Train journeys are often a preferred and comfortable form of long-distance travel in India and allow for connections with people across social strata. Many passengers fondly remember the conversations and connections made on train rides. Sadly, from time to time, negative stories pop up that can dampen the spirit of “train travel”—the negative stories usually pertain to mistreated passengers.

Just recently, there was one recent disturbing story, in which a passenger was allegedly assaulted aboard a train by pantry staff and a video went viral on social media. The passenger was allegedly assaulted because he spoke out against paying more than what was advertised for food and water. He was aboard train number 11462, the Veraval–Jabalpur Somnath Express, on July 15, 2025, within the Vadodara division of the Indian Railways.

The video was provided to social media platform X (which previously went by Twitter) by user @write2divya, who indicated that the only reason the incident took place was due to the fact that the passenger put his complaint about overpricing in the public domain via Twitter. The original post had criticized the Indian Railways and the Union Railway Minister, Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw, for allowing a complaint through either private channels or complaints posted via public channels to lead to an assault, rather than the issue being resolved.

The tweet stated:
“The video was about train number 11463, The @RailwaySeva team sent goons to beat up passengers after a complaint about food and water overcharging. @AshwiniVaishnaw has ruined the railways. What action has been taken on these goons shown in the video?”

Subsequently, in response to public outcry, the Railway Seva Twitter handle responded to the original complainant confirming they were aware of the incident and requested the complainant to share their PNR and mobile number via direct message. Also, they assured the complainant they have forwarded their information to the department in charge and that the complainant would be provided with assistance. Furthermore, the Jabalpur Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) expressed regrets over the incident and also informed the pantry contract related to the incident has also terminated.

This is not an isolated incident, in May 2025, travel vlogger Vishal Sharma also faced mistreatment after complaining about bad food on the Hemkunt Express. He was also harassed by his helpers, causing outrage and an eventual official response from IRCTC. In that case, the vendor responsible had their contract terminated as well as the prohibition from providing services for two years.

While IRCTC and Indian Railways have repeatedly assured the railroad community that they will improve service and investigate complaints in an accountable manner, incidents of violence against passengers continue to arise. Such events beckon questions of vendor liability and the safety of passengers on Indian trains.

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Because train travel remains a prime means of transportation for millions of people, the added pressure for the service industry to respond to customer complaints without resorting to violence has never been greater. The emergence of the video has reinvigorated discussions about service quality, vendors, and oversight in the trajectory of railway catering services.

वीडियो ट्रेन नंबर 11463 का है। खाने और पानी पर ओवर चार्जिंग की शिकायत ट्विटर के माध्यम से की गई तो @RailwaySeva वालों ने अपने गुंडों से यात्रियों को पिटवा दिया।@AshwiniVaishnaw जी ने रेलवे की मटिया पलीत कर दी है। @RailMinIndia बताए कि वीडियो में दिख रहे गुंडों पर क्या कार्रवाई… pic.twitter.com/gxyU5D1MCt

— Divya Gaurav Tripathi 🇮🇳 (@write2divya) July 16, 2025

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