Rat nibbles on puff at Surat railway station stall, authorities shut it down

A video recorded by a passenger at the Surat railway station showed a rat inside a glass display counter at a stall, nibbling at a puff kept among food items meant for passengers.Rat nibbles on puff at Surat railway station stallA rat was seen eating a puff from a glass display counter at a Surat Railway Station tea stall, prompting authorities to shut it down and initiate action against its operator.A video of the incident, recorded by a passenger during the early hours of August 29, showed the rat inside the glass display counter, nibbling at a puff kept among food items meant for passengers.As the video went viral on social media, it prompted action from the authorities.Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Vineet Abhishek said the stall was immediately closed after the Indian Railways received information about the video. The stall was cleaned in the meantime while the Railway Commercial Department initiated action against the owner.The Indian Railways is also in the process of taking steps that could lead to the permanent termination of the stall’s contract. The incident comes days after Western Railway announced a special deep-cleaning and sanitisation drive in the food stalls at Surat and Udhna railway stations. The drive was part of an ongoing catering campaign aimed at improving cleanliness and hygiene at food stalls.Vineet Abhishek said pest and rodent control had also been carried out at the station on August 16 as part of the campaign. Strict action was being taken against those responsible.- Ends(With inputs from Sanjay Singh J Rathod) Published On: Aug 31, 2026 13:01 IST