Indian Railways has responded to a passenger’s tweet after he discovered that his booked window seat on a Vande Bharat train was actually an aisle seat when he boarded. The passenger took to social media platform X to share his grievance, posting a photo of his ticket, which clearly showed he had booked a window seat. However, a second image revealed that the seat in question was, in fact, an aisle seat, sparking the passenger’s concern. Though he said he didn’t have any problem with his current seat, he noted that the issue might create future seating inconveniences for other passengers.

“Just a gentle reminder to check seats 33 & 34 of C8 in 22435 for Window and Aisle Seating arrangement. I don’t have any problem with my current seat but this might become a problem for future passengers,” the tweet by Abhijeet Anand read. 

See the tweet here:

@IndianRailMedia@RailMinIndia@RailwaySeva Just a gentle reminder to check the seats 33 & 34 of C8 in 22435 for Window and Aisle Seating arrangement. I don’t have any problem with my current seat but this might become a problem for future passengers. pic.twitter.com/T6zd6Ndoz6

— Abhijeet Anand (@abhijeet10anand) December 15, 2024

Reacting to his tweet, Railways Seva said, “For necessary action escalated to the concerned official @Drm_dli. We request you to please share Mobile No. with us preferably via DM. You may also raise your concern directly on http://railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in or dial 139 for speedy redressal.”

Mr Anand thanked the Railways for the quick response and said that two people came and rectified the error. “Thank you for your prompt response. Two people came and addressed the issue of the incorrect seating arrangements. It is truly commendable that Indian Railways took action and marked the problem within 40 minutes,” he wrote.

The Vande Bharat Express is an indigenously manufactured, semi-high-speed, self-propelled train set. It features modern amenities such as fully air-conditioned coaches, GPS-based passenger information systems, comfortable seating, and automatic doors. Designed for speeds of up to 180 km/h, it significantly reduces travel time between major cities. 

Of late, there have been numerous grievances regarding overcrowding on trains. Now, in a recent troubling incident, a ticketless woman on a train refused to vacate a seat that she forcefully occupied. She argued with co-passengers who repeatedly asked her to leave the seat. At one point, she also claimed to be a Railways employee, based on which she felt “entitled” to the seat. The whole incident was caught on camera. X user Shonee Kapoor shared the clip on the microblogging site on Friday. The video not only left social media users enraged, but it also prompted a response from the Indian Railways. 

“The lady is occupying a reserved seat without a ticket. Refused to get up, arguing with everybody around. Best usage of #women-card,” Mr Kapoor wrote in the caption of the post. 

Take a look below: 

The lady is occupying a reserved seat without a ticket.
Refused to get up, arguing with everybody around.

Best usage of #women-card. pic.twitter.com/0dbxo9oVzS

— ShoneeKapoor (@ShoneeKapoor) April 19, 2024

The date and location of the incident is not known. However, the comments section of the video has been flooded with all kinds of reactions. Reacting to the clip, Railway Seva, the official account for support to passengers, asked for details for further investigation. “We request you to please share the journey details (PNR/UTS No.) and Mobile No. with us preferably via DM. You may also raise your concern directly on http://railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in or dial 139 for speedy redressal,” Railway Seva wrote. 

We request you to please share the journey details (PNR/UTS No.) and Mobile No. with us preferably via DM. You may also raise your concern directly on https://t.co/JNjgaq11Jl or dial 139 for speedy redressal.

— RailwaySeva (@RailwaySeva) April 19, 2024

Northern Railway also responded. “We request you to please share the journey details (PNR/UTS No.)” it said. 

Also read | Mumbai Man Justifies Littering After Throwing ‘Gutka’ Packet From Train, Railways React

Meanwhile, in the comments, users demanded stricter rules from authorities. 

“Some women feel too entitled these days for absolutely no reason !! This is not what women empowerment aims at!!” wrote one user. “Recently been seeing too many videos of the ticket less travellers harrassing the ones who actually reserved seats in advance. After watching these I would rather take a flight/ bus instead of trains,” commented another. 

“Wow, so much of arrogance sitting on someone else’s seat and doesn’t show courtesy to get up when the person who reserved requests. The admire the patience of the man who is requesting his seat. This lady must be fined and fired from her government job,” suggested a third user. 

“The main reason for such things is that there aren’t enough TCs or staff members to minimize these communication problems. No one will gain from such things becoming viral. A system to instantly inspect and validate the seat should exist,” expressed a user. 

Since being shared, the video has accumulated nearly 1 million views.