A passenger on the Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express discovered insects in a cup of Amul dahi, sharing a viral video of the incident. Following widespread complaints, the Ministry of Railways took stern action against the food provider. The caterer's contract was terminated, and they were fined ₹50 lakh, while the IRCTC was fined ₹10 lakh.
Passengers aboard the Vande Bharat Express from Patna to Tatanagar had a horrifying event during their luxury train travel, prompting the Ministry of Railways to take strong action. The incident started when a passenger posted a video stating that insects were discovered in a cup of Amul dahi served aboard the train. The video rapidly went viral, raising major worries about food safety on one of India's premier trains. More people on the train complained about finding insects in their lunches. The Railways took the incident seriously and moved quickly, and the business responsible for delivering meals aboard the train lost its contract. In addition, the caterer faces a Rs 50 lakh penalties. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has also been fined Rs. 10 lakh.
In the video published on X, the passenger is seen holding a cup of Amul dahi with insects plainly crawling within. He then demonstrates another cup with the same problem. He claims the second cup belonged to another passenger, who had already consumed half of it without seeing anything amiss. The passenger further claimed that he attempted to report the problem to the train attendants. He requested that the manager take action, but no one stepped forward to address his concerns.
Watch Viral Video
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Social Media Reacts
Someone wrote, "But why do passengers always have to raise their voices? Can't your crew unexpectedly inspect food samples from any random train? Please openly publish historical data from so and so trains, food samples, and so on."
Another noted, “These stale and low-quality lunches occur on a regular basis in numerous trains. The fine money should be distributed to impacted passengers as a refund or compensation.”
A third said, “Such prompt response is appreciated! These unique trains, such as Vande Bharat, are a source of national pride, thus there can be no tolerance in letter or spirit when it comes to offering high-quality service.”"
A fourth remark read, "₹60 lakh for a cup of wormy curd." The railways finally ceased messing about with passenger safety."
Ministry of Railways' Reply
Soon after the video circulated online, the Ministry of Railways replied, “The complaint regarding food quality raised by a passenger in train number 21896 (Patna – Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express) on 15 March 2026 has been taken seriously. Action taken, IRCTC has been penalised Rs 10 lakh, the service provider has been penalised with Rs 50 lakh and ordered to terminate the contract. Passenger safety and quality remain our top priority."
