To Pee or Not to Pee: How Urgent Toilet Break Cost a Man ₹6,000 on Vande Bharat Express

Bhopal: Abdul Qadir, a dry fruit shop owner from Hyderabad, had a costly mishap while at the Bhopal railway station with his family. In desperate need to use the toilet, he boarded an Indore-bound Vande Bharat train, only to find the doors locked upon exiting the bathroom. The train had started moving, leaving Abdul stranded inside.

Despite seeking help from ticket collectors and police personnel on board, Abdul was unable to get the doors opened. As a result, he incurred a fine of Rs 1,020 for boarding the train without a valid ticket. When the train stopped in Ujjain, Abdul had to pay an additional Rs 750 for a bus ticket back to Bhopal.

Meanwhile, Abdul’s wife and son, worried about his situation, decided not to board the Singrauli-bound Dakshin Express they had originally planned to take. Tickets worth Rs 4,000 went unused.

Abdul’s allegations of the absence of an emergency system on Vande Bharat trains were countered by Subedar Singh, the PRO of Bhopal Railway Division. Singh explained that safety measures, including announcements about door directions and locking, were in place to prevent accidents and ensure passenger well-being. Stopping the train requires orders from higher authorities.