IRCTC No Food: Major Change in IRCTC Ticket Booking! ‘No Food’ Option Vanishes, Is Food Mandatory on Trains?

IRCTC No Food: A new and controversial update in the Indian Railways’ ticket booking system has become a cause for concern for many passengers. For long-distance trains like Duronto, Vande Bharat, and Rajdhani Express, the cost of food is typically included in the ticket fare. Until recently, passengers could opt out of meals by selecting the ‘No Food’ option during booking. However, IRCTC has recently removed this convenient option, leading to confusion and frustration among travellers.

Where Did the Food Option Go?

Previously, while booking tickets on the IRCTC website, the food preference list was displayed directly under the Passenger Details section. Along with options like Veg, Non-Veg, and Jain Meal, there was a clear ‘No Food’ alternative. Passengers could select this to exclude the catering charges from their total ticket fare.

For instance, the ticket fare for the Howrah to SMVT Bengaluru Duronto Express is approximately ₹1600, which includes a catering charge of around ₹490-₹500. Many passengers prefer to carry their own food or do not require railway meals. They could easily save this amount by choosing the ‘No Food’ option. Now, that direct option is gone, forcing passengers to mandatorily pay for the food.

The New Rule and Its Problem

Although the direct ‘No Food’ option has been removed, a hidden alternative exists on the website. Under the ‘Other Preferences’ section, there is a checkbox labelled ‘I don’t want food’. However, this comes with a major catch.

• The Problem: If you select this option, the meal service will be cancelled for all passengers under that single PNR.
• Example: Previously, if there were six passengers on one PNR, you could order food for three and opt out for the other three. Now, it’s an all-or-nothing choice: either everyone takes the food, or no one gets it.

It is speculated that the railway authorities might have made this change suspecting that some passengers were ordering fewer meals and sharing them. However, this has significantly increased the inconvenience for genuine passengers.

The Plight of App Users

The biggest issue is that this new ‘I don’t want food’ option is not available on the official IRCTC mobile app or other popular railway apps like RailYatri. On these platforms, users can only select their meal preference (Veg/Non-Veg). This means that those who book tickets through mobile apps have no way to opt out of the meal service. They are compulsorily charged for food.

With no official announcement from the Railways about this change, many passengers remain unaware. As a result, even those who do not need railway catering are being forced to spend extra money.