Free bedding, including pillows, sheets, and blankets, has been available only in AC classes on Indian Railways trains, where passengers are given bed linen as part of their fare and asked to leave it behind after the journey. Traditionally, these linens have been stark white. But it seems like Indian Railways has turned things around.
Also Read | Meal service in Vande Bharat Sleeper Express impresses traveller with hygiene standards. Watch video
On February 27, Instagram user Oindrila Datta shared a video showing the new bedding she and multiple other passengers in her coach received during their journey on one of the new Vande Bharat Sleeper Express trains. Let’s take a look.
Indian Railway changes the colour of its bedding
Oindrila titled her Instagram Reel, “ POV: Indian Railways said, ‘No more MORGUE aesthetics in 3 AC’.” She also wrote in the caption, “Indian railway just changed the colour white…and it suddenly does not feel like a morgue any more…” The clip shows passengers in the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express train sleeping on their berths and using sheets adorned with colourful, aesthetic block-print designs.
This new change comes as a surprise because earlier, Indian Railways used to provide plain white cotton sheets, which often transformed the whole coach into a morgue, as the Instagram user pointed out.
How did the internet react?
The internet was pleasantly surprised by this new change. An Instagram user commented on the video, “This looks so much warmer and cosier.” Another wrote, “This is so nice.”
However, some also criticised the history of Indian passengers’ lack of civic sense and urged people not to steal the sheets. One wrote, “JFYI- Please don’t take any of the sheets, blankets and pillows with you that are provided in AC compartments. The railway staff who manage them have to pay from their own pockets for something as cheap as a blanket or sheet, but it affects their already limited salary.”
Someone else commented, “People will make it dirty as hell or steal it.” Another user urged the original poster to clarify that the change has been made only in Vande Bharat Sleeper Express trains, not in normal Indian Railway trains. “[This is for] Vande Bharat only, that should have been mentioned and normal 3AC costs double in Vande Bharat.”
Hygienic meal service in Vande Bharat Sleeper Express
Earlier, another video of a passenger showcasing the hygiene standards maintained in IRCTC’s meal services on the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express train went viral on social media. It showed a railway employee in uniform distributing meals within a compartment, wearing a glove in one hand, a hairnet, and a mask. Check out the video here.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
