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Railway Food Packaging: 5 Checks for IRCTC Caterers and E-Catering Kitchens
Written by the Alfa Foil manufacturing team, Eminent Trade and Export Pvt. Ltd., Raipur — maker of aluminium foil containers and DAKON plastic containers, working to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2018, HACCP and GMP. Last reviewed 2 November 2026.
Railway food packaging has a harder job than almost any other takeaway packaging in India. A meal is cooked in a base kitchen or a partner restaurant, packed, loaded onto a trolley, carried for anywhere from one to eight hours, often reheated, and finally balanced on a passenger’s lap in a moving coach. If the lid lifts, the dal ends up on the berth. If the container dents in the stack, the meal arrives looking second-hand.
This guide is for the people who buy that packaging: IRCTC base kitchens and licensees, e-catering partner restaurants, station food stalls and pantry-car operators. It covers who needs what, which container suits which train meal, and the five checks to run before you place a bulk order. We write it as a supplier whose aluminium foil containers have been served on Vande Bharat trains and on Air India.
Quick Answer: What Railway Food Packaging Has to Do
Good railway food packaging does five things: it is made of food-contact-grade material, its lid stays shut on a trolley and a lap tray, its walls don’t dent in a stack, it is the same size in every order, and it can be reheated the way your kitchen reheats. For hot meals with gravy, a rigid aluminium foil container with a crimped lid ticks all five, which is why it is still a common choice on Indian trains.
Who Buys Railway Food Packaging in India
Four kinds of buyer handle most railway food packaging, and each one worries about something different:
IRCTC describes its base kitchens as large cooking and packing units set up near railway premises, with CCTV, QR codes being added to meal packets, and food-safety audits by third-party agencies accredited by the National Board for Certification Bodies (IRCTC catering services). When the kitchen is audited, the packaging is part of what gets looked at, which is why the checks below matter.
Why Aluminium Foil Containers Are Still Used for Hot Train Meals
Because foil does the three things a train meal needs at once: it holds heat, it goes straight into an oven for reheating, and a board or foil lid crimped over its rim stays shut when the trolley jolts. A rigid foil container also keeps its shape under the weight of the meals stacked above it, and it is used once and thrown away, so there is no washing or reuse question.
Reheating is where the container choice shows. Earlier this year, a train passenger complained publicly that rotis and kachoris had been warmed inside sealed plastic packets, and IRCTC apologised. A container that is designed to go into an oven removes that question altogether.
Isn’t Indian Railways moving to bagasse?
Partly, and only on some trains. IRCTC began a trial of bagasse-based (sugarcane fibre) packaging on eight premium trains from Delhi — four Shatabdi and four Rajdhani — in June 2018 (Asian Age, 6 June 2018). Foil containers are still widely used on trains: news coverage of the Amrit Bharat Express in October 2025 described aluminium foil food containers, and our own foil containers have been served on Vande Bharat trains.
Bagasse plates and bowls suit dry items served soon after packing. Gravies that travel for hours and get reheated on the way need a container that seals tightly and can go into an oven.
Which Container for Which Train Meal
Match the container to the meal item, not to the whole tray. These are the Alfa Foil aluminium container sizes we would start with for common railway meals:
Treat these as starting points. Portion weights differ from one kitchen to the next, so fill a sample of each size with your real portion before you fix a size for the whole contract. The full range is on our aluminium foil container page.
Planning a railway catering contract? Message us on WhatsApp at +91 92019 58140 with your daily meal count and menu, and we will suggest sizes and send samples to test.
5 Railway Food Packaging Checks Before You Order in Bulk
Run these five checks on any supplier’s containers, including ours. They take an afternoon and a few samples, and they catch most of the problems that only show up once meals are on a moving train.
1. Proof the material is made for food contact
Ask for documents, not adjectives. For aluminium foil, India’s specification is IS 15392, and covered foil must carry the BIS Standard Mark under a valid licence. Ask your supplier for the licence number and a recent test report. Your kitchen’s own licence from the FSSAI also expects food-grade packaging, so keep these documents on file for audits.
2. A lid that stays shut on a trolley and a lap tray
Fill a container with your thinnest gravy, crimp the lid the way your packing line does, and tip it on its side for half a minute. If anything seeps out, it will seep out on the train. Check that the lid’s edge sits fully over the container’s rim all the way round, and ask which lid matches each size before you order.
3. Walls that don’t dent in a stack
Meals travel stacked in trolleys and hot cases. Stack ten filled samples and leave them for an hour: the bottom container should come out the same shape it went in. Wall strength depends on the thickness of the foil, which we explain in our guide to aluminium foil thickness in microns.
4. The same dimensions in every order
Hot cases, trolley trays and carton counts are all set up around one container size. If a new batch is a few millimetres wider, the trays stop fitting and the packing line slows down. Measure samples from two different deliveries and compare them before you sign a long contract.
5. Containers that suit the way you reheat
Foil containers go into convection ovens and hot cases without any problem. In a microwave they can be used with conditions — lid off, centred, away from the oven walls — which we cover in our guide to using aluminium foil in a microwave. Whatever you use, never heat food inside packaging that isn’t marked for heating.
Airline Catering: The Same Railway Food Packaging Rules, at Altitude
Our aluminium foil containers have also been served on Air India. In-flight meals face the same tests as railway food packaging: meals are packed in advance, loaded in carts, reheated in galley ovens and eaten off a small tray. If a container passes the five checks above, it is ready for either.
Railway Food Packaging FAQs
What packaging is used for train food in India?
Hot meals on Indian trains are commonly packed in rigid aluminium foil containers with board or foil lids, often in compartment trays for thalis. Some premium trains have trialled bagasse (sugarcane fibre) plates and bowls since 2018.
Can aluminium foil containers be reheated in a pantry-car oven?
Yes. Foil containers are made to go into convection ovens and hot cases. In a microwave, use them with the lid off, centred and away from the oven walls.
Is aluminium foil safe for hot railway meals?
Yes, when the foil is made for food contact under IS 15392. Very acidic or salty food held for long periods is the case to watch. Our guides on whether aluminium foil is safe for hot food and how to prove foil is food-safe explain the details.
Does IRCTC use bagasse instead of foil?
Only on some trains. IRCTC began a bagasse trial on eight premium trains from Delhi in June 2018. Aluminium foil containers are still used widely, including on Vande Bharat trains.
Which container size is right for a train thali?
A 3- or 4-compartment foil container keeps rice, dal, sabzi and a sweet apart through the journey. For separate items, start with 450–660 ml for rice and 210–250 ml for gravies, then test with your real portions.
How do I buy foil containers in bulk for railway catering?
Message Alfa Foil on WhatsApp at +91 92019 58140 with your menu, daily meal count and delivery city. We will suggest sizes, send samples and quote for bulk supply.
Railway Food Packaging You Can Order at Contract Volumes
Train catering runs on volume, and the busiest weeks — festival travel, Chhath, summer holidays — are exactly when a supplier is most likely to run short. Alfa Foil makes aluminium foil containers in Raipur and supplies kitchens and distributors across 24 states, in 16 foil container and tray sizes, from 70 ml to 900 ml, including 3- and 4-compartment trays.
Browse the aluminium foil container range, then message us on WhatsApp at +91 92019 58140 for samples and bulk supply of railway food packaging.