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The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC), a Navratna company under the Ministry of Railways, is improving onboard food and travel services for rail passengers. As the professional hospitality and tourism arm of Indian Railways, IRCTC works to make train journeys more comfortable and enjoyable.

IRCTC has enhanced the meal services on the newly introduced Howrah–Kamakhya Junction and Kamakhya Junction–Howrah Sleeper Vande Bharat Express. The train connects two culturally rich and important cities and aims to offer a better travel experience through improved comfort and quality food.

The move focuses on giving passengers fresh, regional, and tasty meals during their journey.

The Vande Bharat Sleeper Train has been designed to offer a blend of speed, comfort and advanced safety for long-distance overnight journeys. Capable of reaching a maximum speed of 180 kmph, the train consists of 16 coaches, including 11 Third AC, four Second AC and one First AC coach. It has a total passenger capacity of 823 berths.

The train is equipped with state-of-the-art safety systems, including the Kavach anti-collision system, emergency talk-back facility, fire doors, automatic fire detection systems and advanced driver safety features. Centralised monitoring and CCTV surveillance further enhance passenger security.

Modern amenities onboard include smart automatic doors, smooth coach-to-coach movement, regenerative braking, UV-C disinfection systems and enhanced cleanliness standards, offering passengers a premium travel experience.

The Sleeper Vande Bharat Express is designed to operate during nighttime travel. The system provides a better travel experience through its comfortable seats and enhanced passenger services. The train system delivers its goal to provide smoother and more comfortable experiences during extended travel.

Now, food services have also been upgraded. IRCTC has added special regional dishes to the onboard menu. These meals are inspired by the traditional food of Northeast India and Bengal.

Passengers can enjoy authentic Assamese preparations along with popular Bengali dishes. This helps travellers feel connected to the local culture while they travel.

Recently, chicken-based non-vegetarian meals have also been added to the menu. This new option has been warmly welcomed by passengers. Many travellers are happy to have more choices in their meals.

The new menu focuses on both taste and variety. IRCTC is serving:

By offering both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, IRCTC wants to serve all types of passengers. This step also promotes the rich food culture of the region.

Officials say that better meals lead to better passenger satisfaction. Good food makes long journeys more pleasant and comfortable.

With these improvements, the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express is setting a new benchmark for onboard hospitality in Indian Railways.

Even before these meal upgrades, the train had already seen strong demand.

Earlier, the first commercial run of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express on the Howrah–Kamakhya route received an overwhelming response. Tickets in all classes were fully booked within hours of opening.

Bookings began on January 19 at 8 am through PRS and other authorised platforms. In less than a day, seats in both directions were sold out. This showed that passengers were eager for a faster and more comfortable overnight train service.

The train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17 from Malda Town.

The Kamakhya–Howrah service (train number 27576) started its commercial run from January 22. The Howrah–Kamakhya service (train number 27575) began operations from January 23.

Train number 27575 runs on all days except Thursday, while train number 27576 operates on all days except Wednesday.

During its journey, the Vande Bharat Sleeper halts at 13 stations. These stops help connect many towns and cities along the way.

The train stops at:

These stoppages improve travel options for passengers across West Bengal and the Northeast.

The new meal service and strong booking response show that passengers want better comfort and quality services in trains.

By combining faster travel, comfortable sleeper coaches, and regional food, IRCTC is trying to make rail journeys more enjoyable.

The Howrah–Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper is not just about speed. The project aims to create an enjoyable and fulfilling travel experience for its passengers.

The Vande Bharat service has emerged as the preferred option for overnight travel because of its improved hospitality and superior services.