Lok Sabha Question No. 4450 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Railway Catering Policy, 2017
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4450

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025

RAILWAY CATERING POLICY, 2017

†4450. SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV: SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  department/officer  given  the  authority  to  fix  the  rates  of items to be sold on the platforms of railway stations as per Railway Catering
- Policy, 2017;
- (b)  the  details  of  the  new  rate  list  issued  by  the  Zonal  Railways  from  the year, 2017 till date, Zone-wise;
- (c) the details of rates fixed for tea and coffee to be sold from the platform stalls  along  with  the  details  of  the  stations  of  the  country  including  Delhi, Zone-wise;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  received  any  representation  regarding  the demand to include the rates of the items included in the agreement by the Railways in the list issued by Northern Railway;
- (e) if so, the time by which the Government is likely to take a decision in this regard; and
- (f)  the  number of stalls allotted through tender under Catering Policy, 2005 and 2010 and the number of such stalls still running?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (f):  As  per  Catering  Policy  2017,  menu  of  controlled  segment  items, including regional cuisine, on minor static catering units are decided by

Zonal  Railways  within  the  fixed  tariff  approved  by  Railway  Board.  Menu  & Tariff  of  a-la-carte  items  served  through  static  catering  units  are  fixed  by Zonal Railways.

The rates of tea/coffee, to be sold from the platform stalls across all stations of the country including Delhi, were fixed vide Commercial Circular No. 53 of 2018. Rates of other standard items were fixed vide Commercial Circular No. 64 of 2019. These circulars are available on Indian Railway's website.

Details  of  revision  of  rates  of  other  a-la-carte  items,  undertaken  by  Zonal Railways post Catering Policy 2017 till date are as under:

| Zone                       | Date(s) of Revision of rates of a-la-carte items by the Zonal Railways post 2017 till date   |
|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Central Railway            | 10.07.2021                                                                                   |
| East Central Railway       | 02.08.2024                                                                                   |
| Eastern Railway            | 05.08.2025                                                                                   |
| North Central Railway      | 08.04.2025                                                                                   |
| North Eastern Railway      | 27.07.2023                                                                                   |
| Northern Railway           | 01.06.2025                                                                                   |
| North Western Railway      | 01.08.2025                                                                                   |
| South East Central Railway | 01.07.2019                                                                                   |
| South Eastern Railway      | 09.10.2024                                                                                   |
| South Central Railway      | 26.07.2022                                                                                   |
| Southern Railway           | 24.12.2019, 24.02.2023, 01.06.2023                                                           |

| South Western Railway   | 02.01.2023   |
|-------------------------|--------------|
| West Central Railway    | 12.12.2022   |
| Western Railway         | 27.06.2025   |

Further,  Northern  Railway  has  received  representation  with  demand  to include the rates of the items included in the agreement and the same has been taken up for examination on merits.

A total of 1451 catering stalls have been allotted under Catering Policy 2005 and  Catering  Policy  2010.   As  on  12.08.2025,  a  total  of  8912  minor  static catering units are operational across stations.

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