The International Rail Catering Group General Assembly in Madrid

The International Rail Catering Group (IRCG) held its 58^th annual conference from September 27^th to 29^th in Madrid, Spain. During the main conference, members from across the rail catering industry presented their 2023 news and ideas for the future.

The key conference focus was ‘developing sustainable growth’. Everyone is facing significant inflationary pressures from energy and raw material costs, resourcing shortages as well as the environmental challenges of achieving net zero by 2050 or before.
Several notable trends emerged during the 58^th annual IRCG conference: a reduction in large al brands; increased use of local and regional products; new marketing campaigns offering alternative products and non-core services to gain additional income streams; increasing staff retention by improving on-job training and digital communications; use of solar and other renewables in logistics; and a move away from using disposables onboard.