A catering complaint aboard the 12002 New Delhi–Rani Kamlapati Shatabdi Express has put the spotlight back on food quality and monitoring in premium trains after passengers alleged they were served bread that had crossed its “use by” date.
The incident, reported during the train’s journey from Delhi to Bhopal on July 11, prompted multiple complaints through the Rail Madad app and the National Consumer Helpline. In response, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said it had taken disciplinary action against the service provider and strengthened checks to prevent similar incidents.
Passengers flag expired bread after breakfast is served
According to passengers, breakfast served in the C-4 coach included bread packets carrying a “use by” date of July 10, 2026. Several passengers had already consumed the bread before one traveller noticed the expiry date printed on the packet and alerted others.
Passengers also alleged that similar bread packets were seen in catering supplies kept outside the coach, raising concerns that expired products may have been distributed in multiple coaches of the train.
Following the incident, passengers lodged complaints through the Rail Madad platform as well as the online consumer grievance portal, seeking action over the alleged lapse.
According to Dainik Bhaskar, one passenger claimed that most travellers had already eaten the bread before the expiry date was noticed, while another questioned whether similar products might have been served on previous occasions without passengers realising it.
IRCTC imposes penalty, tightens checks
Responding to the complaints, IRCTC said on X that the matter had been dealt with seriously.
“The matter has been taken with utmost seriousness. A hefty penalty has been imposed on the service provider. The staff responsible has been immediately de-rostered.”
“The service provider has also been strictly instructed to ensure all service staff check the expiry dates of all products before serving passengers, without exception.”
The latest incident comes just a day after another passenger travelling on the 12001 Rani Kamlapati–New Delhi Shatabdi Express raised concerns over the quality and quantity of food served onboard. The passenger had tagged the Railway Minister, IRCTC and railway officials on social media, alleging that while passengers were paying the full catering charges, the quantity of food served had been reduced.
With two catering-related complaints surfacing on consecutive days involving the Shatabdi service, questions have once again emerged over food quality checks and the monitoring mechanisms followed by onboard catering contractors on premium trains.