Bhagalpur: A late-night journey on the Rajendranagar–Banka Intercity Express turned into a distressing experience for former Pirpainti MLA Lallan Kumar, also known as Lallan Paswan, after a rat bit him inside the First AC compartment. The incident has once again highlighted concerns over hygiene and safety standards in long-distance trains, especially in high-fare coaches where passengers expect better conditions.
Kumar was travelling from Patna to Bhagalpur on Thursday night with his colleagues. He had been allotted berths five and six in the H-1 First AC cabin. The train departed Rajendranagar Terminal at 11.55pm, and passengers settled in to sleep after 12.20am. Kumar said he suddenly felt a sharp bite on his hand. When he switched on the light, he saw a large rat climbing to the upper berth before running back down.
An attendant responded when Kumar rang the bell, and the rat was eventually found hiding under the bed. Railway staff tried to kill it by opening the aluminium channel of the wiper system, though Kumar said it was unclear who delivered the final blow. The passengers were forced to remove all their luggage and bedding, adding to their discomfort.
The former MLA criticised the cleanliness of the coach, saying a private agency contracted to maintain hygiene was doing only superficial cleaning. He warned that such negligence puts passengers at risk, from food contamination in the pantry car to the possibility of more dangerous creatures entering the coaches. He has lodged complaints with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Danapur DRM and the Senior DCM, and posted a video of the incident online.
Central Eastern Railway CPRO Saraswati Chandra said action is taken against agencies that fail to meet cleanliness standards. She noted that the responsible agency receives Rs 1.5 crore annually to clean 60–70 trains and four coaching depots, and the matter will be looked into.
