In a noteworthy development at the confluence of spiritual culture and national infrastructure, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has selected ISKCON Dwarka as an official associate in its endeavor to uplift the quality, purity, and uniformity of food served on Indian Railways.
As part of a newly inaugurated “Proof of Concept” (PoC) pilot project initiated last month, the Bapudham Motihari–Anand Vihar Amrit Bharat Express (Train Nos. 15567/15568) has begun serving meals prepared under the guidance and standards of ISKCON Dwarka. This marks a significant stride toward IRCTC’s vision of introducing standardized “branded meals” across the railway network. Through this initiative, ISKCON’s culinary discipline now stands alongside established global hospitality names such as Haldiram’s and Elior, heralding a new chapter in the evolution of railway catering in India.
The Ministry of Railways, which oversees a vast catering system providing more than 1.6 million meals daily, is presently undergoing a substantial reform aimed at enhancing hygiene, accountability, and overall passenger satisfaction. Central to this transformation is the objective of separating the process of cooking from the act of serving, thereby moving away from congested and operationally challenging onboard pantry arrangements. In an official communication, IRCTC stated: “In order to have a PARADIGM SHIFT in quality of meal services in trains and with an objective to have perceptible improvements in on-board catering services in trains, IRCTC has commenced meal trials in some select trains.”
During the present PoC phase, devotees from ISKCON Dwarka are preparing meals directly within the train pantry, ensuring scrupulous adherence to elevated standards of cleanliness and discipline. At this stage, no external transportation of food is involved, and the bhoga is cooked and duly offered within the train itself. This method serves as a practical demonstration that, even amidst operational constraints, prasādam can be prepared and offered with full consciousness, purity, and devotional attention while the train remains in motion.
The kitchen setup inside the train pantry where the bhoga is being prepared.
Devotees preparing bhoga inside the train pantry.
A devotee packing the prasadam plates to be distributed to the passengers.
For ISKCON, this collaboration signifies far more than a mere catering arrangement. It stands as a tangible affirmation of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s vision that prasādam should be made available to every section of society. Through cooperation with IRCTC, a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise, ISKCON is extending the principles of śaucam (cleanliness) and dayā (compassion) to the thousands of passengers who travel daily between Delhi and Bihar.
Encouraged by the initial execution of the project and early responses from passengers, IRCTC and ISKCON Dwarka have already begun to broaden the scope of this service. According to ISKCON Dwarka, the coming months will see the extension of prasādam services to three additional trains, along with the conversion of nine Jan Aahar Kendras at railway stations into Govinda Express food counters. This expansion will further strengthen the presence of standardized, ISKCON-prepared meals throughout the railway system.
The Amrit Bharat Express represents a newly introduced train category designed with the common traveler in mind, offering improved facilities and faster connectivity. By integrating ISKCON’s food service into these trains, the government is ensuring that pure, sanctified food becomes an accessible standard rather than an exclusive offering. Should passenger feedback from this pilot continue to remain favorable, this model is expected to be expanded across Indian Railways, potentially establishing prasādam as the benchmark for “branded meals” within the nation’s largest public transportation network.
For further information about ISKCON Dwarka, readers may visit their official website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
The original report and photographs on this partnership were published by The Indian Express and may be accessed through their platform here.
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