Market Trends of Onboard Rail Catering Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Onboard Rail Catering Market according to our research experts:
Growth in the number of passengers using rail catering services
Owing to the introduction of high-speed railways, metros and subway systems in many countries across the globe, many people are switching to rail transportation and this factor is leading to the growth of rail catering services market. Due to introduction of metros, static catering service market is on the rise. Many startups in emerging economies are taking advantage of the large data generated by the railway systems and innovations can be seen in spaces such as customer service management, payments, etc.
In 2019, Indian online payment platform Paytm saw the booking of 50,000 rail tickets daily. Catering companies are using information technology for robust feedback mechanism to improve the selection of raw materials, improvement of food quality. Use of RFID scanners is boosting the effectiveness of quality assessment programs by performing end to end tracking of meal from raw material form to consumption stage. This will ensure the availability of fresh quantity food in sufficient quantity.
People are also being provided with the option to choose from a variety of menus present onboard. Amtrak provides nearly 20 menus under traditional dining, flexible dining, Café and Acela dining categories.
Rail Catering services around the globe have started using latest technologies to ensure the best quality of food to its customers. After the reports of Indian Railways serving sub and below standard food 'unfit for human consumption', IRCTC have made major changes in policy such as separating food preparation and distribution operations and in July 2018, Indian Railways started the live streaming of its kitchens to its customers to regain their trust. Indian Railways is also using artificial intelligence to detect the presence of rodents, insects and rule violation by catering service staff.
Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market
Asia-Pacific dominates the rail infrastructure market. The region is expected to witness the fastest growth rate during the forecast period. In the Asia-Pacific region, India is one of the largest and fastest growing market for railway infrastructure and service after China. India is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.
India is making investments in catering service and improving its rail transportation system. Owing to the growth in population, increased intercity commuting and trade, upcoming metro projects (13 operational, 6 under construction, 7 in planning stage and 8 in proposed stage) and extension of existing lines, the Indian rolling stock market is witnessing a steady growth.
As of 2019, India has 716 km of operational metro lines. Indian Government is also considering a bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad (Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor). The government's Make in India initiative laid special emphasis on promoting development activities within the country. This, in turn, is expected to drive onboard rail catering market in India.
