Travel Influencer Compares Vande Bharat Food To 5-Star Hotel, IRCTC Responds

A travel influencer’s post about food served aboard a Vande Bharat train has grabbed many eyeballs online. It has received a lot of negative reactions because the blogger compared it to the food at a 5-star hotel. X user Shashank Gupta shared a photo of the train meal, which included poha, cutlet, paratha, curd, curry/sabzi, packaged namkeen and a Choco-Pie dessert. In the caption, he wrote, “Today I traveled in train no -20981 Udaipur Agra Vande Bharat express from Udaipur to Agra and the food in this train was no less than any five star hotel in terms of taste.”

Today I traveled in train no -20981 Udaipur Agra Vande Bharat express from Udaipur to Agra and the food in this train was no less than any five star hotel in terms of taste.
Thankyu @RailMinIndia@IRCTCofficial@AshwiniVaishnaw@AshwiniVaishnawpic.twitter.com/gFOh5QJN4H— Shashank Gupta (@shashan0058641) September 2, 2024

In an earlier post, we see the vlogger standing outside a special coach for “social media and influencers” arranged by the Railways. He thanked Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, DRM Lucknow and the Ministry of Railways for the arrangement.
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Many X users replied to his post about the train food, trolling him for the comparison to a 5-star standard. In the comments, several people felt that his feedback was not genuine and that he was paid to post such a review. Check out some of the reactions below.

From where does this look like five star taste good 😂— Avadhesh Sharma (@avadhesh1569) September 3, 2024

If this is 5-star food then I’m Shahruk Khan.😄— Somdeep Bhai (@SardarSomdeep) September 4, 2024

Someone has to take you to a nice restaurant, urgently!— Claudia (@claudiainbombay) September 3, 2024

3 out of 7 items are packaged and not even made by IRCTC— Craters of Mumbai (@CratersOfMumbai) September 3, 2024

Tell me you have never been to a 5 star hotel without telling me that you have never been to a 5 star hotel 🫢— ijonsnow 🇮🇳🇩🇪 (@theordinarybong) September 3, 2024

I can conclude that you have never eaten inside luxury fine dining spaces— Bondasoopu (@Bondasoopu) September 3, 2024

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The official handle of the IRCTC responded to his post, saying, “Thank you very much for the pleasant remarks. They genuinely motivate us to keep doing our best job. We look forward to servicing you again.”

Thank you very much for the pleasant remarks. They genuinely motivate us to keep doing our best job. We look forward to servicing you again.#IRCTCCares#CustomerSatisfactionhttps://t.co/BXW6leEweq— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) September 2, 2024

Gupta later responded to the criticism he faced online. He posted a long note on X, titled “The truth behind my Vande Bharat Express Food Review”. In the attached image, he stated, “I understand that my recent review of the Vande Bharat Express train’s food has sparked some debate. I want to assure you that my opinion is genuinely based on my personal experience. While it may not have been 5-star quality, I found it to be a significant improvement compared to typical train food. My review was not influenced by any external factors, including my status as a travel influencer. I strive to provide honest and authentic feedback to my audience. If you disagree with my opinion, I respect that, but let’s keep the conversation civil and constructive. Trolling and personal attacks only serve to undermine meaningful dialogue. Let’s focus on sharing our experiences and perspectives without assumptions or accusations.”

Also Read: X User Accuses Train Staff Of Overcharging For Veg Thali, Railways Responds