Indian Railways Passengers Will Get Fresh, Cooked Meals On Every Train From This Date!

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) will resume services of cooked meals in trains from February 14.

Back On Board After 2 Years

The service was suspended as a safety measure during the outbreak of the pandemic on March 22, 2020.

However the situation is not as bad as it was, with a decline in Covid-19 cases across the country, making it a safe option to resume services.

Earlier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had allowed all airlines to serve cooked meals on domestic flights.

Food Service To Be Restored On All Trains

IRCTC said that cooked meals are already being provided in 428 trains.

Cooked food had already been restored in 30% of all trains by Dec ‘21, 80% by Jan ‘22 and the remaining 20% shall be restored by February 14.

Food service on premium trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto had already restarted on December 21.

Ready-to-eat meals will also continue to be served on demand.

How It Works

E-catering service was started in 2014. 

Passengers would be able to order food of their choice from reputed brands as well as popular regional and local delicacies on phone or online while travelling.

The same would be delivered to their seats at the railway station.

Before the pandemic IRCTC was fulfilling 20,000 e-catering orders per day.

How To Order Food On IRCTC

• Visit IRCTC’s eCatering official website https://www.ecatering.irctc.co.in/
• Enter your ten-digit PNR number and click on the arrow to proceed
• Select the food from the list of cafes, outlets and quick service restaurants
• Place the order and select the payment mode which is either pay online or cash on delivery
• Once the order is placed, the food will be delivered to your seat/berth.

Rules To Follow When Travelling By Train

The IRCTC has issued guidelines for passengers to follow before and during rail travel.

1. Passengers are advised to travel only with confirmed tickets.
2. Face masks & hand hygiene is mandatory.
3. Reach the station at least 90 minutes before departure for necessary Covid protocols.
4. Maintain social distancing at the station and on the train
5. No blanket or linen will be provided
6. Local trains will operate at 50% capacity.
7. Some states may require a negative RT-PCR test from passengers

Therefore it is advisable to go through the destination`s travel guidelines before hopping on the train.