A passenger traveling on the Vande Bharat Express took to social media platform X to complain about the untidy condition of the semi-high speed train and questioned the lack of civic sense among Indians. A user who goes by the name Ashish Prakash on X wrote, “If this is the way you continue to clean trains, the days are not far when Vande Bharat will turn to shit. Most people in India do not follow civic sense,” remarked Ashwini Vaishnaw, who heads the railway department.
The post quickly went viral and prompted a response from the Indian Railways, which asked the passenger to share his PNR and mobile number for detailed enquiry.
“We are sorry for your experience. Please let us know your PNR and mobile number preferably through DM so that we can take immediate action. You can also share your concerns directly on RailMadad WhatsApp Bot,” the railways replied.
An image shared by a user, taken inside a train car, shows the space between two seats. The area near the metal bar under the seats appears somewhat dirty, with visible trash and stains.
“Dirty tables, dirty seats”
In a similar incident last month, another passenger complained about the poor condition of the Vande Bharat Express, claiming it had “dirty tables, dirty seats and inaccessible toilets”. The traveler shared photos showing “dirty tables, missing hand dryers, dangling wiring, stained seats and inaccessible toilets.”
“Today’s 20664 Vande Bharat is a different set than usual. It’s in a deplorable state. Seat backs dirty, tables dirty, accessible toilet inaccessible, hand dryers missing, dirty seats. What happened to the normal orange rakes and why is this supposedly flagship train so bad?” the passenger wrote, adding that the train was “less than two years old”.
In response to this complaint, Indian Railways clarified that the regular No. 59 rake was taken out for maintenance and temporarily replaced with spare No. 29 rake. “During the inspection, the interior was cleaned, a folding seat was present and hand dispensers and dryers were provided. The remaining deficiencies will be addressed this evening,” it said.
