Food on trains will now cost you more

The Railway Ministry on Friday announced upgradation of food menu on trains, revising tariff of the catering services, promising better quality, hygiene and variety.

The new catering tariff comes in force with immediate effect in the mail and express trains while it will be effected in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains where the tariff is collected prepaid with the fare only from 29.03.2020. It will cost 3% to 9% more to passengers opting for meals on the prepaid trains.

The Janata meal kept unchanged at Rs 20. No more ala-carte meals permitted for sale in view of complaints of overcharging as only snacks like samosa, pakoda, etc will be allowed.

Snack meal with regional cuisine/flavour is being introduced at Rs 50. This would be of 350 grams and the menu will be decided by IRCTC.

Biryani to be offered in three varieties as a standard meal in view of popularity with veg, egg and chicken varieties costing Rs 80, Rs 90 and Rs 110 respectively.

The railway also introduced chicken curry as an option in standard non-veg meal in addition to the existing standard non-veg meal with egg curry and standard veg meal.

The veg breakfast will costs Rs 40 and non-veg breakfast Rs 50. The standard veg meal will be available at Rs 80, standard non-veg meal with two eggs in curry at Rs 90 and non-veg meal with chicken curry Rs 130.

In case of the Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi, there will be higher tariff for 1AC where morning tea will cost Rs 35, breakfast Rs 140, lunch/dinner Rs 240 and evening tea Rs 140.

In the sleeper class in Duronto trains, these will be still lower as morning tea will cost Rs 15, breakfast Rs 65, lunch/dinner Rs 120 and evening tea Rs 50.

The last revision in the tariff of food was made in 2013 in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains and in 2012 in other mail and express trains.