Good News! Central Railway Withdraws Proposed Food Price Hike At Mumbai Stations; Vada Pav To Continue At ₹13

Mumbai: In a major relief for lakhs of daily commuters and railway passengers, Central Railway has withdrawn its proposed hike in food prices at station stalls just a day after the revised rates triggered criticism over rising costs.

Railway authorities confirmed that the earlier rates will continue until further notice, effectively putting on hold the proposed increase in prices of popular snacks such as vada pav and samosas.

The now-withdrawn revision was scheduled to come into effect from June 1. Under the proposal, the price of vada pav was set to rise sharply from Rs 13 to Rs 20, while samosas were also to become costlier from Rs 12 to Rs 20.

Other food items that were expected to see a hike included ragda pav, bhel and pav-based snacks.

As per the proposed revised menu:

- Vada Pav: Rs 13 to Rs 20

- Samosa: Rs 12 to Rs 20

- Ragda Pav: Rs 20 to Rs 25

- Pav: Rs 3 to Rs 5

- Ragda/Usal with one Pav: Rs 20 to Rs 25

- Sukha Bhel: Rs 20 to Rs 25

- Chutney Bhel: Rs 25 to Rs 30

Officials clarified that there was no proposed increase in the prices of juices or soda-based products. The rollback comes amid growing concerns over inflation and the increasing cost of travel-related expenses for ordinary commuters in Mumbai and surrounding regions.

Railway officials had earlier said the revision was being implemented on the lines of Western Railway, which had revised food stall prices in 2025 after an earlier revision in 2021. The revised menu was also expected to introduce new food items at station stalls, including dosa, noodles, soup, slush drinks and cream-filled donuts.

However, the move had drawn criticism from members of the catering association and commuter groups. A catering association representative alleged that railway authorities were discouraging the sale of affordable local loose food products such as chana, peanuts, chikki and milkshakes in favour of branded packaged products.

He claimed branded food items are often significantly more expensive and may not always offer better quantity or quality compared to locally sold alternatives. The association had also warned that higher food prices at railway stations could disproportionately affect lower-income passengers, who form a major portion of Mumbai’s suburban railway commuters.

For now, commuters travelling through Central Railway stations can continue purchasing food items at the existing rates until any further official announcement.