IRCTC Responds After Man Complains About Poor-Quality Meal In Vande Bharat Train

Indian railways have improved a lot in the last few years. This enormous public network, transporting millions of travelers every day, has witnessed visible improvements that have increased comfort, speed, safety, and efficiency during travel. From new trains and rail lines being introduced to better catering services by IRCTC, all signs pointed towards Indian railways being remodeled into contemporary hubs with upgraded facilities.

Nevertheless, issues including overcrowding, inconsistent service quality, and safety concerns continue to downgrade Indian Railways’ public image. Social media users frequently share videos that highlight the benefits and drawbacks of the food quality provided by IRCTC. This time, someone revealed the truth about paneer and dal to the food staff. As a result, IRCTC has also expressed regret and promised to take appropriate steps.

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Man shares video exposing food quality on Vande Bharat Express

Recently, a traveler on Vande Bharat Express train number 22478, which runs between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and New Delhi, voiced dissatisfaction with the quality of the food provided on board. To back his claims, he uploaded a video about the poor quality of the food served on the train. Sharing the video on X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote,

This is poor quality meal provide in vande bharat(22478) , pulses are completely missing in Dal and paneer use in sahi paneer is soya paneer. @AshwiniVaishnaw @RailwayNorthern @IRCTCofficial @drm_fzr @DRMDELHIDIVN

This is poor quality meal provide in vande bharat(22478) , pulses are completely missing in Dal and paneer use in sahi paneer is soya paneer. @AshwiniVaishnaw @RailwayNorthern @IRCTCofficial @drm_fzr @DRMDELHIDIVN pic.twitter.com/G9pFVSoMpL

— Baiju_with_Unique 🇮🇳 (@Bjsd2512) April 26, 2025

In the video, the food is kept in front of the person. The other packet, which contains dal, is open while the first packet is packed.

However, what shocked everyone is that as soon as the passenger stirs the dal with a spoon, it looks exactly like yellow water. Subsequently, he asserts that the dal is not entirely authentic as it contains no grains.

IRCTC apologizes to the passenger

After noticing the video, IRCTC rushed to X, formerly known as Twitter, to respond to the complaint. In their reply, IRCTC apologized to the passenger and asked for more details. In their reply, IRCTC wrote,

Sir, our sincere apology for the inconvenience. Pls DM your PNR and mobile number to enable us to address this.

Sir, our sincere apology for the inconvenience. Pls DM your PNR and mobile number to enable us to address this. https://t.co/jQ5E3EMJXW

— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) April 26, 2025

Meanwhile, this is not the first time this kind of incident has happened. Last year, Rikki Jeswani, a traveler on the Vande Bharat train from Shirdi to Mumbai, complained on social media about finding a cockroach in the food. The incident shocked the whole country. At the same time, a different traveler stated that dead cockroaches were discovered in other food items in addition to the dal. One traveler reportedly complained that the curd he was served was rotten. In no time, videos and images of the cockroach floating in the dal and the poor meals on Vande Bharat have gone viral on the internet.

At that time, IRCTC promised to take necessary measures against such incidents. However, it seems that nothing has been changed. Complaints about subpar food quality are still coming.

While Indian railways certainly improved a lot in the past few years, these kinds of irresponsible gestures are eroding the trust of passengers in the system. Not only strict measures, but also their better implementation, are also very crucial in making Indian railways great again.

What do you think about this? Do share your thoughts with us about how Indian Railways eradicates these problems. Our comment section is always open for you!