New Delhi: Passengers on the proposed Vande Bharat Express between Delhi and Katra, near the Vaishno Devi shrine, will only be served vegetarian food, ThePrint has learnt.
The train, which is India’s fastest and is expected to cut travel time on the route from over 12 hours to eight hours, will host a vegetarian menu keeping in mind the faith of pilgrims expected to take the journey, a source in the Union Railway Ministry told ThePrint.
Vaishno Devi, located at the Trikuta or “three-peaked” mountain in Jammu & Kashmir, is one of the holiest places of Hindu pilgrimage. The deity, known as “Moonh Maangi Muradein Poori Karne Wali Mata” or the goddess who grants any wish made by her devotees, draws lakhs every year — nearly 85 lakh visited last year alone.
A special menu is being prepared for the train by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the source added.
According to the source, the train is likely to be given the green signal as soon as normalcy is restored in Jammu & Kashmir, which has been under severe restrictions since the abrogation of Article 370 in August.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety has already given his consent to start the train, the source added.
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Menu to change on existing route too
The engine-less Vande Bharat Express was launched in February, and has a capacity to hit speeds of up to 160 km/h where tracks permit, though the operating speed is lower.
Its maiden route serves the distance between Delhi and Varanasi. Sources in the ministry said the menu on this train will be changed as well after a passenger survey suggested a demand for Indian food as opposed to the continental fare currently on offer.
The food items served on the Vande Bharat Express are supplied by five-star hotels, which makes each meal costlier by Rs 150 than the one served on the Rajdhani Express.
On the new menu, the source said, items such as doughnuts, chocolate bars, cutlets, cookies, and vegetarian quiche are likely to be replaced with poha, uttapam, and bread pakoda. The non-veg menu is likely to include omelettes and cutlets.
New Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat will run five days a week
It was reported earlier this year that the proposed Vande Bharat Express is likely to run between New Delhi and Katra five days a week: From New Delhi to Katra, it will start 6 am and reach 2 pm, while undertaking the return journey between 3 pm and 11 pm.
There will be three stops — at Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana and Jammu Tawi stations.
During the journey, the train will change speed twice. From Delhi to Ludhiana, it will run at a speed of 130 km/h, and between Ludhiana and Katra at 75 km/h.
This train will have 16 chair-car coaches with 1,128 seats. Fares are likely to be fixed at Rs 1,600/seat in 14 regular coaches, and Rs 3,000/seat in two coaches of executive chair.
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