No non-veg service on Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat, pax can still carry: Rlys

A Railway official said that currently there are no other trains in the pipeline for Sattvik certification

The Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express recently obtained a 'Sattvik' certificate, becoming a fully-vegetarian train. This means that the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) does not prepare or serve any non-vegetarian food on the train.

The decision, which was announced a week ago, has generated mixed reactions on social media, with some users hailing the decision as the train sees a number of pilgrims travelling. Meanwhile, others said that the railways should provide both dietary options as it is a general-purpose train and not a special train.

Officials in the ministry of railways said that it had been in the works for a while as a lot of passengers had concerns about their food.

Amid several reports that said passengers cannot even board the train with non-vegetarian food anymore, senior ministry officials told Business Standard that there is no provision for prohibiting people from doing so.

"Our in-train preparation and serving areas are completely vegetarian, hence we got the Sattvik certificate. But we are not stopping anyone from carrying it, or even ordering on the train from external vendors which deliver directly to trains. Only in-train service of non-veg food from IRCTC will not be available on the route," the official said on condition of remaining anonymous.

The ministry had earlier said on social media that the move is a part of a larger initiative to turn trains bound for holy sites into fully-Sattvik trains. However, the official said that currently there are no other trains in the pipeline for Sattvik certification.

The certification is given by Sattvik Council of India, after a review of the cooking technique, kitchen, serving and storage, and the method of keeping items.