Vendor sits on floor of moving train, rests feet on basket of samosas
A viral video showed a vendor with his feet resting on a basket of samosas inside a moving train coach. The clip prompted a railway enquiry and renewed concerns over hygiene and unauthorised hawkers.
A viral video showing a vendor placing his feet on samosas while travelling inside a moving train led to outrage online and raised concerns over hygiene and unauthorised food vending onboard Indian Railways.
The clip, widely circulated on social media, appeared to show the vendor sitting on the floor near the entrance area of a train coach while talking on the phone. In the video, he had his feet placed directly on top of a tray or container of samosas that he was selling to passengers.
The unusual scene quickly triggered criticism online, with several users questioning hygiene standards and food safety during train journeys. Many pointed to the apparent lack of cleanliness, particularly because the food items appeared to be intended for sale to commuters onboard.
Watch the video here:
Following the circulation of the video, railway authorities conducted an enquiry into the matter and later issued an official statement.
According to the Railways, no such authorised staff member was found to be deployed onboard the train during the period under review.
An enquiry on the matter has been conducted. During the enquiry, prima facie, no such staff was found deployed onboard in Train no. 12809-10 from 20.05.2026 to 22.05.2026,” the Railways said in its statement.
The statement suggested that the individual seen in the viral clip was not identified as an authorised onboard staff member during the enquiry period.
Railways further stated that steps had been initiated to prevent similar incidents in the future. As part of the action taken, the concerned licensee had reportedly been sensitised and advised to immediately report any unauthorised hawkers or suspicious activity to railway control rooms in real time.
“Licensee has been sensitised and advised to report any such unauthorised activities by hawkers to the concerned controls on a real-time basis,” the statement added.
The incident has once again brought attention to the issue of unauthorised hawkers operating inside trains despite repeated enforcement efforts by railway authorities. Passengers have frequently raised concerns over hygiene practices and food quality associated with unregulated vendors on long-distance routes.
The viral clip has also renewed conversations around onboard monitoring and the need for stricter enforcement to ensure food safety and hygiene standards for passengers during rail travel.
A viral video showing a vendor placing his feet on samosas while travelling inside a moving train led to outrage online and raised concerns over hygiene and unauthorised food vending onboard Indian Railways.
The clip, widely circulated on social media, appeared to show the vendor sitting on the floor near the entrance area of a train coach while talking on the phone. In the video, he had his feet placed directly on top of a tray or container of samosas that he was selling to passengers.
The unusual scene quickly triggered criticism online, with several users questioning hygiene standards and food safety during train journeys. Many pointed to the apparent lack of cleanliness, particularly because the food items appeared to be intended for sale to commuters onboard.
Watch the video here:
Following the circulation of the video, railway authorities conducted an enquiry into the matter and later issued an official statement.
According to the Railways, no such authorised staff member was found to be deployed onboard the train during the period under review.
An enquiry on the matter has been conducted. During the enquiry, prima facie, no such staff was found deployed onboard in Train no. 12809-10 from 20.05.2026 to 22.05.2026,” the Railways said in its statement.
The statement suggested that the individual seen in the viral clip was not identified as an authorised onboard staff member during the enquiry period.
Railways further stated that steps had been initiated to prevent similar incidents in the future. As part of the action taken, the concerned licensee had reportedly been sensitised and advised to immediately report any unauthorised hawkers or suspicious activity to railway control rooms in real time.
“Licensee has been sensitised and advised to report any such unauthorised activities by hawkers to the concerned controls on a real-time basis,” the statement added.
The incident has once again brought attention to the issue of unauthorised hawkers operating inside trains despite repeated enforcement efforts by railway authorities. Passengers have frequently raised concerns over hygiene practices and food quality associated with unregulated vendors on long-distance routes.
The viral clip has also renewed conversations around onboard monitoring and the need for stricter enforcement to ensure food safety and hygiene standards for passengers during rail travel.
