Train Passenger Flags Tea, Coffee Sold At Double Price; IRCTC Removes Staff, Manager From Service

A passenger has exposed an overcharging "scam" inside the Delhi-Amritsar Intercity Express (Train No. 14679). According to the passenger, vendors were overcharging for tea, coffee, water and biryani. In a now-viral Instagram video, the traveller is seen asking for a cup of tea and coffee, which were sold to him at Rs 10 and Rs 20 respectively, instead of the standard railway prices of Rs 5 and Rs 10. In the video, he also claims that water bottles were being sold for Rs 20, while the official price stands at Rs 14 for one litre.

The passenger went on to file a formal complaint, listing the overpriced items. He also added that biryani was sold without essential accompaniments such as salad or curd, and even without napkins.

He confronted the staff, who initially offered to refund his money when he asked to speak to the manager, stating that he had filed a complaint. Later, a senior staff member arrived and reportedly spoke to the passenger in a threatening tone, accusing him of not asking for the cheaper tea and coffee options.

The passenger eventually received a call from the manager, who claimed that he was not present on the train.

The passenger also pointed out that travellers often do not raise such concerns, even though these are "country-level issues and should be voiced."

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A post shared by avdhesh kaushal (@kyahaikaushal)

In the caption of the viral video, he wrote, "If you think they're poor, just do the math once. That extra Rs 100 from every passenger, every coach, every journey... it adds up to thousands in a single trip. Now think about the families in the general class or second seating, already stretching every rupee, still being forced to pay Rs 180 for a meal worth Rs 80. For them, this isn't just 'overcharging'. This is the difference between eating... or going to sleep hungry. Next time you see this, don't ignore it. Someone's hunger is hidden behind that extra money."

Also Read: Vande Bharat Passenger Finds Insect In Dal Chawal, IRCTC Slaps Rs 10 Lakh Penalty On Vendor

The video quickly went viral on social media. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) apologised for the incident on X, stating that the service staff and the pantry car manager had been removed from service.

Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience. Sir, kindly share PNR no and mobile no preferably in Direct Message (DM) https://t.co/jQ5E3ENhNu

— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) April 8, 2026

"A show cause notice for termination of contract has been issued, along with the imposition of a hefty penalty on the service provider," IRCTC said.

Taking a very serious view on the passenger complaint, the service staff and pantry car manager has been removed from service. A Show Cause Notice for termination of contract has been issued alongwith imposition of hefty penalty on the service provider. We are shortly introducing…

— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) April 8, 2026

IRCTC also added that e-pantry services will soon be introduced on trains, allowing passengers to book meals in advance through digital payments and helping eliminate such issues.