A British traveller’s first ride on the Vande Bharat train is grabbing attention on social media, after he praised the services in an Instagram reel. On April 14, Rory Porter, a travel vlogger, posted a reel on Instagram sharing his and his girlfriend’s journey from Delhi.
The video documents Rory and his girlfriend’s experience riding India’s premier semi-high-speed rail, the Vande Bharat Express. On board, they enjoyed local snacks and tea while observing the changing rural landscapes through the windows. However, Rory did not enjoy the lavatory experience as he accidentally used the Indian-style washroom. Vande Bharat trains have western-style washrooms too.
Britisher shares his Vande Bharat experience
Rory captioned the video, “This train shocked me…Taking the Vande Bharat Express for the first time.” The video begins with Rory sharing that people often told him that India doesn’t have high-speed trains. Sharing a picture of an overcrowded, diesel engine train, he revealed that he thought all of them looked the same.
However, he was proved wrong after coming to India. He exclaimed, “India doesn’t have high-speed trains. I’ve been told they all look like this [diesel engine train]. Well, not exactly. We are taking India’s first semi-high-speed train, the Vande Bharat Express. As you can see behind me in all its glory.”
Inside the Vande Bharat train
Rory praised the Vande Bharat train’s speed, noting that it ‘reaches some very quick speeds.’ He mentioned that the journey to Patiala, in Punjab, would take only three hours from Delhi. As he and his girlfriend were preparing to board, he observed that although everyone was boarding 15 minutes before departure, there was an “absolute mental rush.”
After successfully boarding the train, his first impressions were good. He added, “After a tight squeeze in, we made it. Slightly hot and hungry. It wasn’t long before the AC cooled us down, and the food was served.”
During the three-hour ride, they got ‘samosas, juice, a few more snacks, and, of course, masala chai’ from the Vande Bharat staff. He revealed that they even served lattes, which were available at an additional cost.
“The journey didn’t take long before we got our first glimpses of the Punjab countryside. But my overconsumption of caffeine came back to haunt me. The only problem was that I must have picked the wrong toilet because it was a hole in the ground. A slightly wobbly experience, but I managed to do it without any problems,” Rory shared about his experience of using an Indian-style washroom.
How did the internet react?
Instagram users were quick to point out that India no longer has diesel trains. One user commented, “First train is from Bangladesh, a diesel train with overcrowding.” Another wrote, “Many Europeans misunderstand Bangladesh as India. Guys, please learn geography before commenting.”
A user remarked, “Bro, that photo is such a scam cuz more than 90% of indian trains are electric and have high voltage wires running on top of them, which if touched WILL fry to a crisp.”
A few others noted that Vande Bharat has premium services because the tickets are expensive. One user commented, “Only rich people can afford Vande Bharat tickets, brother.” Someone else wrote, “Looks insane tbf, been wanting to ride this – just been too disorganised to book it.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
