If forgetting food for your baby in the mad rush to catch train sounds familiar, here's good news for those travelling from Tatanagar.

Pasteurised milk, essential baby food and even feeding bottles are now available at all the five platforms of the A-1 station under the Janani Seva initiative of the Indian Railways, which was launched on Thursday.

Station manager O.P. Sharma said that baby food products were being sold at authorised railway outlets to passengers travelling with infants and toddlers.

"Baby food is being sold at their MRP. Hot water and milk are also available at the outlets," he said.

South Eastern Railway (SER) had announced the launch of the new initiative by issuing a circular on Wednesday. According to the circular, Janani Seva is being implemented to fulfil Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu's budget (2016-17) commitment.

A senior official said that apart from Tatanagar, baby food would also be made available at Rourkela, Jharsuguda and Chakradharpur stations that fall under Chakradharpur division of SER.

"Santragachi and Shalimar stations under Kharagpur railway division also started selling baby food from today (Thursday)," said the SER official.

Dharmendra Kumar, a representative of the IRCTC-approved food joint on Platform One at Tatanagar, said they had ordered for adequate stocks of baby food. "We are confident that the sale of baby food will pick up once passengers come to know about it," he said.

An authorised railway catering vendor selling the products said it was a wise decision taken by Indian Railways to help thousands of mothers travelling in long-distance trains with infants.

"It is good that passengers will get baby food on all platforms. The new initiative needs publicity so that more passengers can avail of its benefits," said the vendor.

Chotanagpur Passenger Association also lauded the scheme of Indian Railways.

"It is an excellent initiative. Janani Seva is another addition to passenger amenities at Tatanagar. I am sure passengers will benefit from this," said A. Tiwary, a senior functionary of the outfit, adding that it should be properly implemented across all major railway stations.

Tatanagar, on Howrah-Mumbai main line, witnesses a daily footfall of over 50,000.