Indian Railways Responds After Passenger Finds Insect In Food Served On Vande Bharat Train

Indian railways have long been a remarkable feature of our nation. Millions of people use the vast public transportation system every day. Notably, during recent years, there have been noticeable advancements that have improved travel efficiency, comfort, speed, and safety.

Indian Railways is renovating into modern hubs with improved amenities, and in addition to passenger and freight trains, it has launched some luxury high-speed trains, including the Vande Bharat Express and Tejas Express.

However, problems including congestion, uneven service quality, and safety worries keep hurting Indian Railways’ reputation. Although its subsidiary IRCTC is trying to improve a lot by introducing new policies and services, some problems are still plaguing the whole system. Problems related to onboard meals often attract so much attention on social media. In a similar kind of incident, a passenger recently found an incident in an onboard meal on the Vande Bharat train. Indian Railways has also reacted to the incident.

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A passenger found an insect inside the meal on the Vande Bharat train

The Indian Railways’ flagship train, the Vande Bharat Express, recently gained headlines but for all the wrong reasons. Recently, a traveler made an unsettling complaint over the onboard meal.

Expressing his frustration, the passenger shared a photo of a black insect’s corpse floating in the “daal” that was provided in an aluminum container on X. According to the tweet, the incident took place on the New Delhi Vande Bharat Express on July 22. In his tweet, the passenger wrote,

Insect found in food during journey in vande Bharat train dated 22 july 2025 : Train no 22440 c3 53 seat No

Have a look at the original post:

Insect found in food during journey in vande Bharat train dated 22 july 2025 : Train no 22440 c3 53 seat No pic.twitter.com/8ByCVPA67R

— Hardik panchal (@HARDIK1008) July 22, 2025

After this, he also shared the video of the meal served on the train.

@eCateringIRCTC ,@indianrailway__ @RailMinIndia ,@AshwiniVaishnaw, @IRCTCofficial https://t.co/5n9pSr9UpX pic.twitter.com/09PrxWw5qk

— Hardik panchal (@HARDIK1008) July 22, 2025

How did Indian Railways react to the incident?

After seeing that the controversy is getting bigger, the official X account of Indian Railways, RailwaySeva, issued an official apology. The Indian Railways wrote,

We regret inconvenience! Please share details PNR and mobile no. You may also raise your concern directly on https://railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in for speedy redressal.

We regret inconvenience! Please share details PNR and mobile no. You may also raise your concern directly on https://t.co/AmJ5X4ydf8 for speedy redressal.

— RailwaySeva (@RailwaySeva) July 22, 2025

Soon after this, the official Twitter account of IRCTC also reacted to the incident, stating,

Sir, Inconvenience caused to you is deeply regretted. The matter has been viewed very seriously, and punitive action has been taken against the service provider. An official has already been deputed to ensure corrective action in the matter.

Sir,

Inconvenience caused to you is deeply regretted. The matter has been viewed very seriously and punitive action has been taken against the service provider. An official has already been deputed to ensure corrective action in the matter.

— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) July 23, 2025

How did netizens react to the incident?

The picture quickly went viral and provoked harsh criticism of the cleanliness and food quality of what is considered to be one of India’s top train services.

Have a look at some of the reactions:

The sad truth is food in all indian trains is substandard and unhygienic . No two thoughts about it.

— K Anil Roy (@Kanilroy3) July 23, 2025

The food quality needs a major rejig.. considering the rising number of complaints of late..@AshwiniVaishnaw

— Abhigyan (@Abhigya16681786) July 24, 2025

Yuck… Kudos to you! ट्रेन इतनी हिलती है, कोई भी उसे जीरा समझ के खा जाता 🤮

— Mr Sharma (@sharma_views) July 24, 2025

stop crying and defaming India. This is extra protein. @eCateringIRCTC is thoughtful.

— Bandkhor Future Aamdaar A 🇮🇳 (@AdvanceDexter) July 24, 2025

Atleast there is some accountability now with the Railways responding to complaints which in the earlier regime was not existent. Let’s hope the quality of food improves in the Railways.

— Raghu (@nraghunathan26) July 24, 2025

Indian Railways earlier received criticism for the poor quality of onboard meals on Vande Bharat trains

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Vande Bharat’s onboard meal has come under scrutiny. Earlier in April, another passenger complained about the quality of food being served at the Vande Bharat Express. Sharing video of a meal on X, the passenger stirs the dal, which seems to be golden water, with a spoon. He then claims that because the dal is not looking authentic, as it’s grain-free.

Last year, another passenger’s trip from Tirunelveli to Chennai on the Vande Bharat Express last year took a tragic turn when he discovered live insects in the breakfast sambar. The incident happened on train number 20666 soon after it left Madurai, and the passenger reported it right away.

However, what is similar about these incidents is the apology from the railway’s side. It’s always the same. Indian railways and their typical replies often attracted a lot of criticism. What’s not changing is their attitude towards their passengers.

What do you think about this? Do share your thoughts about this incident in the comment section of this article.