New Delhi: It is a known fact that food on a flight is expensive. But food during train travel is thought to be subsidised. If you hold the same belief, you are in for a shock. A photo shared by a passenger on social media shows that he was charged Rs 70 for a cup of tea. The tea was for Rs 20, but the bill also included a service charge of Rs 50.
The incident occurred when the passenger was travelling on a Shatabdi Express train from Delhi to Bhopal on June 28.
The photos of the tax invoices have gone viral on Twitter and Reddit.
But according to the railways, if a passenger does not pre-order any food while booking their ticket for an Express train, they will have to pay a service charge of Rs 50 while ordering something during the ride.
Indian Railways issued a circular in 2018, which states, "If a passenger who did not opt for catering services at the time of booking the ticket and decides to purchase meals onboard, an extra amount of Rs 50 per meal, in addition to the notified catering charges for meal, shall be charged by IRCTC's on-board supervisors."
A circular issued back in 2018 by Indian Railways specifies that, when a passenger does not book a meal while making a reservation in trains like Rajdhani or Shatabdi, then a service charge of Rs 50 has to be paid for ordering tea, coffee, or food during the journey. Even if it is just a cup of tea.
Earlier, food was complimentary on trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani. But the fare has now been broken down and passengers can opt out of meals and pay just for the travel.