Rat Spotted In First AC Coach Of Indore-Daund Express; Mom Blocks AC Duct With Bedsheet To Protect 5-Month-Old

Another case of rats infesting a train was reported on Monday, this time accompanied by cockroaches, according to a passenger and the mother of a five-month-old child. Passengers on the Indore-Daund Express (Train No. 22944) expressed concerns over the Railways' cleaning and pest-control system after multiple complaints of rats and cockroaches.

A woman traveling with her infant in the First AC coach reported rats frequently emerging from the AC duct area, making it uncomfortable for passengers to sit or sleep. To safeguard her baby, she attempted to block the opening near the AC duct using a bedsheet. Another passenger on a sleeper coach also filed a complaint about cockroaches inside the carriage.

The mother questioned how a train infested with pests could be cleared for service and who permitted it. A video of cockroaches was recorded by a passenger who boarded the train at Ujjain and sent to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Ratlam. On August 24, an elderly passenger aboard the Una-Indore Express allegedly suffered a rat bite on his nose, marking the second incident in ten days.

Railway officials have since pledged to strengthen passenger safety, cleanliness, and pest control monitoring. Special attention is being paid to pest and rodent control during routine maintenance of train carriages at Indore and Mhow coaching depots. Railway staff and contractors have been warned of severe consequences for any negligence.

However, the fresh complaints from both First AC and sleeper coaches of the Indore-Daund Express once again cast doubt on the effectiveness of these measures.