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In a first, railway passengers to get regional food on board
The order stated that for prepaid trains, in which catering charges are included in the fare, the menu will be decided by IRCTC within the tariff that has already been notified
Railway passengers will now be able to choose the food they want to consume while travelling by train, especially those suitable for diabetics, infants and fitness enthusiasts, including millet-based local products and regional dishes, the Railway Board said in an order on Tuesday.
The board gave the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) the flexibility to customise its menu, with an aim to improve its food catering services and give more options to the passengers.
“As a measure to improve catering services on trains, it has been decided to give IRCTC the flexibility to customise the menu so as to include the items of regional cuisines/preferences, seasonal delicacies, requirement during festivals, food items as per the preferences of different group of passengers such as diabetic food, baby food, health food options, including millet based local products, etc.,” the order read.
“Passengers from southern and western states such as Maharashtra would often complain about the lack of regional food compared to the standardised ones. This will help in not only improving the food quality but also customise the menu according to the destination. For instance, a train to Gujarat will have local delicacies like fafda, dhokla, and vada pav for Maharashtra. This is the first time the board has given the IRCTC such an authority,” a railway official told HT.
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The order also stated that for prepaid trains, in which catering charges are included in the fare, the menu will be decided by IRCTC within the tariff that has already been notified.
“In addition, the sale of a-la-carte meals and branded food items on MRP will also be permitted on these prepaid trains. Menu and tariff of such a-la-carte meals will be decided by IRCTC,” the notification stated.
For other express trains, the menu of budget segment items such as standard meals will be decided by IRCTC within the fixed tariff already notified, the order said; the menu and tariff of Janta Meals will remain unchanged.
“The sale of a-la-carte meals and branded food items on MRP will be permitted on mail/express trains. Menu and tariff of such a-la-carte meals will be decided by IRCTC,” it said.
The board, in the order, also asked the IRCTC that while deciding the menu, it will have to ensure upgradation in quality, the standard of food and service is maintained, safeguards are built in to avoid frequent and undue changes such as curtailment in quantity and quality, use of inferior brands to avoid passenger grievances, etc.
