Amrit Bharat Trains To Offer Pre-Paid Catering Service; Passengers Can Pre-Book Affordable Meals Online

Passengers travelling on the Amrit Bharat sleeper trains will now enjoy the convenience of booking their breakfast and meals online, similar to premium trains like the Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Vande Bharat. The Indian Railways has decided to launch pre-paid catering services on Amrit Bharat trains to ensure timely and affordable meal delivery to passengers’ seats during their journey.

According to the Railway Board, the system will be implemented on all Amrit Bharat trains equipped with pantry cars. The initiative aims to provide quality vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals at fixed IRCTC-approved prices, preventing overcharging by vendors. Passengers will no longer need to wait for meals, as all pre-booked food will be served punctually.

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Deputy Director (Catering) A. Rangarajan has issued official directives to all Principal Chief Commercial Managers, the IRCTC Chairman, and the CRIS Managing Director to begin preparations. Both IRCTC and the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) have started the groundwork for the rollout.

Under the new arrangement, passengers can pre-book breakfast, lunch, or dinner while reserving their tickets. Only vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals will be available under the pre-paid system, while tea, coffee, and packaged water will continue to be sold separately. Zonal railways, in coordination with IRCTC, will have the flexibility to finalise meal prices based on convenience.

The system will come into effect from the start date of the new catering contract for Amrit Bharat trains and will apply from the Advance Reservation Period (ARP). The decision has been approved by the Finance Commercial Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.

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According to railway officials, the meals for Amrit Bharat trains will be prepared in IRCTC’s base kitchens, ensuring consistent quality. Prices will remain affordable compared to premium trains; a meal that costs Rs 222 on the Vande Bharat will be capped at Rs 130 on the Amrit Bharat.

Currently, seven Amrit Bharat trains operate on the Gorakhpur route, and similar pre-paid services will soon be available for passengers on these routes as well.

Meal Prices (in Rs):

-Vegetarian: Breakfast – Rs 40, Lunch/Dinner – Rs 80

-Non-Vegetarian: Breakfast – Rs 50, Lunch/Dinner – Egg Curry – Rs 90, Chicken Curry – Rs 130