Vande Bharat is one of India’s premium train services, but its onboard services have been under criticism lately. Once again, a passenger has taken to social media to complain about the milk served on a Vande Bharat Express train travelling from Nizamuddin to Jhansi.
The incident happened on July 11, when UP Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam was travelling on the train. He alleged that the milk served during the journey appeared watery and spoiled and looked more like “chemicals” than actual milk.
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“Third class quality,” says the minister
He didn’t hold back, saying: “Yeh bada hi sharmnaak hai IRCTC ye jo railway ka ek wing hai jo train mein khaana uplabdh karata hai, paani uplabdh karata hai, khaane ki quality bohot hi third class hai (This is very shameful. IRCTC is a railway wing that provides food and water in the train. The quality of food is very third class).”
He added, “Ye doodh dekhiye kis tarah aisa lagta hai ki farzi koi chemical se banaya hua doodh ho (Look at the milk, it looks like it is made of some fake chemicals).”
Gautam also alleged that passengers were being “cheated in the name of milk” and questioned why such products were being served on one of Indian Railways’ flagship trains. He confronted the onboard staff about it and urged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and IRCTC to step in and look into the matter.
IRCTC responds, internet reacts
According to News 18, once the video went viral, IRCTC responded by saying it had alerted the onboard staff and clarified that the milk was from an approved brand. “The matter was immediately attended by the onboard service staff. The product served was of an approved brand, OMFED and is well within its expiry date (12/05/27),” they said.
They added, “Nevertheless, the matter has been viewed seriously. The concerned onboard staff have been strictly reprimanded and instructed to exercise greater care while handling and preparing food items during service, so as to prevent any recurrence of such incidents and to ensure the highest standards of passenger service.”
The incident has triggered a wave of reactions online, with many demanding stricter quality checks for food and drinks served on trains.
“One special feature of Indian Railways is that whenever you travel, you’ll come out feeling utterly miserable,” wrote a user.
Another person said, “Even after charging such high fares for tickets, this is the condition of the Vande Bharat train. The entire system has been ruined. This train is anyway out of reach for the poor due to the fare, and on top of that, the food quality is so pathetic.”
Someone else suggested, “The milk should have been filled as a sample and sent to the FSSAI office; they would have tested it and declared it milk containing chemicals.”
One user simply remarked, “It’s better to avoid food from the train pantry.”
Not everyone agreed, though. One person wrote, “I have travelled thrice in Vande Bharat. This train never compromises with food quality. But an exceptional day may be there. Maybe the milk got curdled. Yes, you can lodge a complaint.”
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FAQs
Q1: What happened?
A passenger on the Nizamuddin,Jhansi Vande Bharat Express complained the milk served looked spoiled and “chemical”-like.
Q2: Who complained?
UP Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam.