The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has penalized a catering service provider for serving expired bread to passengers on the New Delhi-Rani Kamalapati Shatabdi Express. The incident occurred on Train No. 12002, also known as the Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express, where 74 passengers were given packaged bread with an expiry date of July 10, 2026.
Passengers discovered the expired bread after one traveler checked the packet and noticed the printed expiry date. This led to other passengers inspecting their food packets, resulting in multiple complaints. Videos showing the expired bread packets were shared on social media, with passengers urging action from the Railways.
In response, IRCTC stated that it had taken the issue very seriously and imposed a significant penalty on the catering service provider responsible for the breakfast service. The staff involved were immediately removed from duty, and the catering agency was instructed to ensure that all packaged food items are checked for expiry dates before being served to passengers.
IRCTC has initiated an inquiry to determine how expired food items were served despite existing quality checks. The railway catering body emphasized its commitment to food quality and passenger safety on trains, promising appropriate action based on the inquiry’s findings.
