The LPG crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East has now hit railway passengers in India. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRTC), which provides catering, ticketing and tourism services to the Indian Railways, on Tuesday asked kitchens across railway stations to cook using microwave ovens and induction stoves instead of LPG cylinders. However, India Today TV reporters found that the latest directive has had limited impact so far. While many canteens were unable to fully switch to induction stoves, some argued about the feasibility of shifting to a new system of cooking.
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PANDIT DEENDAYAL UPADHYAY JUNCTION, CHANDAULI (UP)
The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Junction in Chandauli is one of the busiest railway stations on the Delhi-Howrah line. India Today found that the food was still being cooked using LPG cylinders. A manager of the food plaza at the station said that they were using an old stock of LPG cylinders, which could run out in the next couple of days.
“An order for ovens and induction stoves has been placed as per IRCTC’s instructions. As long as we have our stock of LPG cylinders, we will be cooking on them. However, when our LPG supply runs out, we will switch to ovens and induction stoves as per IRCTC’s instructions,” said Sandeep Yadav, the food court’s manager.
Yadav also expressed concern that it will be difficult to cook and supply food using ovens and induction stoves since Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Junction is a large station with high passenger traffic. “So, we urge the government to supply us with LPG cylinders as per our requirement,” he told India Today.
JAIPUR RAILWAY STATION (RAJASTHAN)
IRCTC kitchens in Jaipur Railway Station have closed down, with vendors telling India Today that it will not be possible for them to cook food on induction stoves and microwaves.
Due to the unavailability of gas cylinders, the food supply at the railway station had already declined to just one-third by Wednesday evening. Moreover, IRCTC managers rejected induction stoves and microwaves, arguing that large quantities of food cannot be cooked on them. In fact, they requested the government to designate IRCTC canteens as emergency services and provide LPG cylinders.
CHARBAGH RAILWAY STATION, LUCKNOW
The IRCTC restaurant at Charbagh Railway Station in Lucknow was using both induction and commercial gas cylinders for cooking. Tea and other liquids, such as water, were being heated on induction. However, Abhishek Tripathi, the restaurant manager, said that running the entire kitchen solely on induction stoves would not be feasible. Regular meals were still being cooked through gas cylinders.
Tripathi said that the kitchen has a capacity of approximately 1.5 tons and feeds about 1,000 passengers every day. He added the restaurant was not facing any shortage of gas cylinders.
“Only time will tell how the entire system will work on induction stoves. For now, cooking on gas seems more organised and easier,” Firoz Khan, a passenger, told India Today
MUZAFFARPUR JUNCTION, BIHAR
Food at IRCTC stalls at Muzaffarpur Junction was being cooked using LPG cylinders, instead of induction. Canteen operators told India Today they were using locally-procured 5-kg cylinders to continue operations. Despite the IRCTC’s diktat on Tuesday, an induction stove was still unavailable on Thursday.
“We are facing a lot of problems in procuring cylinders. An induction stove has not been made available to us so far,” said Canteen Manager Manoj Kumar.
– Ends
With inputs from Sharat Kumar, Ashish, Uday Gupta and Mani Bhushan.
Published By:
Aprameya Rao
Published On:
Mar 12, 2026 15:49 IST
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