Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation has taken strict action following complaints about the quality of Amul curd served onboard the Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express. The railways’ catering arm penalised the onboard service provider and has sought an explanation from the dairy company over the issue.
In a statement, IRCTC said it treated the complaints with utmost seriousness and acted firmly against the catering licensee. "IRCTC has viewed the complaints very seriously about the quality of Amul curd served in Patna-Tata Vande Bharat train," Economic Times quoted the corporation.
Breaking – Curd served on the Patna to Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express under the Amul brand was found contaminated with worms. After passenger Ritesh Kumar filed a complaint, the Rail Ministry fined IRCTC Rs 10 lakh and the service provider Rs 50 lakh over this lapse. pic.twitter.com/NNqzza1yf7
— VIZHPUNEET (@vizhpuneet) March 26, 2026
“Apart from imposing a hefty penalty, the process of terminating the contract and blacklisting the licensee of the train, IRCTC has summoned the ‘Amul’ on March 27 for explanation about the grave Quality concern related to Amul Curd,” the statement added
The move comes after passengers raised complaints online about stale or substandard curd being served during the journey, with the issue quickly gaining traction on social media. IRCTC then ordered an immediate investigation into food quality and handling practices.
According to officials, IRCTC has fined Rs 10 lakh for this incident, and the onboard service provider has been fined Rs 50 lakh, and their contract may have been terminated. In light of this incident and the negative press that resulted, people have renewed their concern regarding food served on premium services such as the Vande Bharat Express, which are now marketed as premium experiences.
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Over the last couple of years, IRCTC has significantly improved the rules around health and safety, both for on-site preparation and packaging, by strengthening accountability for vendors and introducing more stringent penalties and sourcing standards.
This inclusion of a major brand like Amul within the accountability framework may signal that IRCTC intends to extend its accountability further up the supply chain, not just to catering vendors but also to all suppliers, and that they intend to tighten their overall control of the quality of food used in their approved food supply chains.