challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja Train

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study Railway transport is one of the modes of transportation that is popular due to its ability to carry passengers and goods in large quantities at fairly short travel time without any obstacles in its path. These days, railway business is growing rapidly in Nigeria as indicated by increased number of railway passengers of 14.85% annually. (Nigerian Railway Corporation, 2016). The quality of passenger services is one of the railway operator's main concerns (Nathanail, 2008). The onboard services and food are the most remembered feature of people’s travel experience, therefore the food service offered to passengers remains an essential part in overall service experience (Jones, 2007). Catering services on a journey is expected as well as appreciated by travellers, moreover in a long-distance journey where passenger’s needs in provision of ready meals become greater (Briginshaw, 2013). Train catering has its strength in that passengers have the ability to take pleasure in a tasty meal on the move unlike airline service which has to deal with altitude affecting sensory abilities (Jones, 2007). With the quickening pace of modernization, the Railway travelers today expect much more from the system than the railways did in the past in the form of amenities. The provision of passenger amenities is, therefore, one of the important objectives of the Nigerian Railways both as a business ethic and as a social obligation. The Nigerian Railways has issued a Citizens’ Charter on Passenger services in which, it has been pledged to ensure adequate passenger amenities in trains and at Railway stations. One of the thrust areas in the 8th plan was to provide basic passenger amenities at all stations on a priority basis. The Tourism Industry has a major drawback in the field of Railways as the tourists remain unsatisfied due to the poor quality food served to them. Railway catering has always been an insignia for poor quality. There is a plethora of poor feedbacks against the standard of food and beverages supplied to the passengers and the tourists traveling in the train. It lowers the reputation of the nation as less people would prefer travelling by the Railways. The actual standard is not maintained as the food inspectors’ visit these trains rarely and therefore no action is taken and nobody takes the responsibility to manage it. The quality of the food offered in the trains and on the platform can’t be guaranteed to be hygienic at all. Even after all the progress in restoring and improving the conditions of food stored in the pantry, there have been many complaints. In view of this, this study aimed to evaluate the challenges of catering services on Abuja/Kaduna train. 1.2 Statement Of The Problem Among the various modes of transport, Railways is one of the biggest modes of passenger transport in the world. Nigerian Railways face more competitive threats from airlines, luxury buses, public transports, and personalized transports. Though there are competitions from various mode of transport, Nigerian Railways has its unique features and provide more services to the passengers. With the increase of technological advancements, Nigerian Railways have started to use the latest technology for making the service delivery process more efficient, in order to satisfy the passengers, the Nigerian Railways provides various services to its passengers which include convenience, good food, security among others. The quality of food served while traveling for a long distance is a major issue that is yet to be resolved by the Nigerian government. In some trains, the packed food items are expired and kept in unhygienic conditions and are considered sub-standard. While in some trains, the food has been pre-cooked 4-5 days ago and this makes it all the more stale and smelly. This problem is faced all over the nation, especially in the sleeper class section of the train where the environment is very unhygienic. The problem has not been looked into even after several complaints have been made to the Railway department. 1.3 Research Objectives The objectives of the study were as follows: 1. To identify the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja train, 2. To Proffer Solutions to the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja train, 1.4 Research Questions 1. What are the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja Train 2. What are the solutions to the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja Train 1.5 Significance of the Research The study contributes towards the on-going discussions and initiatives taken by various stakeholders towards providing solutions to the challenges of catering services on train. For theory and body of knowledge, the study findings are important especially on the development of future theories and models concerning challenges of catering services on train and also adds substantial knowledge to the existing information on the research topic. 1.6 Scope of the Study This research study is based on the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja Train.