A recent social media post showing the filthy condition of a Vande Bharat Express coach has stirred up outrage online, causing Indian Railways to respond quickly. The incident came into the limelight when a passenger named Ashish Prakash shared a photograph on X of litter and stains beneath the seats of a Vande Bharat train.
He posted the photo on X, writing, " If this is the way you keep cleaning trains days are not far when Vande Bharat is going to turn into s**t. Most people India don’t follow civic sense." and tagged Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the post.
Visible dirt and trash near the metal bar below the seats showed that cleanliness and upkeep of the passengers are certainly lacking. The post went viral within no time and generated mixed reactions, with some blaming the passengers for poor civic behaviour, while others questioned the maintenance standards of India's premium semi-high-speed train.
Indian Railways responds
In response, the official Indian Railways handle issued an apology for the passenger's experience and sought details for further action. "We regret the experience you had. Please share your PNR number and mobile no. preferably via DM to enable us to take immediate action. You may also raise your concern directly on RailMadad WhatsApp Bot", the reply read.
Also Read | WATCH | ‘Mera purse chahiye’: Furious woman smashes train window as child watches, video sparks outrage
Earlier complaint over poor maintenance
This is not the first time cleanliness concerns have been raised about the Vande Bharat Express. As per the report by Mint, in a similar case last month, another passenger reported that the train had dirty tables, soiled seats, and inaccessible toilets, sharing images of stained interiors and damaged fixtures. The passenger wrote, “Today's 20664 Vande Bharat is a different set than usual. It's in a pathetic condition. Seatbacks are filthy, tables dirty, accessible toilet inaccessible, hand dryers missing, seats soiled. What happened to the normal Orange rake, and why is this supposedly flagship train so bad?” the passenger wrote, adding that the train is “less than two years old.”
At the time, the Railways had explained that regular Rake No. 59 had been sent for maintenance and was temporarily replaced with Spare Rake No. 29. The officials said, “During inspection, interior cleaning was done, seat recliners attended, and hand dispensers and dryers provided. Remaining deficiencies will be addressed tonight.”
