New Delhi: In a shocking revelation, passengers onboard train number 20104 Kurla Express exposed pantry car staff selling unauthorized bottled water instead of the mandated Rail Neer. The incident occurred during the trainโs journey between Gorakhpur and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), raising serious concerns about passenger safety and hygiene standards in Indian Railways.
A food and packaged water racket active on our trains, it seems. Local stuff being sold at a premium while railway Neer remains untouched.
A young man has made this video, apparently on Kurla Express.
Date of the incident is unclear, but @AshwiniVaishnaw-ji please look into this. pic.twitter.com/m4bQ0VFcTyโ Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) March 15, 2025
A video of the confrontation shows a passenger questioning pantry staff for selling โlocal waterโ instead of Rail Neer. The passenger, identified as Speaker 1 in the video, repeatedly asked why unauthorized bottled water was being sold for Rs 20, while Rail Neer was nowhere to be seen despite being stocked on the train.
โThis is local water. Where are you selling local water? For how much are you selling local water?โ demanded the passenger, questioning the pantry staffโs blatant violation of railway guidelines.
Despite attempts to deflect the conversation, the passenger insisted that the staff provide a complaint book and issue a bill for the ordered food. The passenger claimed that โraw foodโ was served and alleged that discarded food had been found in dustbins, further indicating poor service standards.
โRail Neer is being kept on the rail but not a single staff member is going and selling itโฆ Local water is being sold for Rs 20 in pantry car train number 20104 Kurla Expressโฆ Overpricing of food is also being taken here,โ the passenger added.
Pantry Staffโs Response
The pantry manager, initially defensive, later agreed to provide a complaint book. He admitted that unauthorized water bottles were indeed being sold, adding that pantry staff visit the train โonce a week.โ Despite repeated requests from the passenger for accountability, the manager continued to ask the passengers to โsit downโ and avoid escalating the matter.
โI agree with you, sir. Local water is being sold for Rs 20,โ the pantry manager conceded.
Indian Railways Clarifies
While the video highlighted serious concerns, Indian Railways later clarified that the footage was from 2022 and that appropriate action had already been taken against the concerned staff.
In response to the viral video, the IRCTC stated:
โSir, this is an old video of 2022 and appropriate action was taken.โ
The sale of unauthorized bottled water raises serious concerns about passenger health, given the risk of contaminated or substandard water. Rail Neer is the only approved bottled water for sale on Indian Railways to ensure quality standards. Violations like this expose gaps in supervision and enforcement within the railway system.
Despite this being an old incident, the resurfacing of the video has reignited public concern over food and water safety onboard Indian trains. Passengers have demanded stricter checks and penalties against pantry staff found guilty of malpractice. This incident underscores the urgent need for tighter monitoring to prevent unauthorized products from being sold onboard trains.
