Several passenger amenities were reportedly stolen from the Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express - a high-profile train - which was inaugurated virtually on Friday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This comes soon after the incident where another high-profile train – the Mumbai-Goa Tejas Superfast Express – returned with fewer headphones and damaged screens.
When the Mahamana Express returned to Varanasi from Vadodara, on Sunday, September 24, the officials at the Vadodara yard were surprised to find that the lavatory taps in the general coach, some hand showers and two carpets between coach, were all missing.
Not only was the condition of the toilet seats terrible, also the mirrors were nearly broken. Rail officials, unaware of who stole the passenger amenities, blame it on those passengers who have less regard for near-broken.
The chief public relations officer (PRO), Ravinder Bhakar, told the Mirror that despite them trying to provide modern facilities to passengers, it was disappointing to watch miscreants steal amenities.
"The condition of the general coaches was especially bad. This makes us wonder whether the passengers are fit to use such advanced facilities," a railway official told the Times of India.
This express train was started with an aim to change the face of Indian Railways. The name was given in the honour of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya "Mahamana" who was an educationalist and freedom fighter at BHU in Varanasi.
This train has several modern facilities that include modular toilet with other amenities like mirror, platform wash basin, odour control system and much more.
The first Mahamana Express was also inaugurated by PM Modi from Varanasi in January 2016.
