CHENNAI: IRCTC’s decision to relocate the ‘no food’ option while booking Vande Bharat train tickets online has caused considerable confusion among commuters.
The changes, introduced on the IRCTC portal last month, now result in passengers being charged the full catering fare by default unless they select a newly-added option to decline food.
The modification applies solely to e-tickets booked through the IRCTC website and mobile application. Passengers booking at counters are charged for food only if they tick the meal option in the fifth column in the reservation form.
Previously, passengers could easily choose “No food” under the catering service options. This choice has now been moved to a different section, leading to many passengers being charged for meals by default. At present, there is no ‘no food’ option under the catering category.
Southern Railway officials advised passengers to remain vigilant while filling online booking forms, adding that food delivery at stations through authorised delivery agents has also been enabled. IRCTC officials could not be reached for comments.
Regular passengers said that earlier, while entering passenger details, the catering service tab offered five options - veg, non-veg, Jain meal, veg (diabetic) and non-veg (diabetic). However, there is currently no option to choose ‘no food.’
“For the Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli journey, the full fare, including the catering charge of Rs 364, is displayed by default on the first page, taking the ticket cost to around Rs 1,680.
After entering the passenger’s name, a newly added option – I don’t want Food/Beverages – appears below. Only if we tick this option is the catering charge of Rs 364 deducted on the next page. Otherwise, passengers have to pay for food even if they do not want it,” said regular passenger S Ramalingam.
Another passenger, S Sivanathan, questioned the logic behind shifting the ‘no food’ option to another location. “The quality of food served on Vande Bharat and other trains is abysmally low.
Despite charging Rs 360, the railways fail to serve quality food from well-known restaurant chains in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Karnataka. The food provided through IRCTC is not only of poor quality, but also offers limited choices,” he said.