India
oi-Gaurav Sharma
Passengers
travelling
on
India’s
first
Vande
Bharat
sleeper
train
between
Howrah
and
Kamakhya
will
soon
have
non-vegetarian
food
choices
on
board.
Eastern
Railway
officials
have
confirmed
that
non-veg
dishes
are
likely
to
be
added
to
the
catering
menu
within
the
next
week.
The
move
comes
after
several
travellers
questioned
why
only
vegetarian
meals
were
being
served
on
the
overnight
service,
even
though
the
train
connects
West
Bengal
and
Assam-two
regions
where
fish
and
meat
are
central
to
everyday
cuisine.
The
train
operates
six
days
a
week
and
has
seen
strong
passenger
response
since
its
launch.
India’s
first
Vande
Bharat
sleeper
train
between
Howrah
and
Kamakhya
will
soon
include
non-vegetarian
food
options
on
its
catering
menu,
following
passenger
feedback
and
to
better
reflect
regional
food
habits.
The
train,
which
began
commercial
operations
in
January,
currently
serves
vegetarian
meals
but
will
add
non-veg
dishes
within
a
week.
Bharat
An
Eastern
Railway
official
told
PTI
that
the
menu
is
being
revised
to
better
match
passenger
preferences
and
regional
food
habits.
The
aim,
the
official
said,
is
to
ensure
a
more
inclusive
dining
experience
for
long-distance
travellers.
The
Vande
Bharat
sleeper
service
was
flagged
off
by
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
on
January
17
and
began
regular
commercial
operations
from
Kamakhya
station
in
Guwahati
on
January
22.
The
return
services
from
Howrah
started
a
day
later.
Railway
authorities
have
reiterated
that
onboard
catering
is
designed
to
reflect
local
flavours.
Assamese
dishes
are
served
on
departures
from
Kamakhya,
while
trains
originating
from
Howrah
feature
West
Bengal-inspired
cuisine.
Both
culinary
traditions
are
widely
known
for
their
non-vegetarian
offerings.
Non-vegetarian
meals
are
already
part
of
the
menu
on
other
premium
train
services,
including
the
Rajdhani
Express,
Shatabdi
Express
and
Vande
Bharat
day
trains.
