It is well known that food on planes is expensive. But eating during the train journey should be subsidized. If you have the same beliefs, you are in for a shock. A photo shared on social media by a passenger shows he was charged 70 rupees for a cup of tea. The tea was 20 rupees but the bill also included a 50 rupees service charge.
The incident happened while the passenger was traveling on a Shatabdi Express train from Delhi to Bhopal on June 28.
Photos of the tax bills went viral on Twitter and Reddit.
20 ुपये चाय प प प ुपये ुपये का, सच देश अअ्थशास्त्र बदल बदल, अभी तो इतिहास ही बदला! pic.twitter.com/ZfPhxilurY
— Balgovind Verma (@balgovind7777) June 29, 2022
However, if a passenger does not pre-order food when booking their ticket for an express train, they will have to pay a service charge of Rs 50 if they order something during the journey, according to the railway.
Indian Railways issued a circular in 2018 stating that “If a passenger who has not opted for catering services at the time of booking the ticket and chooses to purchase meals on board, in addition to the notified Rs Additional charge of 50 per meal Catering fees for meals are charged by the IRCTC onboard supervisors.”
A circular issued by Indian Railways back in 2018 stipulates that if a passenger does not book a meal when making a reservation on trains such as Rajdhani or Shatabdi, a service charge of Rs 50 is payable for ordering tea, coffee or food during the journey. Even if it’s just a cup of tea.
Eating used to be free on trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani. But the fare has now been broken down and passengers can skip meals and only pay for the journey.
