Passenger pays Rs 70 for a cup of tea on Shatabdi Express, Indian Railways explains why

An Indian Railways passenger was surprised when he was charged Rs 70 for a cup of tea.
Passenger pays Rs 70 for a cup of tea on Shatabdi Express, Indian Railways explains why

Passenger pays Rs 70 for a cup of tea on Shatabdi Express, Indian Railways explains why

Photo : Twitter
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The passenger was travelling on the Bhopal Shatabdi train on June 28
  • He was charged Rs 70 for a cup of tea
  • A photo of the bill has gone viral on social media
An Indian Railways passenger was surprised when he was charged Rs 70 for a cup of tea.
Yes, you read that right!
Rs 70 for just ek pyaali chai.
The passenger was travelling on the Bhopal Shatabdi train running between Delhi and Bhopal on June 28 when he ordered a cup of tea.
A photo of two tax invoices for one tea each has gone viral on Twitter.
The bill mentions the cost of one cup of tea as Rs 20 on which a service charge of Rs 50 is added.
"GST of Rs 50 on tea worth Rs 20. Altogether, a tea is worth Rs 70. Isn't it an amazing loot?" the passenger wrote.
Netizens corrected the user, saying that it was not GST but a service charge.
According to Indian Railway officials, the passenger was not charged any extra money.
As per a 2018 circular by Indian Railways, if a passenger did not book any means while making reservations in Rajdhani, Shatabdi or Duronto trains, they would have to pay a service charge of Rs 50 for ordering food - even if it is just a cup of tea.
Earlier, food services were mandatory on trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi. They were made optional later - and passengers who did not want meals during the journey would have to pay just for the ticket.
End of Article