IRCTC Fines Vendor ₹1 Lakh Over Expired Bread On New Delhi-Rani Kamalapati Shatabdi Express

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on a catering vendor after passengers on the 12002 New Delhi-Rani Kamalapati (Bhopal) Shatabdi Express were served expired bread during breakfast.

IRCTC has also removed the catering manager and other responsible staff with immediate effect after the incident came to light.

Confirming the action, officials said the matter was taken very seriously and that strict action had been initiated against those found responsible.

They added that they would not compromise on passenger safety or the quality of food served on trains. Apart from the financial penalty, the staff responsible for the lapse have been removed. Strict instructions have also been been issued to prevent such incidents in the future.

According to IRCTC, the food served on the train was loaded in New Delhi, and the catering vendor was also based in Delhi.

While the agency has not disclosed the name of the vendor, it confirmed that action had been taken against the company that supplied the food.

An IRCTC official said food quality is checked twice every morning and inspected again during loading onto the train.

Despite these checks, expired bread reached passengers. An investigation is underway to determine how the lapse occurred, with officials suspecting that one packet may have escaped inspection.

The incident took place on Saturday in the C-4 coach of the New Delhi-Rani Kamalapati Shatabdi Express.

Passengers were served bread packets marked "USE BY: 10/07/2026", even though the train journey took place after that date.

Around 74 passengers, including children, reportedly consumed the bread before noticing the expiry date.

After discovering the issue, passengers lodged complaints through the Rail Madad app, while some also approached the consumer commission online, demanding strict action against those responsible.