Passenger discovers a ₹50 service charge for a ₹20 cup of tea on Shatabdi Express

A passenger aboard a Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Bhopal posted a picture on Twitter that showed a receipt of the tea he had bought onboard the train. Interestingly, the photo revealed a ₹50 service charge for a cup of tea that cost ₹20. The total receipt for ₹70 caught the passenger by surprise and has consequently gone viral on the internet.

While the food on flights has always been expensive, food on trains is subsidised for the common man, to make it more affordable. However, a 2018 circular by the Indian Railways states that a passenger who does not select or opt for catering services at the time of booking the ticket, will be levied a service charge of ₹50 per meal, if they decide to buy a meal during the journey. Especially with trains such as Rajdhani and Shatabdi, a service charge of ₹50 is applicable even if the passenger is only ordering tea, or coffee.

The passenger, who was unaware of the circular, much like most passengers, was understandably bemused. Taking a veiled dig at the authorities, he mentioned in his post how a ₹50 charge on an item costing ₹20 was indicative of the ‘change’ sweeping the nation, analogous to the change in the nation’s history.


There was a time when food on trains such as the Rajdhani and Shatabdi was complimentary, but now passengers can opt out of these meals, and save on their total fare. Except for the service charge of course, when they eventually order ad-hoc.