Amid rising complaints about food quality on Indian trains, including the premium Vande Bharat Express, the issue has drawn national attention, with the Human Rights Commission stepping in and the government acknowledging widespread grievances.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that Indian Railways received 6,645 complaints in 2024–25 related to substandard food served on trains. Out of these, fines were imposed in 1,341 cases, warnings were issued in 2,995 instances and advisories were given in 1,547. The remaining 762 complaints were addressed through other corrective actions.

The data was shared in response to a query from CPM MP John Brittas, who also raised concerns over the transparency of catering contracts awarded by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), especially on prestigious services like Vande Bharat.

Vaishnaw stated that IRCTC follows a transparent tendering process, awarding catering contracts to the highest bidders under clearly outlined terms. As of now, 20 entities hold catering contracts across different train clusters, including those for Vande Bharat trains. The details of Letters of Award (LOAs), he said, are published on the IRCTC website for public access.

He further highlighted several measures being taken to ensure food safety, such as supplying meals from designated base kitchens, deploying food safety supervisors, installing CCTV cameras, and using branded raw materials.

Human Rights Commission flags food safety in Vande Bharat

The issue has become particularly prominent in Kerala, where the Kozhikode Human Rights Commission has issued a directive to improve food safety aboard the Vande Bharat Express. The intervention follows an incident on May 25, when passengers reported being served expired juice during breakfast on the Mangaluru–Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express.

Judicial Member K Byjunath noted that while the train service provides excellent travel facilities, reports of substandard food, including expired products, raise serious concerns. The Commission has warned that such incidents must not recur and instructed the catering agency to implement strict monitoring protocols.

According to a report submitted by the Palakkad Railway Division, the catering license for the route in question had been awarded to Brandavan Food Products. Upon verification, the expired juice was destroyed and a fine of ₹1 lakh was imposed on the company.

The Commission’s action was taken suo motu, based on a media report about the incident.

Complaints on the rise

Official records show a sharp rise in food-related grievances over recent years:

2021-22: 1,082 complaints

2022-23: 4,421 complaints

2023-24: 7,026 complaints

Railway Minister Vaishnaw reaffirmed that “prompt and appropriate punitive action, including fines, disciplinary action, counselling, and warnings”, is being taken in all verified cases of unhygienic or adulterated food.

As the Vande Bharat network expands nationwide, passenger expectations around service quality, especially onboard catering, remain high.