Swachh Bharat? Swanky Mahanama Express Turns Into a Junkyard

Theft of accessories and damage to coaches reported from Mahamana Express, a swanky train flagged off by the PM.

India’s most modern and super-fast Mahamana Express was flagged off by the PM on Friday, 22 January 2016. It seems thieves are having a field day stealing accessories from the train, reports Dainik Bhaskar. (Photo Courtesy: Dainik Bhaskar)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 January 2016, flagged off a train connecting Varanasi – his parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh – and Delhi. Passengers showed their appreciation by taking away steel knobs of taps and toiletries as souvenirs. The train is to operate thrice a week: on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Dainik Bhaskar reports that RPF and GRP personnel inspected the train on Saturday and prepared a list of missing accessories.

Knob of the tap on the washbasin pulled loose and dropped into the sink. All the coaches of the model train have been manufactured in a Bhopal coach factory. (Photo Courtesy: Dainik Bhaskar)

Half-eaten lunches and discarded drinks litter the floor. Coaches of Mahamana Express are equipped with features like controlled discharged water tap, new toilet modules, exhaust fans, LED lights, snack tables for side berth passengers and use of fire retardation materials.

The swanky coach’s doorway used as a garbage dumping ground.

Groundnut shells lie strewn on the floor of the coach. Come winter and Indians love to munch on groundnuts, jaggery and sesame sweets. Sadly, most people think it is fine to toss the groundnut shells onto the floor.

During the flagging off, Modi congratulated the ministry of railways for the new train. He also said he hoped that it would make travel safe and easy for the passengers. Little must he have known how some passengers planned to treat the coaches.

The unruly passengers made sure nothing was left intact. Modi had said that this train would soon be replicated elsewhere in the country. These pictures are a warning of what to expect from passengers.

Accessories reported stolen, property found damaged. Apparently, the train is fire-proof but not theft-proof.

(All pictures taken from Dainik Bhaskar.)