'Zero manners': Vande Bharat Sleeper’s dream run meets ground reality - 'Train badli, soch nahi'

• Vande Bharat Sleeper train launched, linking Howrah and Kamakhya in Assam
• Train offers flight-like amenities, regional cuisine, and cuts travel by 2.5 hours
• Passengers praised service, but littering highlighted civic responsibility issues.

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India’s railway modernisation drive marked a significant milestone on January 17 with the inaugural run of the much-anticipated Vande Bharat Sleeper train. Flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the service connects Howrah Junction in West Bengal with Kamakhya Junction in Assam, promising faster, flight-like travel.

Yet, within hours of its launch, social media narratives splintered, revealing a stark contrast between world-class infrastructure and a recurring national dilemma: civic responsibility.

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Initial reactions online celebrated the upgraded experience. Passengers posted videos showcasing a service paradigm borrowed from aviation. Pantry staff, gloved and wearing hairnets, manoeuvred trolleys down the aisles to distribute food individually. “Food is now being served just like it is on flights,” remarked one traveller in a widely shared clip.

The attention to detail extended to the catering. On the inaugural run, passengers received neatly packaged snack boxes containing items like kachori, pasta mixture and kaju katli. Meals, served in high-quality packaging, featured regional cuisines — a policy that will see Assamese dishes served from Guwahati and Bengali fare from Kolkata.

A first-class passenger praised the “top-notch packaging and authentic flavours” of a lunch comprising pulao, paratha and mishti doi, adding that the portions were “more than enough” and “definitely worth the ticket price.”

The stain on the gleam

However, amidst the plaudits, a less savoury visual narrative emerged. A vlogger’s video, panning across the floor of a coach on that very first journey, told a different story. It showed empty cups and assorted litter strewn across the compartment, despite the presence of installed dustbins.

“I want to say something from the heart, just look at this,” the vlogger said, his tone one of exasperation. He directly challenged the blame game often seen in public discourse: “Now tell me, is this the Railways’ fault, the government’s fault or our own? Look at the civic sense. It’s a brand-new train, the very first day and this is what’s happening.”

He added that while walking through the coach, he had seen “a lot of filth left behind by passengers,” and pointedly noted, “Dustbins are provided, everything is there – just use them, what will you lose?” His caption delivered a blunt verdict: “The train is world-class, but our civic sense isn’t.”

A persistent crisis in civic sense

This incident is not an isolated one in India’s journey towards infrastructural modernity. It echoes a persistent civic challenge that surfaces whenever new public assets are introduced. When the Delhi Metro first launched, authorities frequently lamented littering and vandalism, despite extensive public awareness campaigns.

Similarly, the introduction of swanky, modern buses in cities like Bangalore and Chennai has often been followed by reports of seats being slashed, windows scratched and interiors dirtied shortly after deployment.

Even in aviation, a sector synonymous with discipline, there have been notable lapses. In 2018, a photograph of used tea bags and trash stuffed into the seat-back pocket of a new IndiGo Airbus A321 Neo went viral, sparking a similar debate on passenger behaviour. The common thread in these examples is a disconnect between the provision of advanced infrastructure and the civic maturity required to maintain it.

The engineering marvel facing a human test

The train itself represents a leap forward. Designed for speeds of up to 180 kmph, the 16-coach service cuts travel time by approximately two-and-a-half hours. It boasts modern amenities, the Kavach safety system and a capacity for 823 passengers across AC 3-tier, 2-tier and First Class compartments.

Inside, the focus on a "flight-like experience" is evident. The cabins are equipped with modular berths, ergonomic ladder designs, personal reading lamps, USB charging points and dedicated LED lighting modes. The train incorporates a state-of-the-art Distributed Powering System, allowing for faster acceleration and deceleration, which contributes to its ability to shorten the Howrah-Kamakhya journey by around 2.5 hours.

The service links Howrah and Kamakhya via 13 intermediate stations, including major stops such as Malda Town, New Jalpaiguri and Bandel. It will operate six days a week, with the Kamakhya–Howrah service excluding Wednesdays and the return service excluding Thursdays.

Fares are dynamically priced, beginning at approximately Rs 960 for AC 3-tier over shorter distances and rising to between Rs 2,400 and Rs 3,800 for the full nearly 1,000-kilometre journey. In a firm departure from past practice, railway authorities have confirmed there is no VIP or emergency quota; even senior officials cannot use railway passes, ensuring access is solely for confirmed ticket holders.