Meat items banned, only vegetarian food on Vande Bharat Express; Railways' new policy

NEW DELHI: People travelling long distances in trains worry about the food they receive. There is no certainty of food provided from the train being healthy enough to be consumed. Many people have concerns about the preparation of non-vegetarian food in trains. Now, in a latest news, only vegetarian foods are being provided in the Vande Bharat Express, which runs from Delhi to Katra in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the first time in India that the railways are opting for only vegetarian food service in a train.

This train is mostly used by devotees heading for Mata Vaishno Devi temple pilgrimage. Along with the new move, passengers have also been banned from bringing non-vegetarian food on this train. This train has also been given Sattvik Certification under an agreement between the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and the Sattvik Council of India. Meat is also banned near the pantry compartment of the train.

With this move, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation aims to provide pure and sattvik food to the devotees and passengers alike. Accordingly, IRCTC has also announced that more trains operating on these routes will be given Sattvik certification. This initiative was started by the Sattvik Council of India in collaboration with IRCTC from 2021.