New Delhi: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has imposed a penalty on a catering service provider after passengers travelling on the New Delhi-Rani Kamalapati Shatabdi Express were served expired bread during breakfast on Saturday. 

The incident took place on Train No. 12002, popularly known as the Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express, where 74 passengers were served packaged bread carrying a "use by" date of July 10, 2026. Several passengers reportedly consumed the bread before noticing that it had already expired.

The matter came to light after one of the passengers checked the bread packet and spotted the printed expiry date. The discovery prompted other passengers to inspect their food packets, following which multiple complaints were raised. Videos showing the expired bread packets were also shared on social media, with passengers tagging the Railways and seeking action.

Responding to the incident, IRCTC said it had taken the matter with "utmost seriousness" and imposed a hefty penalty on the catering service provider responsible for supplying the breakfast.

The railway catering body said the staff found responsible had been immediately de-rostered. It has also directed the catering agency to ensure that service personnel verify the expiry date of every packaged food item before serving it to passengers.

IRCTC further said it has ordered an inquiry into the incident to ascertain how the expired food items were served despite existing quality checks.

"The matter has been taken with utmost seriousness. A hefty penalty has been imposed on the service provider. The staff responsible has been immediately de-rostered," it said in a post on social media platform X.

"The service provider has also been strictly instructed to ensure all service staff check the expiry dates of all products before serving passengers, without exception," it added.

No illnesses or adverse health effects among the affected passengers had been officially reported till the latest information available. IRCTC said it would take appropriate action based on the findings of the inquiry while reiterating its commitment to maintaining food quality and passenger safety on trains.