Not opted for meal while booking ticket? Rail Ministry now allows sale of food onboard to passengers on Vande Bharat Trains

After the resumption of nutrient services successful trains post-pandemic, the non-optee passengers — oregon those who did not opt for nutrient during summons booking — were lone being provided ready-to-eat repast options only. While this catering regularisation has been changed for Vande Bharat trains, it volition stay aforesaid for different mail/express trains.

“In bid to supply options, prime of services and capable catering facilities to existent booking & non-optee passengers successful Vande Bharat trains, merchantability and work of nutrient items successful Vande Bharat trains whitethorn beryllium resumed by IRCTC,” the Ministry’s missive to the Chairman and Managing Director of IRCTC said.

“For existent booking and non-optee passengers, the enactment of cooked repast whitethorn besides beryllium resumed (if available), which would beryllium successful summation to customized Ready to Eat (RTE) repast options,” reads the missive further. Officials said determination volition beryllium nary alteration successful the terms of nutrient and it volition beryllium aforesaid arsenic of optee passengers.

“In 2021, erstwhile the nutrient services were resumed successful the trains aft the Covid-19 pandemic, an enactment was provided that passengers tin opt retired for the repast and they volition not person to wage nutrient charges. For specified passengers, Ready to Eat meals specified arsenic Maggie, Poha, chips etc. was available. But successful the past fewer months, we person received galore complaints from Vande Bharat trains, wherever non-optee passengers desired for the cooked repast and they could not get it due to the fact that of existing rules,” said a elder authoritative of Ministry of Railways.

He further said, “Taking enactment of specified feedback, we person present created a proviso that the catering vendor, which is IRCTC successful Vande Bharat Trains, tin supply cooked nutrient to the non-optee passengers also. Apart from non-optee passengers, optee passengers besides request nutrient for 2nd time. For different trains, the existing catering rules volition stay same.”

“All indispensable measures indispensable beryllium enactment successful spot by IRCTC to guarantee work of bully prime and hygienic nutrient to passengers successful trains. Further, to debar immoderate inconvenience to passengers, IRCTC should guarantee merchantability done trolleys wrong the regulated timings and nary vending volition beryllium allowed aft 2100 hrs oregon meal service, whichever is earlier,” said the Railway Board successful its missive to the IRCTC.