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The railways said on Friday that they will resume serving prepared lunches on trains, which had been suspended owing to the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the Railway Board requested that prepared meals be served to passengers on trains after the pandemic-related lockdown restrictions were lifted.
“In view of the restoration of normal train services, requirements of traveling passengers and easing of Covid lockdown restrictions in eateries, restaurants, hotels and such other places across the country, it has been decided by the Ministry of Railways to resume the services of cooked food in trains,” the letter stated.
Passengers will continue to be supplied ready-to-eat meals, according to the Railway board.
The Railways brought back all regular mail timetables for the operation of ordinary trains earlier this month, removing ‘the special train’ marking that had been in place throughout the outbreak. The railways have also decided to reinstate the original train ticket fares, where applicable.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced that airlines can now provide meals on all domestic flights.
The announcement comes as India’s coronavirus cases have remained stable at roughly 10,000-15,000 daily infections in recent days.
The Railways confirmed earlier this month that conventional trains would resume service, removing the special tag that had been in place during the outbreak.
Trains will now be operated with their regular numbers, and fares will revert to normal pre-Covid costs, according to the letter to zonal railroads.
The revenue of the railways has increased significantly due to the operating of special trains and the lack of concessions. During the second quarter of 2021-2022, it saw a 113 percent growth in earnings from the passenger segment compared to the first.