IRCTC To Offer Regional Cuisine And Seasonal Delicacies To Passengers

Flooded with complaints of same kind of food served onboard continuously, Indian Railways has decided to act.

It has given Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) flexibility to customise the menu so as to include the items of regional cuisine, seasonal delicacies and special requirement during festivals.

Instead of a set menu of limited options in the vegetarian and non- vegetarian category, IRCTC will now provide opportunities to the passengers to order individual dishes in superfast and premier trains like Rajdhani, Duronto, Shatabdi and Vande Bharat.

According to the decision, branded food items would also be available onboard prepaid trains.

However, the tariff will be decided by the IRCTC, the catering wing of the railways, as per the new menu.

Keeping the common man's interest in mind, the railways has decided not to change the menu and tariff of Janta Meals.

There will be provisions for food items as per the preferences of different groups of passengers such as diabetic food, baby food, health food options including millet-based local products, etc.

For prepaid trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi in which catering charges are included in the passenger fare, the menu shall be decided by IRCTC within the tariff already notified.

In addition, sale of a-la-carte meals and branded food items on MRP will also be permitted in these prepaid trains.

For other mail/express trains, menu of budget segment items like standard meals shall be decided by IRCTC within the fixed tariff already notified.

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.

While deciding the menu, IRCTC shall ensure that upgradation in quality and standards of food and service is maintained and safeguards are built in to avoid frequent and undue changes such as curtailment in quantity and quality, use of inferior brands, etc, to avoid passenger grievances.

The menu should be commensurate with the tariff and menus are pre-notified for information of passengers and advised to the railways before introduction.