After facing a backlash on taking an exorbitant service charge on tea being served in one of the premium trains, the Indian Railways has finally removed the on-board service charges on all meals and beverages that are not pre-ordered on premium trains. And the prices of tea and coffee will be the same for all passengers who have pre-booked it or ordered those on the train, and will see no increase in the rates.
The directives have come against the backdrop of a tweet by The Pioneer journalist Deepak Kumar Jha, on June 30. The tweet, which had gone viral, cited the resentment within passengers who had to pay `50 service charge for a `20 cup of tea on-board the express trains making the price of a cup of tea to `70.
