Kolkata

Non-vegetarian meals are set to be introduced soon on India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train running between Howrah and Kamakhya, an Eastern Railway (ER) official said on Tuesday.

Several passengers had raised concerns over the absence of non-vegetarian options on the new six-day-a-week overnight service. “We expect to include non-vegetarian dishes on the Vande Bharat sleeper train menu within about a week,” the official told PTI.

The train, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17, began regular operations from Kamakhya station in Guwahati on January 22, followed by the Howrah departure the next day. The Railways had initially designed the onboard menu to reflect local flavours—Assamese cuisine for trains departing Kamakhya and West Bengal cuisine for departures from Howrah. Both regional cuisines feature a strong presence of fish and meat dishes.

Non-vegetarian meals are already offered on other premium services, including Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, and Vande Bharat day trains.

Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar, said that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had assured him that non-vegetarian options would soon be added. Majumdar added that the current vegetarian menu was only an initial offering, and traditional meat and fish dishes from West Bengal and Assam would be included shortly.

ALSO READ: Padma Bhushan for Mammootty and Padma Shri for 4 more Muslims

He also suggested that political parties, particularly the Trinamool Congress, were attempting to politicize the issue, noting that the majority of people in both states consume non-vegetarian food.