Avantika Express roof top leaks; passengers slams railway

A video of water leaking through the roof of a passenger railway coach caused remarks and jibes at Indian Railways. A passenger on Avantika Express shared a video showing the horrific state of an AC coach during a rainstorm as water leaked from its roof.

“Wish some work had been done for the Railways instead of empty propaganda,” the Congress party said after resharing the video.

“The railway minister who shows the flag is currently abroad; the named railway minister should pay attention,” it continued an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has flagged off all 18 Vande Bharat Expresses.

“Who is responsible for the plight of Indian Railways?” tweeted Netta D’Souza, interim president of the Mahila Congress.

“Indian Railway has launched NEW SUITE COACH with open shower facility,” a sarcastic Twitter user wrote. “Indian railways are also discussing providing shower gel, shampoo, and bathrobes to passengers in these trains,” the user wrote.

“Despite paying a premium fare for a 2-tier AC seat, passengers continue to face significant inconveniences,” another user remarked. Will #IndianRailways consider refunding the cost to affected coach passengers? Seriously, the railway service’s quality is degrading daily, which is discouraging.”

Western Railway later stated that the matter was swiftly addressed and that all coaches of the Avantika Express were thoroughly checked.

“The train has begun its return journey, and there are no longer any such issues,” it said. “Passenger convenience is paramount, and WR leaves no stone unturned in resolving passengers’ complaints.”

This comes amid the Opposition’s criticism of railways, with commuters complaining about train delays and overcrowded coaches.

Earlier this month, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the ruling BJP at the Centre, claiming that the government had ruined the well-functioning rail fleet.

Kejriwal argued that AC and sleeper coaches had become worse than ordinary compartments since passengers with assigned seats do not have enough space to sit or sleep.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has claimed that train cars have become “torture centres” for passengers.

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