A passenger on a Vande Bharat train alleged that the onboard meal caused her a severe allergic reaction, while her two-year-old son experienced diarrhoea. Ayushi Singh, the passenger, said she was travelling on the Varanasi–Deoghar Vande Bharat Express on March 27 when she began experiencing symptoms shortly after eating the lunch served on the train.

Singh shared photos of her visibly swollen face on X, urging Indian Railways to investigate the matter, and said the allergy “could have been life-threatening”

She later posted another image, adding that a doctor warned her about the seriousness of the situation. “After consulting a doctor, I was told that it could have been life threatening had I not consulted immediately,” she said. Then she added, “The water too tasted a bit different!!”

This is how the allergy escalated further and after consulting a Doctor, I was told that it could have been life threatening had I not consulted immediately. pic.twitter.com/ZegIcnHv4c

— The_Mediocre_Fille (@AyushiS54377868) March 30, 2026

Responding to her complaint, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said the food served on that journey had been “checked and found satisfactory”. No other complaints received reg. Quality/Hygiene or safety of food on the day,” the official X account replied.

Lunch on Train No. 22500 BSB-DGHR Vande Bharat Express (Coach E1) on 27.03.2026 was checked & found satisfactory. No other complaints received reg. Quality/Hygiene or safety of food on the day.

— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) March 30, 2026

However, Singh insisted that the food served on the train was the only thing she and her son had eaten.

“I am glad that no one else fell ill. But I and my son did. As our train was scheduled for early morning, we couldn’t have breakfast at home. So whatever we ate was in Vande Bharat only. But clearly this doesn’t matter to you as we were the ONLY ones who suffered!!” she wrote.

IRCTC then asked her to share her PNR number and contact details via direct message so it could look into the issue further.

The post quickly gained traction online, drawing concern from other users.

When one person asked about her condition, Singh replied, “Hello. I am recovering. The swelling has gone completely bt still on medication.”

Another user wrote, “Ohh my dear. It’s very horrible. Please take care of your health.”