Indian Railways to Expand Local Cuisine Offerings on Trains, Announces Minister

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed on Wednesday that a growing number of trains across India will soon feature local cuisines, customized to reflect the regions they travel through. This move builds on a pioneering trial launched by Southern Railways, which has already begun offering regional dishes on select services.

The announcement came during the Lok Sabha’s Question Hour, in response to concerns raised by DMK member Sumathy Thamizhachi Thangapandian. She pressed for South Indian cuisine to be included on Vande Bharat trains operating in Tamil Nadu and pointed out a communication challenge: pantry staff predominantly speaking Hindi has hindered passengers’ ability to convey their needs.

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Vaishnaw highlighted the Southern Railways experiment as a key step toward ensuring passengers can enjoy authentic local flavors. He confirmed that this initiative will extend nationwide, with trains traversing any region eastern, western, northern, or southern India set to offer the distinctive culinary delights of those areas. “More and more trains will be getting local cuisine,” he said, adding, “It is a continuous improvement process we are taking up to enhance the passenger experience.”