The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has released the food menu for passengers travelling on the Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper Express. The overnight service will offer a dinner menu featuring a selection of regional and traditional Indian dishes.
The menu includes rice, chapatis or parathas, dal, paneer or regional vegetarian dishes, and a chicken option for non-vegetarian passengers. Curd or buttermilk, packaged Indian sweets and other accompaniments will also be served.
What’s on the Dinner Menu?
According to the IRCTC menu, passengers can choose between jeera rice and plain rice. The bread options include three chapatis or two parathas. Yellow dal tadka or other varieties of dal will be available.
For the main course, vegetarian passengers can opt for paneer or a regional vegetable dish, while non-vegetarian passengers will have a chicken option. The meal will also include a cup of curd or a pack of buttermilk, along with packaged Indian sweets and pickle.
A cutlery kit and napkin will be provided. Salt and pepper will be available on request.
Vande Bharat Sleeper Route and Timings
The Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper Express began regular commercial operations on November 2, 2026. It is India’s second Vande Bharat Sleeper service, following the Howrah-Kamakhya route.
The train will cover approximately 760 km in nine hours and 20 minutes, with stops at Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad.
Train number 27421 will depart from Varanasi at 8:50 PM and reach New Delhi at 6:10 AM the following day. It will operate six days a week, except Fridays.
The return service, train number 27422, will leave New Delhi at 9:40 PM and arrive in Varanasi at 7:10 AM. It will operate six days a week, except Saturdays.
Ticket Prices
The train offers three classes of accommodation: Third AC, Second AC and First AC. The full journey fare from Varanasi to New Delhi is ₹1,915 for Third AC, ₹2,470 for Second AC and ₹3,030 for First AC.
The new service is aimed at improving overnight rail connectivity between Uttar Pradesh and the national capital while offering upgraded accommodation and onboard catering.
