'I Had To Change My Toddler's Diaper Between Coaches': Mom Reviews Vande Bharat Journey

A woman travelling with her toddler on a Vande Bharat train from Bengaluru to Hyderabad was surprised by the amount of dirt she found on the seats and other surfaces. 

She shared a video on Instagram showing herself cleaning the seats, window area, armrests and food table with wet wipes before settling down with her child. "I thought Vande Bharat would be perfect to travel with toddler but I was wrong," the text on her reel read.

Mom blogger Sakshi Mehra shared her experience of travelling with her toddler. The family left Bengaluru at around 2 pm and reached Hyderabad at 11:30 pm.

While she liked the spacious seats and clean interiors compared to regular trains, she said travelling with a toddler came with several challenges. One of the biggest problems was finding a place to change her child's diaper. 

"Diaper-changing facilities were difficult to find! Our coach was C4, and after checking five coaches, I could only find a baby-changing seat (not changing station) in C1. I had to change my toddler's diaper in the space between two coaches!" she wrote.

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She also said there was no separate space for breastfeeding or dedicated food for babies. She further pointed out that the lights remained on throughout the journey and that the train had limited stops. 

"Limited stops, so carry all your toddler's essentials," she advised parents planning to travel with young children. She also mentioned that there was no sleeper facility in the daytime chair-car journey.

Talking about the washrooms, she said they were better than those in regular trains but still needed improvement in cleanliness. "Washrooms are better than other trains but still have room for improvement and cleanliness," she wrote.

Talking about the food, she said it was average but appreciated that meals and refreshments were provided. The snacks included popcorn, aloo bonda, tea, juice and trail mix. Dinner included paneer, roti, dal, rice, kundru sabzi and ice cream.

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However, she also appreciated some aspects of the journey. She said that the train had spacious seating and the staff quickly responded when the family complained about a bad smell near their seats. She also liked the automatic hand dryers in the washrooms.

Ending her review, she said Vande Bharat was a good improvement over regular trains but needed better facilities for parents travelling with babies and toddlers.

"We need better baby-changing facilities, cleaner washrooms and breastfeeding-friendly spaces," she said, urging Indian Railways to make the train more baby-friendly.