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When traveling on premium trains like Vande Bharat or Rajdhani, passengers have the option to either include or exclude meals while booking their tickets. While many traditionally opted for the meal service, a significant number of passengers are now choosing to opt out. According to IRCTC, approximately 25% to 30% of passengers decide against including meals at the time of booking. Let us explore the reasons behind this trend.

Rahul Himalian, Chairman and Managing Director of IRCTC, stated that about 25% to 30% of passengers are opting out of the catering service during prepaid bookings; essentially, they are choosing not to include the meal charges when purchasing their tickets.

He noted that while passengers previously tended to avail themselves of the catering service, many are now opting out to save money and choose food according to their own preferences. However, Himalian clarified that the 25% to 30% figure is currently an estimate and awaits confirmation. Initially, he had cited a range of 15% to 30%, but specified the 25% to 30% figure when asked specifically about prepaid bookings.

**Various complaints regarding food**
According to IRCTC, the company supplies approximately 18 lakh (1.8 million) meals daily. In comparison, it receives only 300 to 500 complaints per day. The company states that many of these complaints are unrelated to food quality; they often concern issues such as requests for extra water, milk for children, or staff behavior.

IRCTC serves around 58 crore (580 million) meals annually. The company maintains that the number of daily complaints is negligible compared to the total volume of meals supplied.

**Passengers can now order preferred meals via e-Catering**
IRCTC is now focusing on e-Catering to provide passengers with a wider range of choices. According to the company, daily orders received via e-catering have risen from approximately 1.25 lakh meals to over 1.6 lakh.

**Order food on the train using QR codes**
Additionally, IRCTC’s new e-Pantry model has been launched on more than 50 trains, with plans to expand it to around 100 trains. Under the e-Pantry model, passengers can order food from various vendors on the train using a mobile app or QR code. The initiative aims to offer passengers the flexibility to choose food according to their preferences and to curb overcharging.

**Plans to bring in branded food companies**
IRCTC states that improving food quality remains a key priority. To this end, the company is working with the Ministry of Railways to explore the possibility of onboarding branded catering players.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from NDTV India. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.