Passengers on the Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express faced an “extremely uncomfortable” journey after the AC stopped working and water began leaking from the roof of the coach. A passenger shared the ordeal online, adding that despite multiple complaints, no action was taken by the railway staff. Darshil Mishra also shared a video of water dripping from the ceiling of the train. Another video from the same journey also went viral, with users sarcastically calling it a “complementary service” on India’s premium train. 

“AC not working and water leakage on VandeBharat train. Extremely uncomfortable journey despite premium fare,” Mishra wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

ALSO READ

He added, “Multiple complaints lodged but no action taken. Kindly look into it,” and tagged the Official Account of the Ministry of Railways, IRCTC and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. 

In a follow-up post, Mishra demanded a “full refund”. “Nothing is happening, all the staffs are irresponsible. Despite of several complaints no action taked, Ac temperature is too high. I want my full refund,” Mishra further said. 

He also claimed, “They told me to compromise on camera, I will surely get my  full refund of the fare from the consumer forum.”

The Railways did not respond to his complaints initially. It was only after the backlash that a statement was released. 

In response, Railways said the issue was due to blocked drain holes in the Return Air Duct of the RMPU (Roof Mounted Package Unit). The blockage, caused by the mixed media/return air filter, led to water entering the air duct during braking and dripping into the passenger area.

ALSO READ

“A case of water leakage was reported from the return air duct in coach C-7 (seat no. 76) on Train No. 22415 (Varanasi–New Delhi Vande Bharat Express). Condensate water accumulated under the cooling coil of the RMPU due to the drain holes of the drip tray by the Mix media/return air filter. The water, during braking, entered the return air duct, causing water to drip into the passenger area,” RailwaySeva wrote on X. 

Railways added that the affected drip tray was thoroughly cleaned at New Delhi station before the train’s return journey. A washer was also installed below the filter to create a gap and allow proper drainage.

The official X handle further noted, “The coach was undertaken in pre-monsoon drive from 15/05/25 to 27/05/25. All RMPUs of the rake are being checked for provision of washer to create gap between filter and drip tray.”