Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Rats, Cockroaches Reported in Indore-Daund Express AC Coach
Passengers on the Indore-Daund Express said they saw rats and cockroaches inside the train.
One mother was travelling with her five-month-old baby in a First AC coach.
She said rats kept coming out near the air-conditioning duct.
She pushed a bedsheet into the opening to help protect her child.
Another passenger reported insects in a sleeper coach and recorded a video.
The passengers questioned whether the train had been properly cleaned before service.
Railway officials had previously promised stronger cleaning and pest-control checks.
The Ratlam railway division said special attention was being given to controlling rats and other pests.
The new complaints have raised questions about whether those measures are working.
Passengers reported rats and cockroaches in First AC and sleeper coaches of the Indore-Daund Express.
A mother used a bedsheet to block an AC duct opening and protect her five-month-old daughter.
Passengers said rats repeatedly emerged from the duct during the nearly 16-hour journey.
A sleeper-coach passenger recorded cockroaches and sent the video to the Ratlam DRM.
The complaints follow an August 24 report of a rat allegedly biting an elderly passenger’s nose.
- Who
- Passengers, including a mother travelling with her five-month-old daughter, reported the problems; railway officials and the Ratlam railway division responded to earlier concerns.
- What
- Rats and cockroaches were reported in the First AC and sleeper coaches of the Indore-Daund Express.
- When
- The latest complaints were reported on Monday; the journey lasted nearly 16 hours. A similar rat-bite incident was reported on August 24.
- Where
- The reports came from the Indore-Daund Express, including its First AC and sleeper coaches; one passenger boarded at Ujjain.
- Why
- Passengers raised concerns about railway cleaning, pest control and whether the coaches were cleared for service.
Passenger concerns
Railway response
Cleanliness and pest control
Passenger concerns
Passengers said rats and cockroaches made it difficult to sit or sleep and questioned how the coaches were allowed to operate.
Railway response
The Ratlam railway division said special attention was being given to pest and rodent control during maintenance at the Indore and Mhow coaching depots.
Effectiveness of safeguards
Passenger concerns
Fresh complaints from both First AC and sleeper coaches raised doubts about whether railway cleaning and pest-control measures were working.
Railway response
After an earlier rat-bite report, railway officials said passenger-safety monitoring, cleanliness and pest control would be strengthened, and staff and contractors were warned of strict action for negligence.
- Train
- Indore-Daund Express, Train No. 22944
- Reported pests
- Rats and cockroaches
- Affected coaches
- First AC and sleeper coaches
- Journey duration
- Nearly 16 hours
- Protective measure
- A mother blocked an AC duct opening with a bedsheet
- Earlier incident
- A rat allegedly bit an elderly passenger’s nose aboard the Una-Indore Express on August 24
- Railway response
- The Ratlam railway division said pest and rodent control was receiving special attention during rake maintenance