For those booking long-haul travel, Indian Railways has also streamlined their passenger-focused policies for passengers' travel at Indian Railways to avoid expensive consequences for travel hitches like delays. If you rely on high-end services like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, or Duronto Express, specific amenities are allowed you if the train is being run behind schedule.
The 2-Hour Rule: Free Meals for Premium Trains
Because catering charges are taken into the ticket price for premium trains (Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto), the Railways is obligated to provide food in the event of a delay of more than the allowed amount. Requirement: If the train experiences a 2-hour or greater delay, passengers must be served free refreshments.
Menu Variations: The type of the food served depends on the time of the delay:
- Early Morning/Evening: Tea or coffee with biscuits
- Breakfast Hours: Slices of bread (white or brown), butter, fruit juice tetra pack.
- Lunch/Dinner: For the full meal rice, dal, pickles and rajma/chole or 7 puris with mixed vegetable sabzi.
Mention of the critical incident If employees do not willingly provide these meals you do have the right to ask for them as per the
IRCTC Catering Policy
Rule 3: 100% Refund, TDR. Passengers who are late by more than 3 hours from their station of origination are entitled to cancel and claim at 100 per cent of the cost with no cancellation charge.
How to File a TDR Online:
You must get not simply a "cancel" of a late train (and it can cost you money) but a full refund of your ticket.
You have to File, though. Sign Up.
- You will need to log in by being logged on to the IRCTC site or mobile app. (Select ‘My Account,’ go to “My Transactions,” then “File TDR.”
- Choose PNR: Opt for a PNR for the delayed trip. RATIONALE: From the dropdown menu, choose the "Train Late More than Three Hours and Passenger Not Traveled" selection.
- Confirmation: We can only confirm it on submission that it is received as such.
Timeline of Refund
Upon filing TDR the Railway authorities will check the claim. The reimbursement is usually credited to the origin where the payment was made in 15 to 90 days.
Additional Amenities
Additional Wait Room: If passengers are suffering serious delays at stations, they can free to use the AC and non-AC waiting room at train stations.
Food Stalls on Track: Stalls serving food for railway station personnel are traditionally advised to be open for more hours in the case of heavy and foggy seasons (such as Jan-Feb 2026) in anticipation of night rush. Well-informed travellers are like the best buffer against late train stress. Next time you’ve encountered a delay here, don’t take for granted it’s not a favor, it’s your rights.
