New Delhi: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw directed Indian Railways to introduce local cuisine on Vande Bharat trains, saying the move would enhance passenger experience by reflecting the culture and tastes of different regions.
Vaishnaw issued the directive during a review meeting with senior railway officials at Rail Bhawan on Friday. Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu was also present at the meeting.
The Union Minister said serving regional food on Vande Bharat services would make train journeys more enjoyable for passengers. He said the initiative would start with Vande Bharat trains and would be expanded progressively to other trains in the future.
He added that Indian Railways should focus on improving service quality while keeping passenger comfort at the centre of reforms. Officials were asked to plan the rollout in a phased manner, ensuring consistency and quality across regions.
The Union Minister also reviewed the progress of reforms in the railway ticketing system. He noted that the crackdown on ticket booking through fake identities had started yielding positive results.
According to officials, after the introduction of a stringent identity verification system to detect fake user IDs, about 5,000 new genuine user IDs were now being created daily on the IRCTC website. Earlier, the number of new user IDs had risen to nearly one lakh per day due to misuse.
Ashwini Vaishnaw reviews IRCTC crackdown on fake IDs
During the review, officials informed the minister that Indian Railways had already deactivated 3.03 crore fake IRCTC accounts. In addition, another 2.7 crore user IDs had either been temporarily suspended or identified for suspension due to suspicious activities.
Vaishnaw and Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu directed officials to continue strengthening safeguards against misuse. They said the ticketing system must reach a level where genuine travellers could book tickets easily using verified user IDs.
The ministers said reforms should ensure fairness and transparency in ticket bookings. They also stressed that technology-driven solutions must support ordinary passengers and prevent manipulation of the system.
Officials said further improvements were underway to streamline the booking process and protect the interests of genuine users, while maintaining robust checks against fraud.
