Vande Bharat Food: Menu, Charges and Meal Options

Meals are one of the biggest variables in a Vande Bharat Express ticket. On some routes the meal is close to a quarter of the CC fare, so it is worth deciding before you book. This page shows the real catering charge on popular Vande Bharat trains, how to add or skip food, where to find the official menu and what to do if something goes wrong.

How meals work on Vande Bharat

1. Choose while booking. On IRCTC, after adding passengers, you pick a meal option or No Food. The fare updates to match.
2. Meals are served at your seat. Staff serve the meals on board, and they come to you. Which meals you get depends on the time of day the train runs.
3. Chose No Food but want a meal later? Log in to IRCTC, open Booked Ticket History, select your ticket and click Opt Meal, then pay for the meal. Source: IRCTC
4. Changed your mind on board? Since February 2025, passengers who chose No Food can buy ready-to-eat meals on board, and cooked meals if available. Food is not sold after 9 pm. Report: The Hans India

Vande Bharat Express food charges by route

Catering charge per person from IRCTC’s fare breakdown, checked 11 November 2026. GST is included in the catering charge.

The charge depends on how many meals the journey covers, so it differs even between Vande Bharat trains on the same route: the morning 22436 from New Delhi charges ₹363 in CC, while the afternoon 22416 charges ₹307. The EC meal costs ₹33 to ₹61 more than the CC meal on the same train.

How much does No Food save?

Choosing No Food removes the catering charge from the fare. Here is what it does to the CC fare on popular Vande Bharat trains (IRCTC, 11 November 2026):

For a family of four on the Howrah–Puri Vande Bharat Express in CC, the meals add ₹1,452 to the booking. On Mumbai–Goa they add only ₹624. Work out your own figure with the Vande Bharat food cost calculator.

The meal is a smaller share in EC, because the EC base fare is much higher: on Howrah–Puri the EC meal of ₹418 is about 16% of the ₹2,665 fare.

How to choose or skip food on IRCTC

When you book a Vande Bharat train on IRCTC, the meal choice appears on the passenger details page. Choose a meal or No Food for the booking. The fare shown on the review page already includes your choice, so check it before paying.

If you are not sure, you can book with No Food and decide later. Before the journey, open Booked Ticket History on IRCTC, pick the ticket and use Opt Meal to add meals and pay for them. On board, if you have No Food, you can still buy ready-to-eat meals until 9 pm.

Vande Bharat food menu

IRCTC publishes the menu and rates for each train and class. To see what is served on your Vande Bharat train:

1. Open the IRCTC train-wise menu and rates.
2. Search for your train number, for example 22895.
3. Check the menu for your class (CC or EC) and meal slot.

Menus differ from train to train, so check your own train rather than relying on a general list. Vande Bharat trains run at different times of day: some leave before 06:00 and others in the afternoon, so the meal slots you get depend on your train.

Is food included in the Vande Bharat ticket?

On Chair Car trains, only if you choose a meal while booking. If you select No Food, nothing is served and the fare is lower.

On Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, food is included in the fare, according to the Ministry of Railways. IRCTC’s fare breakdown for the Delhi–Varanasi Sleeper (27422) shows no separate catering charge: 3A costs ₹1,915 in total, made up only of base fare and GST. Source: PIB, January 2026

Vegetarian food on Vande Bharat

Most Vande Bharat trains offer the menu IRCTC lists for that train. On the Delhi–Katra Vande Bharat Express (22439/22440), only vegetarian food is served. Reports differ on whether passengers may carry non-vegetarian food on that train, so keep to vegetarian food there. On other Vande Bharat trains, we found no railway rule against carrying your own food.

Complaints about food or hygiene

If there is a problem with the quantity, quality or hygiene of the food, report it while you are still on the train so it can be acted on:

• Rail Madad: the official Indian Railways complaint service, at railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in or the Rail Madad app.
• Helpline 139: the Indian Railways passenger helpline.

Keep your PNR, coach and seat number ready. A complaint with the train number, coach (for example C4 or E1) and time is much easier to act on.

Vande Bharat food FAQs

Is food free in Vande Bharat? No. On Chair Car trains, the meal is optional and its price is added to your fare when you choose it. On Sleeper trains, food is included in the fare.

How much does food cost in Vande Bharat Express? ₹156 to ₹433 per person, depending on the train and class (IRCTC, November 2026).

Is food included in Vande Bharat Sleeper? Yes. The Ministry of Railways says food is included in the Vande Bharat Sleeper fare, and there is no separate catering charge.

Can I bring my own food on Vande Bharat? We found no railway rule against carrying your own food. On the Delhi–Katra Vande Bharat (22439/22440), only vegetarian food is served, so keep to vegetarian food on that train.

Where can I see the Vande Bharat food menu? On the IRCTC menu and rates site, searched by train number.

What if I chose No Food but want a meal? Before travel, add it on IRCTC under Booked Ticket History → Opt Meal. On board, you can buy ready-to-eat meals until 9 pm.

Is the EC meal different from the CC meal? The EC meal costs ₹33 to ₹61 more than the CC meal on the same Vande Bharat train. Check the menu for each class on the IRCTC menu site.

Sources

Meal charges and fares: IRCTC fare enquiry, 11 November 2026. IRCTC train-wise menus · IRCTC: Opt Meal after booking · On-board food purchase (The Hans India) · Sleeper food included (PIB) · Rail Madad. Report a correction.