In a move that has left daily commuters dismayed, the Central Railways has decided to legalize the presence of hawkers inside trains. The decision has sparked a wave of concern among passengers, who are already grappling with the daily struggle of navigating crowded trains during peak hours. The decision to grant licenses to hawkers, aimed at regularising the informal economy within the railway system, has been met with scepticism by the very commuters it seeks to serve. 

A senior Central Railways official stated, “The licensee will be allowed to sell consumable items (allowed only in suburban trains) like packaged food items, beverages, snacks, packed pre-cut and peeled raw vegetables and fruits, etc. and non-consumables like travel-related products, mobile or laptop accessories, stationery products and newspapers, magazines and books. All trains and all classes of mail, express and passenger trains, except premium trains like Mahanagri, Rajdhani and Duranto Express across the Mumbai Division of CR have permitted the vending of various miscellaneous items, excluding food items.”