A Chennai-based neurosurgeon’s account of how the Indian Railways reunited him with his lost wristwatch in under an hour on Saturday has gone viral, drawing nearly 10 lakh views on X and sparking praise for the system’s efficiency.
Dr J Mariano Anto Bruno Mascarenhas, who has more than 25,000 followers on X, shared that he misplaced his watch in the restroom of a Vande Bharat Express while traveling to Chennai Egmore on Friday night. “Reached home and realised that I kept my wristwatch in the restroom and forgot to take it back,” he wrote.
At 12.28 am, he lodged a complaint on the RailMadad website, providing his PNR, coach, and seat details. What followed was a rapid chain of responses:
12.31 am: Call from Railway Helpline confirming the complaint
12,34 am: SMS acknowledgment
12.49 am: Call from RPF informing the train had moved to the yard
1.12 am: WhatsApp message with two photos of the recovered watch
1.13 am: Second RPF call confirming the find
“Within 40 minutes of my complaint, in the midnight, for no fault of theirs, a dozen people worked,” Dr Mascarenhas wrote, detailing how staff coordinated across platforms, yards, and command chains to retrieve the item. He collected the watch the next morning after submitting ID and ticket copies.
Calling the effort “amazing,” he added, “This was not even a complaint. It was my mistake. Yet, they acted swiftly.” He also gave a “big shout out” to the Railways and the Railway Protection Force.
Egmore’s divisional railway manager responded: “Glad to know our RPF & RailMadad teams could reunite you with your watch so swiftly. Your trust and appreciation motivate our staff.”
Social media reactions were mixed. Many praised the positive story: “Good that you highlighted the positive side of Railways. We always highlight negatives so much that people hate the country,” wrote one user. Another shared similar experiences of quick resolutions. However, some questioned whether such efficiency extends beyond premium trains: “Vande Bharat is an elite train for elitist. What if it was any other train or sleeper class compartment?”
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