You can soon enjoy non-veg food on Vande Bharat sleeper
What's the story
The Eastern Railway (ER) has announced that non-vegetarian food will soon be added to the menu of India's first Vande Bharat sleeper train, which runs between Howrah and Kamakhya. The announcement comes after passengers expressed concerns over the current vegetarian-only food offerings on the six-day-a-week overnight service. An ER official said, "Non-vegetarian food options are likely to be available in the menu of Vande Bharat sleeper train within about a week."
Service details
Train's launch and regional cuisine considerations
The train was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17, with its commercial operations starting from Kamakhya station in Guwahati on January 22. The Howrah service started the next day. The Railways had promised that the onboard food would reflect local Assamese and West Bengal cuisines, which are known for their non-vegetarian dishes including fish and meat.
Menu expansion
Non-veg options in other premium trains
Currently, non-vegetarian food is offered on other premium trains like Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, and Vande Bharat day trains. Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has assured that non-vegetarian options will be added to the Vande Bharat sleeper train menu. "People of both West Bengal and Assam are mostly non-vegetarian," Majumdar said, adding that Trinamool Congress was trying to politicize the issue.