Reports of overcharging for water bottles on trains and Railway stations often surface on social media. Recently, one such incident captured our attention when a passenger noticed a stall at the Vijayawada Railway Station allegedly overcharging passengers by selling packaged drinking water bottles at Rs 20, whereas the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) is clearly marked as Rs 15.
The eyewitnesses took to X and urged @RailMinIndia to look into the matter
The X user posted a picture of the stall at Vijaywada railway station and pointed out that it is charging 20/- rupees for a water bottle instead of the actual price that is Rs 15. The passenger made an estimation that if the vendor sells a daily average 1000 pc of bottles, this illegal pricing results in an excess collection of ₹5,000 every day, amounting to a serious daily profit from susceptible commuters.
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The user wrote,
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At Vijaywada railway station
This stall is charging water bottle 20/- rupee
As per rule its price 15 onlyHe is selling daily average 1000 pc of bottle
Per day extra curruption 5000 rupee
Please look in this
@RailMinIndia
At Vijaywada railway station
This stall is charging water bottle 20/- rupee
As per rule its price 15 onlyHe is selling daily average 1000 pc of bottle
Per day extra curruption 5000 rupee
Please look in this pic.twitter.com/feiWHDtLpu— VINOD KUMAR MODI CHENNAI (@Vinodmodi2022) May 11, 2025
The user Vinod Kumar Modi also tagged @RailwaySeva, @aajtak, @ABPNews, and @ANI, asking them about the action that should be taken against this malpractice.
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@RailMinIndia @RailwaySeva what action taken against him @aajtak @ABPNews @ANI
— VINOD KUMAR MODI CHENNAI (@Vinodmodi2022) May 16, 2025
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Railway Seva responded to his plea and asked the complainant to share more details in DM
They replied,
For necessary action escalated to the concerned official
@Drmvijayawada
We request you to please share Mobile No. with us preferably via DM so that immediate action can be taken on your complaint. You may also raise your concern directly on http://railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in or dial 139 for speedy redressal.
For necessary action escalated to the concerned official @Drmvijayawada
We request you to please share Mobile No. with us preferably via DM so that immediate action can be taken on your complaint. You may also raise your concern directly on https://t.co/JNjgaq11Jl or dial 139…— RailwaySeva (@RailwaySeva) May 11, 2025
When the user requested again to take the necessary action, Railways responded to him with a follow-up post notifying him that the complaint has been registered and the complaint number has been sent through SMS to the mobile number.
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Your complaint has been registered on RailMadad and complaint no. has been sent through SMS on your mobile no. You may track your complaint via this link https://t.co/5jRBcotw4J
— RailwaySeva (@RailwaySeva) May 11, 2025
What can you do if you face a similar situation?
Passengers are advised to,
- Always check the MRP before purchasing.
- Demand a bill or receipt for any purchase.
- Report overcharging to the railway authorities or use the Rail Madad app for filing complaints.
As per Indian Railways and consumer protection regulations, no stall inside railway premises is allowed to sell items above the printed MRP. Violations of Consumer Rights like this not only break the law but also exploit travelers, many of whom are unaware of their rights or reluctant to confront vendors.
Indian Railways must ensure strict monitoring and enforcement to prevent such malpractices and protect consumer rights at every station.
Have you ever been overcharged for a water bottle at the Railway station? Do share your experience in the comments.
