Report

Unhygienic conditions continue to plague train pantry services in the railway, despite ongoing public outrage and multiple complaints. Media reports have exposed alarming visuals from trains that reveal blatant violations of food safety and sanitation rules. Investigators accessed footage showing a pantry worker spitting inside a train coach after chewing what appears to be pan. Another clip shows a tea kettle—used to serve passengers—placed dangerously close to a toilet, underlining the severity of hygiene breaches.

Railway Warnings Ignored, Violations Persist

The Central Railway issued strict hygiene warnings to pantry staff and station vendors in 2024. Officials demanded immediate improvements following repeated incidents. However, the latest visuals show that many food handlers continue to flout these rules, raising serious concerns about passenger health and regulatory enforcement.

Contaminated Food Served on Kerala’s Vande Bharat Express

In one alarming case earlier this year, passengers on the Kerala-bound Vande Bharat Express filed a complaint after witnessing catering staff repack and serve food that had fallen onto the platform at Thiruvananthapuram station. Several containers had burst open during delivery, and despite visible contamination, staff loaded them onto the train headed to Kasaragod.

Authorities Bust Illegal Catering Hub in Ernakulam

In a related incident, health authorities conducted a raid in May at a catering centre in Kadavanthra, Ernakulam. They seized spoiled food items, including rotten meat and eggs, from the facility, which operated without a valid municipal license. The centre supplied food to multiple trains, including the Vande Bharat Express.

Source: Mathrubhumi