High-speed, low standards? Leaky Vande Bharattrain roof leaves student drenched during 8-hour journey; staff say ʻadjust kariyeʼ

LUCKNOW: A trip on Vande Bharat Express (22415), India’s premium train, turned into a nightmare for Darshil Mishra, a final-year physical therapy student, and other passengers on Monday.

Travelling from Varanasi to Delhi in the C7 coach (242627), Darshil faced an unexpected downpour—not from the sky, but from the trainʼs roof.

“My tablet, trousers, and other passengers were completely drenched,” Darshil recounted. “It was an eight-hour ordeal. To prevent the downpour, the onboard staff switched off the AC around my berth, which was next to the entry door of the coach. Now, I and other passengers were not only drenched but continued the uncomfortable journey amid humid conditions."



When Darshil raised the issue with onboard railway staff, the response was a dismissive “adjust kariye” (just adjust) from the Railway Protection Force personnel. Adding to the frustration, the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) never showed up to address the situation, leaving passengers to fend for themselves.

The incident, captured on video by Darshil, has since gone viral on social media, igniting widespread outrage against Indian Railways for its apparent negligence.

"The Vande Bharat Express, touted as a symbol of modern rail travel in India, promises comfort and efficiency. However, this incident highlights serious maintenance lapses that undermine its reputation. Further even after reaching out to DRM Lucknow division social media handle, no respite was provided," said Darshil, who filed a complaint in the consumer forum for a refund.

Darshil is pursuing a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from Ambala. After reaching Delhi, he boarded a connecting Vande Bharat Express to reach Ambala, while his mother and brother alighted at Delhi, where they reside.

Meanwhile, social media users have slammed the railways, with many calling for accountability and improved service standards. The railways have yet to issue an official statement on the matter.

However, an official note prepared by northern railway following the incident read that, “This incident could have been avoided if additional metallic washer had been wielded over the existing washer of return air filter of the air conditioning system. The incident in C7 happened due to a choked drain hole of a drip tray beneath the cooling coil.”

The railway had held V S Galhot, senior section engineer Varanasi, rake in-charge for not ensuring proper draining of condensate water through drain hole during regular maintenance. He has been put under suspension.