From October 17, travelling by Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains will be a totally different experience with the menu and tariffs changed. You will enjoy a complimentary newspaper and be presented a menu to choose your meal from.
But your morning cup of tea or coffee would cost more. So will the breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, dinner and combo meals. The charges would be different for different classes in these air-conditioned coaches.
The catering charges have been classified differently for different category of trains and classes and have been increased by up to 20 per cent. Passengers of AC I in Rajdhani and Executive Class (EC) in Shatabdi will have to pay the same rates, while those travelling in AC II and AC III have been clubbed to bear a different rate slab.
Though Duronto train fares have been brought on a par with those of Rajdhani and Shatabdi, those travelling in second class sleeper will be paying lower catering charges. The morning brew, however, is an exception as it has shot up from Rs. 6.50 to Rs. 10 per cup.
In the case of AC I and EC, a cup of tea will be served at Rs. 15, up from Rs. 12.50, while 2AC, 3AC and CC passengers will be required to pay Rs. 10 as against the current charge of Rs.8.
In 1A and EC, breakfast will now come at Rs. 90 (as against Rs. 81.50), lunch Rs. 145 (Rs. 129.50), evening tea where dinner is served Rs. 45 (Rs. 41), evening tea where dinner is not served Rs. 75 (Rs. 65.50), dinner Rs. 145 (Rs. 129.50) and combo meals Rs. 75 (Rs. 66.50).
For passengers of 2AC, 3AC, and CC, breakfast will cost Rs. 75 (Rs. 65.50), lunch Rs. 125 (Rs. 112), evening tea Rs. 45 (Rs. 37 where dinner is served and Rs. 40 where it is not), dinner Rs. 125 (Rs. 112) and combo meals Rs. 75 (Rs. 66.50).
In the case of Duronto SL, the breakfast comes at Rs. 40 (Rs. 34), lunch Rs. 80 (Rs. 71) evening tea Rs. 20 (Rs. 18) and dinner Rs. 80 (Rs. 71).
Passengers would be required to pay the difference in the charges on board.
The Railways have decided to introduce five cyclical menus and 1A and EC passengers will be obliged with personalised services with choice of meals catering to your culinary preferences. The choice of breakfast ranges from vada, idli, upma with sambar to a vegetable cutlet, to chana kulcha, stuffed paratha to variety of omelettes topped with capsicum or onion or tomato with finger chips and boiled vegetables.
It won’t be the same drab tomato soup any more as starters with five varieties are on offer. Similarly, there is continental in the rice section besides lemon rice too among the five dishes being rolled out. There are five options with regard to rotis, dal and vegetables to pick from.
In the non-vegetarian section, you order for any of the four preparations available, including roasted chicken and in the fish section it is fish fry.
The menu for Duronto sleeper class comes with fewer options.
