NEW DELHI: To make it convenient for general compartment passengers to buy food and water, the Railways has decided to locate the platform counters aligned to general coaches.

The Railway Board issued instructions to officials to make provision of economy meals and affordable packaged drinking water to be served through counters to be placed at the platform near general seating (GS) coaches, second class unreserved compartments.

The meals have been divided into two categories: type one includes seven pooris with dry potato and pickle for Rs 20, and type two meal that costs Rs 50 would have an assortment of food such as rice, rajma, chhole, khichdi kulche, bhature, pao-bhaji, and masala dosa. “The meals are to be supplied from the kitchen units (Refreshment Rooms and Jan Ahaars) of IRCTC,” the order stated.

The location of these counters would be decided by zonal railway so as to align them with the GS coaches on platforms.

As of now, this has been done on an experimental basis for six months at 51 stations, and 13 more were added from Thursday. Officials said this has been started for passenger convenience specially in these coaches which are often overcrowded.