India’s trash sleeper cells strike Vande Bharat

Within hours of its ceremonial flag-off, India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Express became a grim reminder that shiny infrastructure alone cannot fix a deeply entrenched civic problem. Plastic packets and disposable spoons were seen strewn across the coach floor, turning a symbol of railway modernisation into yet another dumping ground.

The high-tech sleeper train, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently on the Howrah–Guwahati route, had not even begun commercial operations. Regular services are scheduled to start only on January 22. Yet by January 17 evening, a viral video showed the brand-new coach already bearing the scars of careless travel.

Days before the launch, Indian Railway Accounts Service officer and Chief Project Manager Ananth Rupanagudi had issued an unusually blunt appeal. People, he said, should travel on the Vande Bharat Sleeper “only if you have learnt your toilet manners”, “only if you obey instructions given in washrooms”, and “only if you respect public property”. The warning proved prescient.

The video, shared on X by a user named Indianinfoguide, showed plastic waste scattered across the floor. “People litter on the Vande Bharat Sleeper train within hours of its inaugural run. Just see the civic sense,” the post read. Social media erupted soon after, with commuters being sharply criticised for defiling a brand-new, premium train.

Some observers argue that such behaviour is limited to trains, often blaming it on affordability or class. But the numbers puncture that theory. A 3AC ticket on the Saraighat Express between Howrah and Guwahati costs around ₹1,500. The same class on the Vande Bharat Sleeper costs close to ₹2,300. The passengers paying a clear premium are no different in behaviour.

Nor does the argument hold when compared with metro systems or airplanes, where littering and vandalism are far less rampant. The difference appears not to be money, but mindset. Train journeys are longer, social controls are weaker, and a deeply ingrained belief persists that the railways are “government property” — and therefore someone else’s responsibility.

That belief turns public assets into shared dumping grounds. What belongs to everyone, in practice, belongs to no one.

On January 19, days after the video went viral, the Railways took cognisance of the incident. A senior official reiterated that cleanliness on trains is a shared responsibility, as the railway system is public property. But statements alone may not be enough.

In the end, this episode is not about Vande Bharat versus older trains, nor about fares, class, or comfort. It is about attitude. If behaviour improves on planes and metros but collapses the moment people step onto a train, the problem is not affordability — it is civic sense.

The question is unavoidable: will Indians continue to enjoy world-class infrastructure while treating it like a dustbin? For the Railways, the message must be unequivocal. Whether it is the gleaming Vande Bharat or the network’s ageing workhorses, cleanliness cannot be optional.