Video of rats eating stored food in train pantry goes viral

A video capturing rats feasting on stored food items in the pantry of the LTT-Madgaon train has gone viral. As per a TOI report, the footage was filmed by a passenger at LTT on October 15.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has said that the yard where this particular train is parked is infested with a large number of rats. Shivraj Manaspure, the chief public relations officer of Central Railway (CR), confirmed the authenticity of the video, the TOI report stated. However, he emphasized that regular rodent control measures are in place, including the use of poison tablets, mechanical traps, and glue boards inside the coaches at the yard.

Meanwhile, CR railway in a statement said that preventive measures to keep away rodents and other pests are regularly taken and necessary action has been taken against the staff responsible for the unfortunate incident.


Despite these efforts, many passengers expressed concerns about the quality of the rodent control measures. They believe that a thorough audit of the contractors responsible for implementing these measures is necessary. Jaineel Joshi, a resident of Kurla, told TOI, "Despite these cases being regularly highlighted on social media, little has changed. I will now think twice before ordering food from the railway pantry."

Social media users have also voiced their opinions on the matter. One user urged railway authorities to address the issue, stating, "It brings a bad name to the nation. A lot of foreign and national tourists travel to Goa for tourism purposes." Another user, Sunita Lobo, highlighted the lack of hygiene in train services, stating, "Maintaining hygienic conditions has never been our strong point. There seems to be no will or resources to eliminate such issues in this train or any other train, I'm sure."

The Indian Railways claimed to have tightened its catering policy following a 2017 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). However, complaints about the quality of food served on trains continue to be posted frequently on social media by passengers. The CAG report had previously noted the sale of unsuitable and contaminated food, expired packaged items, and unauthorized brands of water bottles at railway stations.