced IRCTC to shift 60% of its 1.7M daily railway meals to electric induction cooking inside LHB pantry cars on Rajdhani and Vande Bharat routes. Catering EBIT margin has collapsed to 6.3% from 10.4%, with tariffs frozen since 2019 and 341 trains still running without pantries.

— Source publishedTue, 9 Jun, 2026, 01:06 IST·First seen Tue, 9 Jun, 2026, 01:12 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

LPG cylinder shortage forces IRCTC to resume onboard cooking using electric induction stoves across LHB pantry cars on premium trains. Catering EBIT margin

Key facts

  • 1,400 trains
  • 1.7 million meals/day
  • 1,000 LPG cylinders/day
  • 60% electric cooking
  • EBIT margin 6.3% vs 10.4%
  • 341 trains without pantry

Why this matters

The LPG shortfall and 341 pantry-less trains open a window to pursue dark-kitchen partnerships, station-based commissary M&A, or induction-equipment supply tie-ups to lock in capacity ahead of peers.

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