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IRCTC Fined Rs 10 Lakh Over Passenger Food Complaint on Vande Bharat

Indian Railways has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on IRCTC following a passenger's complaint about food quality on the Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express. A separate Rs 50 lakh penalty was levied on the service provider, whose contract has been terminated. Railways officials emphasize that passenger safety and quality are top priorities, noting an extremely low complaint rate of about 0.0008% for the nearly 58 crore meals served annually. Concurrently, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced five new reforms for 2026, bringing the total to nine, with two focused on passenger convenience.

Key Points: IRCTC Fined Rs 10 Lakh for Food Quality on Vande Bharat Express

  • Rs 10 lakh fine on IRCTC
  • Rs 50 lakh fine on service provider
  • 0.0008% average complaint rate
  • 5 new reforms approved for 2026
2 min read

IRCTC fined Rs 10 lakh over passenger complaint about food quality

Railways imposes heavy fines on IRCTC and a service provider after a passenger complaint. Discover the new reforms announced for 2026.

"passenger safety and quality are our top priorities - Indian Railways spokesperson"

New Delhi, March 26

The Railways has tightened its grip on its own company, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, by imposing a fine of Rs 10 lakh following a passenger's complaint.

A passenger's complaint regarding the quality of food found on train number 21896 (Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express) on March 15 has been taken seriously, and a penalty of Rs 10 lakh has been imposed on IRCTC.

Along with this, a fine of Rs 50 lakh has been imposed on the concerned service provider, and the contract termination has been ordered.

An Indian Railways spokesperson stated that passenger safety and quality are our top priorities.

Meanwhile, ministry said that Indian Railways serves nearly 58 crore meals annually across its trains, with complaints averaging only about 0.0008%, which includes complaints related to overcharging.

Following inquiries into these complaints, fines amounting to Rs 2.6 crore have been imposed over the past three years. During the year 2025, 3 incidents of assault on railway passengers by Pantry Car staff have been reported. Legal action has been taken against the Pantry Car staff by the respective Government Railway Police.

Also, Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Tuesday announced that in line with Indian Railways' resolve to undertake reforms during 2026, five new reforms have been approved.

With the approval of these new reforms, the total number of reforms for the year 2026 has reached nine.

Ashwini Vaishnaw said that under the ongoing "Reform Express" initiative, four reforms had already been announced and five new reforms were being introduced.

Out of the five new reforms, two are related to cargo, one to construction, and two to passenger convenience.

Speaking on reform number five, which focuses on salt transportation, Vaishnaw said India is one of the largest producers and exporters of salt in the world. The three major producing states are Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Out of nearly 35 million tonnes of salt produced annually in India, about 9.2 million tonnes per annum are transported by railways, reflecting a significant untapped opportunity.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good step, but Rs 10 lakh is a small amount for IRCTC. The real issue is the contractor system. Terminating the contract is more important. Hope the new passenger convenience reforms address this.
S
Sarah B
The statistics are interesting – 58 crore meals with only 0.0008% complaints. That's actually a very low rate. But even one bad meal is unacceptable when you're paying for it. The fine shows they're taking accountability.
V
Vikram M
Assault by pantry staff? That's shocking and completely unacceptable. Legal action is a must. Food quality is one thing, but passenger safety is non-negotiable. The focus should be on better training and stricter hiring.
A
Aman W
With all respect to the Minister, announcing reforms for salt transportation while passengers are dealing with subpar food and safety issues feels a bit disconnected. Please fix the basics first. Passenger convenience should be the top priority.
K
Kavya N
I appreciate the transparency in reporting the complaints and fines. Rs 2.6 crore over three years is not a small sum. It shows the system is working, albeit slowly. Hope the "Reform Express" speeds things up! 🚂

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