Railways provides affordable meals for general class

26 Apr 2024 CW Team

An official stated that train passengers traveling in unreserved compartments were now being provided with hygienic meals and snacks at affordable prices at stations, thanks to a new initiative by the Railways.

He mentioned that these meal counters were currently operational at over 100 stations and nearly 150 counters across Indian Railways, with plans for further expansion.

He further commented that they anticipated a surge in passenger traffic during the summer months and acknowledged the challenges faced by those traveling in unreserved compartments, who might not always have access to convenient and budget-friendly meal options. According to Railways, to ensure easy access, these meal counters were conveniently placed near general second class coaches on platforms.

He explained that there were two categories of meals available: the economy meal priced at Rs 20 and the snack meal priced at Rs 50. Passengers could purchase their refreshments directly from these counters, eliminating the need to search for vendors or venture outside the station.

Regarding the service, he mentioned that it had been successfully piloted at about 51 stations last year. Building on that success, Railways had significantly expanded the program, with counters now operational at over 100 stations and nearly 150 counters in total. The initiative was slated for further growth, encompassing even more stations in the near future.

Infrastructure Transport

15 Sep 2025

Cabinet Approves Key Highway and Rail Projects in Bihar Region

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the four-laning of the 84.2-km Mokama-Munger section of the Buxar-Bhagalpur high-speed corridor, a key industrial region in poll-bound Bihar. The Cabinet also sanctioned the doubling of the 177-km Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat railway line, which passes through Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, at a cost of Rs 31.7 billion.The Rs 44.5 billion highway project will be constructed under the hybrid annuity model, a variant of public-private partnership. The Mokama-Munger stretch was the only remaining two-lane section of the 363-km Buxar-Bhagalpur corridor. Fou..

NGT Issues Notice on Bengaluru Twin Tunnel Project

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday issued notices in response to a petition filed by Bengaluru Praja Vedike and others, challenging the Bengaluru twin tunnel road project. Petitioners claim the project was “hastily announced” and bypassed mandatory environmental impact assessment procedures.Notices have been served to the Karnataka Government, Greater Bengaluru Authority, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE), the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and project consultants.The 16.74-km twin-tube..

India’s Residential Sales to Dip Slightly in FY26

Residential sales in India’s seven major cities are projected to decline by up to 3 per cent year-on-year in FY26 to 620–640 million square feet (msf), amid a moderation in sales velocity, according to ratings agency Icra.In FY25, sales stood at 643 msf, down 8 per cent YoY, following a sharp contraction in new launches and moderated demand in the affordable and mid-income segments. This slowdown came after the sector posted a robust compound annual growth rate of 26 per cent in area sales between FY22 and FY24.Icra noted: “Having seen a strong upcycle, the sector entered an equilibrium ..