A passenger travelling on the Vande Bharat Express took to social media platform X to complain about the untidy condition of the semi-high-speed train and questioned the lack of civic sense among Indians.

The user, who goes by the name Ashish Prakash on X, wrote: “If this is the way you keep cleaning trains, days are not far when Vande Bharat is going to turn into shit. Most people in India don’t follow civic sense,” tagging Ashwini Vaishnaw, who heads the Railways Department.

The post swiftly went viral, prompting a response from Indian Railways, which asked the passenger to share their PNR and mobile number for a detailed inquiry.

“We regret the experience you had. Please share your PNR number and mobile no. preferably via DM to enable us to take immediate action. You may also raise your concern directly on RailMadad WhatsApp Bot,” the Railways replied.

The image shared by the user, taken inside a train coach, shows the area between two seats. The area near the metal bar under the seats appear somewhat dirty, with visible litter and stains.

‘Dirty tables, soiled seats’

In a similar incident last month, another passenger had complained about the poor condition of the Vande Bharat Express, claiming it had “dirty tables, soiled seats, and inaccessible toilets.” The traveller shared photos showing “dirty tables, missing hand dryers, wirings hanging, stained seats, and inaccessible toilet conditions.”

“Today's 20664 Vande Bharat is a different set than usual. It's in a pathetic condition. Seatbacks are filthy, tables dirty, accessible toilet inaccessible, hand dryers missing, seats soiled. What happened to the normal Orange rake, and why is this supposedly flagship train so bad?” the passenger wrote, adding that the train is “less than two years old.”

Responding to that complaint, Indian Railways clarified that the regular Rake No. 59 had been taken for maintenance and temporarily replaced with Spare Rake No. 29. “During inspection, interior cleaning was done, seat recliners attended, and hand dispensers and dryers provided. Remaining deficiencies will be addressed tonight,” it said.

New sleeper trains on the way

The Railway Ministry has approved the rollout of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train, which will become India’s first luxury sleeper service under the Vande Bharat brand. This project is part of Indian Railways’ drive to modernise long-distance travel and enhance comfort for overnight passengers.