The Indian Railways has taken disciplinary action against four officials after a video showing poor conditions inside a special train carrying Border Security Force (BSF) personnel went viral on social media. The video showed broken windows, jammed doors, dirty toilets and damaged seats inside the train. Some coaches had no power supply, and cockroaches were seen moving inside. The video drew widespread attention and criticism online.
According to the reports, around 1,200 BSF personnel were traveling from Guwahati to Kashmir for deployment during the Amarnath Yatra. The BSF had requested a special train with two AC second-class coaches, two AC third-class coaches, 16 sleeper coaches and four general sleeper coaches. However, the train provided was in poor condition and reportedly arrived 72 hours late. Following complaints from BSF, the force submitted a written report to the station manager at Agartala. A preliminary inquiry by Indian Railways confirmed negligence, leading to the suspension of four officials.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also addressed the issue and said action was taken after receiving the complaint from BSF. He confirmed that an alternative train was arranged for the personnel.
The Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway, K. K. Sharma, issued a clarification. He reportedly said that the coaches seen in the viral video were not meant for passengers. He added that those coaches were attached for servicing purposes and were marked accordingly as non-passenger coaches.
The railways has assured that all necessary steps are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future and to ensure the safety and comfort of personnel traveling on duty.