The onboard meal selection on the Howrah–Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper Express has been amended by the Indian Railway Corporation with the addition of non-veg food to the menu, which will be available as part of the ticket purchase. This adjustment follows shortly on from the commercial operation of the train, which commenced on January 22nd, as a result of passenger demand and feedback.
Initially, the food offering onboard was prepared by IRCTC in conjunction with the Mayfair Spring Valley Resort in Guwahati and consisted of a vegetarian menu featuring traditional Bengali and Assamese dishes including basanti pulao, joha rice, dal, and sweets.
Why the Change? Passenger Push & Political Reaction
After the launch of the menu many complaints were posted from passengers and complaints of political nature; non-veg food is commonly eaten in both these areas (West Bengal and Assam). The ruling party, the Trinamool Congress, expressed their dissatisfaction with the vegetarian-only offering and stated that providing no non-veg choices was inconsiderate to the local community.
What’s new on the plate?
The current offering of food consists of a vast majority of vegetarian dishes, although passengers now also have access to chicken-based dishes (both Bengali as well as Assamese-style) in addition to all the existing vegetarian options. During the ticketing process, passengers now have the option to request chicken or vegetarian meals, giving them more choices in the food they consume.
Railway’s Aim
Indian Railways’ management has come up with this new announcement with the intention of making their service more inclusive of the many different types of food that are available along the route. This will help improve the quality of service offered to their customers and increase the overall satisfaction of long-distance travelers.
Continuing the Move Towards a Passenger-Oriented Focus
The Vande Bharat Sleeper Train will be used to gauge the success of future luxury sleeper trains that operate overnight throughout the country. The feedback received on the quality of the food served on the train, how many varieties of food were available and how well the service was provided will be tracked and possibly used to develop the menus of these other sleeper Vande Bharat services that will operate in the coming years. This updated menu demonstrates how much Indian Railways has worked to make improvements to their service and to provide their customers with more comfortable options as well as a choice of where they’re going.
