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Food served on Indian Railways trains has long been a matter of concern. Passengers still hesitate to eat it without second thoughts.

A video of Amrit Bharat Express (16601) showing catering vendors washing reusable food containers for passengers in the wash basin of the train has gone viral on social media platforms, leaving the internet shocked.

The issue was flagged by the Congress party, calling the incident shameful. “Railway Minister, this is your convenience. Full fare is collected from the public, but on the other hand, this shameful act. You should be ashamed,” the X post read.

The video earned the wrath of many netizens who expressed their dissatisfaction and wondered if the food served in the Railways is hygienic and safe for its passengers.

One X user commented, “This is exactly why I stopped buying food from train catering, rude, ungrateful, and arrogant staff. Even if I’m starving, I’d rather eat from a decent hotel before boarding than give these guys a single rupee. This is crime of highest order,” while another wrote, “Highly unacceptable.”

Taking cognizance of the matter, the IRCTC launched an enquiry and on Sunday, issued a statement clarifying that the vendors were cleaning unsold food packets with the intention of selling it to garbage collectors.

“The vendor has stated that the scrap collectors (garbage collectors) usually approach at various stations and that he had gathered these discarded items to hand them over to them,” read the statement.

The IRCTC also stated that it was an “isolated incident” and clarified that no used or unsold food items are served to the passengers.

The catering vendor, Express Food Services, also added further, that all food items are freshly prepared. “All meals supplied onboard are freshly prepared and sourced from IRCTC-authorised en-route based kitchens in accordance with food safety and hygiene standards,” the statement concluded.