To improve catering services on trains, Ministry of Railways has given Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) flexibility to customize 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.
For prepaid trains 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. Menu and tariff of such a-la-carte meals will be decided by IRCTC.
For other Mail/Express trains, menu of budget segment items like standard meals shall be decided by IRCTC within the fixed tariff already notified. Menu and Tariff of Janta Meals shall remain unchanged. Besides, 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.
IRCTC is the only entity authorised by the Indian railways to provide catering services to railways, online railway tickets and packaged drinking water at railway stations and trains in India.
