Catering Policy in Railways – Railway Catering Policy 2025
New Catering Policy in Railways
New Catering Policy 2025 has been issued on 27.02.2025. With the objective to provide quality food to rail passengers, unbundling of catering services on trains has been envisaged in the new catering Policy. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has been mandated to carry out the unbundling by creating a distinction primarily between food preparation and food distribution. In order to upgrade quality of food preparation, IRCTC shall be setting up new kitchens and upgrading existing ones. New catering policy, inter-alia, includes the following features for unbundling of catering services (i) IRCTC shall manage catering services on all mobile units. (ii) Meals for all mobile units will be picked up from the nominated kitchens owned, operated and managed by IRCTC. (iii) IRCTC will engage service providers for hospitality industry for service of food in trains. (iv) IRCTC shall not outrightly outsource or issue licenses for provision of catering services to private licensees. IRCTC shall retain the ownership and shall be fully accountable for all the issues pertaining to setting up and operation of the Base Kitchens and quality of food.
This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 17.03.2025 (Friday).
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Here’s the Indian Railways Catering Policy 2025, which governs onboard and station-based food services across the network — including hygiene, pricing, transparency, and customer rights:
Contents
- 1 🍽️ 1. Policy Framework & Standards
- 2 📋 2. Menu Transparency & Pricing
- 3 🔄 3. Enhanced Hygiene & Quality Measures
- 4 🆕 4. e‑Pantry Expansion
- 5 🎟️ 5. Onboard Non-Prebooked Catering Charges
- 6 🚰 6. Economy Meals & Affordable Drinking Water
- 7 ⚠️ 7. Passenger Rights & Complaint Mechanism
- 8 📊 Summary Table
- 9 🎉 Benefits to Passengers
- 10 💡 You Can Do
🍽️ 1. Policy Framework & Standards
- Irregular changes in catering rules have led to compromised food quality due to inconsistent oversight. The 2025 policy was amended multiple times, causing gaps in implementation across zones
- A 2025 addendum mandates setting up base kitchens at originating and en-route stations to ensure meals are prepared under hygienic, standardized conditions. This requirement was upheld by the Karnataka High Court in 2025
📋 2. Menu Transparency & Pricing
- From March 2025, printed menus with prices must be available onboard every train. IRCTC publishes these menus online and passengers receive SMS links during travel
- Catering rates are fixed by IRCTC in consultation with the Railway Board, and must be strictly followed. Unauthorized surcharge is prohibited
🔄 3. Enhanced Hygiene & Quality Measures
- Meals served across the network are now sourced from modern base kitchens (many equipped with CCTV and food safety supervisors) to ensure hygiene compliance
- Food packaging includes QR codes detailing the base kitchen source and date of production for verification.
- IRCTC conducts regular inspections, audits, pest control, and mandates FSSAI certification for all meal-preparation units
🆕 4. e‑Pantry Expansion
- Since June 2025, IRCTC has introduced e‑Pantry in select mail and express trains — starting with Vivek Express — allowing passengers to pre-book meals online at time of ticket purchase or later via ‘Booked Ticket History’ .
- This service aims to:
- Lock in prices
- Deliver standardized meals
- Prevent overcharging and unauthorized vendors
🎟️ 5. Onboard Non-Prebooked Catering Charges
- In premium trains (Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas): passengers who did not pre-book meals are liable for an additional ₹50 service fee on top of the meal cost.
- Example: Standard lunch priced at ₹244 during booking becomes ₹294 when ordered onboard
- On Vande Bharat trains, passengers who opt out of meals at booking can still purchase food onboard; sale is allowed only till 9 pm or dinner cutoff time, whichever is earlier
🚰 6. Economy Meals & Affordable Drinking Water
- From July 2023, Railway Board mandates availability of ₹20 economy meals (e.g. lemon rice, dal khichdi, curd rice with pickle) and affordable packaged water for passengers in General Second class, available at select station refreshment rooms
⚠️ 7. Passenger Rights & Complaint Mechanism
- Passengers may face overcharging despite fixed rates. Multiple Reddit accounts document cases of being billed ₹180 for an ₹80 thali; demanding a bill and filing complaints on the Rail Madad portal prompted refunds and disciplinary action, including fines for caterers
- Indian Railways has imposed punitive fines (e.g., ₹1 lakh) on vendors violating tariff rules and has emphasized strict enforcement
📊 Summary Table
| Area | Key Policy Point |
|---|---|
| Pricing Transparency | Printed menus mandatory, prices fixed by IRCTC |
| Hygienic Standards | Base kitchens with CCTV, QR-coded meals, sanitary audits |
| e‑Pantry Service | Pre-book meals online in mail/express trains |
| Onboard Ordering Premium | ₹50 surcharge for onboard ordered meals in premium trains |
| Economy Meals @ ₹20 | Available for Second class passengers in select stations |
| Complaint Redressal | Rail Madad portal; overcharging cases attract fines |
🎉 Benefits to Passengers
- Greater transparency and standard pricing across trains and stations.
- Improved hygiene control via centralized kitchens and quality audits.
- Ability to pre-book meals reduces uncertainty and overcharging.
- Affordable meal options like ₹20 economy meals help lower-income travelers.
- If served overpriced or sub-standard food, you can demand a bill and register a complaint.
💡 You Can Do
- Check current menus and tariffs on IRCTC’s official website or SMS link.
- Pre-book meals via e‑Pantry on supported trains to avoid onboard confusion.
- Always ask for a menu and billed rate; do not accept overcharging and file complaints on Rail Madad if needed.
- For premium train journeys, know that ₹50 onboard surcharge is applicable if you didn’t pre-book.
Would you like help booking a meal on upcoming travel, or need to find if a specific train supports e‑Pantry or economy meals?