IRCTC e-Pantry meal option: Here’s how to order breakfast, lunch or dinner on train | step-by-step guide
Kartavya Desk Staff
IRCTC e-Pantry meal option: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has recently introduced its e-Pantry meal booking service for passengers. At present, the facility is available on 25 Mail and Express trains. In the Mail and Express trains, the meals are not included in the ticket fare and the meals are to be purchased during the travel. According to IRCTC, the e-Pantry service is a digitally enabled solution to pre-book meals on select Mail and Express trains with pantry cars. “The recently introduced e-Pantry meal booking facility in Mail/Express Train with pantry cars is receiving overwhelming response from the passengers,” it said in a statement on Monday. ## IRCTC e-Pantry service Initially, the e-pantry service was introduced on the Vivek Express (Train Nos. 22503/04). “Since its phase wise introduction in April 2025, the response to the service has been very encouraging. More than 65000 meals have been booked through IRCTC e-pantry service. The Breakfast and Dinner meal registered booking of more than 17000 meals each and similarly Morning and Evening Tea saw booking of more than 8000 orders each. The lunch service also received more than 15000 orders during this period,” it added. The hospitality and tourism arm of Indian Railways also noted that in December 2025, meal bookings peaked at around 16,500 orders. Of these, nearly 8,300 orders were recorded on train number 12649–50/12629–30, the YPR Sampark Kranti Express. ## IRCTC e-Pantry booking: Step-by-Step guide The e-Pantry booking service has been integrated with IRCTC ticket booking platform (www.irctc.co.in). This facility allows passengers with confirmed, RAC, or partially confirmed tickets to pre-order standard meals and Rail Neer, delivered directly to their seats by pantry car staff. • Passengers can select the e-Pantry meal option during the booking process on the IRCTC website (www.irctc.co.in). • Select either from the confirmation page or under “My Transaction” section in “Booked Food History” section. • After booking, passengers receive a confirmation message and a Meal Verification Code (MVC) via SMS or email. • On the day of travel, passengers share the MVC with the vendor, who delivers the pre-ordered meal directly to their seat. The MVC is used to confirm that the meals are delivered to the correct passenger. • Payments are made online via digital payment methods. This will eliminate the need for cash transactions during travel. • If a meal is not delivered as per the booking, passengers are entitled to a refund. Cancellation and refund details are communicated through Email or SMS. “Now passengers can easily pre-book a Breakfast, Standard Meal Lunch/Dinner or Rail Neer online, ensuring meal delivery during their journey. All meal orders are managed through digital dashboards, ensuring greater transparency, accountability, and compliance with tax regulations,” IRCTC said in a statement. ### IRCTC E-Pantry Service: 25 Mail/Express Trains SN | Train no. & Name 1 | 22503-04, Vivek Express 2 | 12483-84, ASR-KochuveliExp 3 | 12561-62, JYG-NDLS, SwantraSenani Express 4 | 12817-18, HTE-ANVT Swarnajavanti Express 5 | 18237-38, KRBA-ASR Chhattisgarh Express 6 | 12791-92, SC-DNR Express 7 | 12889-90, TATA-SMVB Express 8 | 12987-88, AII-SDAH SF Express 9 | 12649-50/ 12629-30, Karnataka SamparkKrantiExp 10 | 12617-18, Mangladweep Express 11 | 18477-78, Kalinga Utkal Express 12 | 12779-80, Goa Vasco Express 13 | 12533-34, LJN-CSMT Pushpak Express 14 | 12925-26, MMCT ASR Paschim Express 15 | 11061-62, LTT-JYG Express 16 | 16345-46, LTT-TVC Netravati Express 17 | 12615-16NDLS-MAS Grand Trunk Express 18 | 12493-94, PUNE-NZM Darshan Express 19 | 20805-06, VSKP- NDLS AP Expres 20 | 12303-04/12381-82, HWH- NDLS Poorva Express 21 | 14005-06, ANVT-SMI Licchhvi Express 22 | 12129-30, PUNE-HWH Azad Hind Express 23 | 12919-20, INDB-SVDK Malwa Express 24 | 19483-84, Ahmedabad Barauni Express 25 | 12801-02, PURI-NDLS Purushottam Express Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors. Professional Journey Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance. In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com. Education & Expertise Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities: Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta Areas of Coverage Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks. ... Read More