Enhancing meal quality
In 2018, FPC implemented a number of scheduled initiatives to enhance the quality of meals served on passenger trains:
- Extra meals throughout the journey were made available to passengers on trains which include dining carriages – they can be booked at a ticket office or online during the ticket purchasing process.
- Since August, passengers have been able to order extra meals directly on board with the help of a carriage attendant. And finally, passengers travelling in carriages with seats were also given the opportunity to order extra meals.
- In Q2 2018, we significantly improved the quality and increased the portions of meals prepared from the Unified List of Meals offered to passengers in premium carriages on FPC’s trains, which resulted in a noticeable decrease in the number of passenger complaints. Professional taste testers of ready meals were engaged for the first time to assess the bids and the bidders’ level of professional competence in assuring catering product quality.
- In July, during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, passengers who booked tickets for Strizh (Moscow–Nizhny Novgorod) trains were able to choose kosher or halal meal options for the first time, prepared in line with all religious rules and standards. In 2018, 852 kosher meals and 750 halal meals were sold on Strizh trains.
- Since 1 May 2018, to strengthen control over meal operators, new dining carriage lease contracts require mandatory interviews with dining carriage staff before granting them access to the catering services for passengers. Crews are interviewed to assess their knowledge of the applicable Russian laws, regulations of relevant Russian ministries, and FPC’s regulations outlining the procedures for customer service on rail transport and catering services. A procedure was approved for maintaining a database of dining carriage staff within the unified, integrated automated HR system to enhance the control over employee professional skills.
- During the summer holiday period of 2018, 251,000 children travelling in organised groups were provided with hot meals.
- During the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, a special menu was designed for trains transporting football fans.
Transporting fans by the Federal Passenger Company’s trains during the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Extra meal service sales project
Statistics of extra meal sales when booking tickets:
- in FY2018, 343,000 meals were sold to 163,000 passengers
- FPC’s share amounted to RUB 30.2 million.
