If you think only online companies are giving away festive season offers then this news is surely a must read for you. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), in an absolutely first-of-its-kind initiative, has brought a Navratri treat for travellers. The IRCTC, a subsidiary of the Indian Railways that handles the catering, tourism and online ticketing operations, in its recent announcement has said that it will be offering Navratri special food to Indian Railways passengers. IRCTC said that the option of Navratri special fast food will be available through the e-catering website – ecatering.irctc.co.in or on the ‘Food on Track’ app. The Railways' catering arm said that keeping in mind the ritualistic fast observed by many during the festival, it has been decided to introduce them in its menu from October 10-18.

The Navratri special thalis will consist of satvik diet such as sabudana, sendha namak, kuttu ka atta, and certain vegetables. “This year IRCTC, in a bid to make train travel during this time of the year less of a hassle, is offering 'vrat ka khana' as a part of its e-catering menu,” the IRCTC statement said. However, the special meals will be available through select restaurants and at some select stations of the Indian Railways network. As on date, it will be available at Nagpur, Ambala, Jaipur, Itarsi, Jhansi, Nasik, Ratlam, Daund, Mathura, Nizamuddin and Lucknow, the IRCTC statement added further.

It is also to be kept in mind that the orders can be placed at least two hours before scheduled journey time with a valid PNR and passengers may opt to pre-pay or pay on delivery, based on convenience.

Indian Railways, over the recent past, has been working aggressively towards enhancing the quality of the food served in trains and at railway stations. IRCTC has also tied up with several hyperlocal food delivery platforms to serve customers with quality food and has also build stalls on railway stations to also sell food on platforms. In order to protect travellers of being overcharged by vendors for food items on trains, IRCTC has rolled out its ‘Menu on Rails’ app and website, which lists the MRP (Maximum Retail Price) of all food items.