Indian Railways has cleared the best way for premium single-brand meals chains comparable to McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, Baskin Robbins, Haldiram’s and Bikanerwala to open their branded shops inside railway stations. 

The change comes by means of an replace to the Catering Coverage, 2017, which introduces a brand new class referred to as Premium Model Catering Outlet.

Till now, railway stations already hosted a mixture of catering models, together with refreshment rooms, meals plazas, quick meals models and e-catering companions, however the “catering stall” section itself consisted solely of tea stalls, milk bars and juice bars.

The brand new class now formally expands this section to incorporate premium model shops because the fourth kind of stall, making a structured mechanism for well-known branded chains to function instantly inside station premises.

A round issued on 13 November 2025 states that these shops might be allotted solely by means of the prevailing e-auction system. No direct or nomination-based allotments might be permitted. Every licence will run for a five-year time period, in keeping with different catering models.

The Minimal Licence Payment and different monetary phrases will proceed to be ruled by the present pointers below the Catering Coverage. Railway zones can approve these branded shops solely the place justified by passenger demand and sufficient area availability.

The brand new class is not going to disturb current reservations for SC, ST, OBC communities, freedom fighters, their widows or households displaced on account of railway land acquisition. Zonal groups are anticipated to evaluation station structure, business areas and demand earlier than inviting bids.

The replace follows a proposal from South Central Railway, which had beneficial permitting well-known meals chains at stations. The Railway Board has now built-in that proposal into the broader catering framework to convey a structured system for premium shops whereas protecting quota-based classes intact.

Greater than 1,200 stations are in numerous phases of redevelopment throughout the nation. Massive hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and different cities are creating new business zones, which can make it potential to host these single-brand shops. Zones are anticipated to prioritise stations the place demand and area situations are most possible, primarily based on assessments carried out earlier than bidding.

IRCTC at present serves greater than 10 lakh meals a day throughout the community. The brand new premium shops will function alongside current companies and broaden meals decisions for passengers, particularly at main stations the place the business ecosystem is extra developed.