Passenger’s Watch Lost on Vande Bharat, Recovered in Just 40 Minutes by Southern Railways

A passenger traveling on the Vande Bharat Express on Friday experienced the swift efficiency of Southern Railways and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) after accidentally leaving his wristwatch in the train restroom. The passenger has been identified as Mariano Anto Bruno Mascarenhas, Neurosurgeona, resident of Chennai.

The incident occurred after the passenger reached Egmore Station at 11 PM and later realised that he had forgotten his watch. By 12:28 AM, he lodged a complaint on the RailMadad website, providing his PNR, coach, seat number, and a brief description of the incident.

The response was almost immediate:

12:31 AM: A call from the Railway Helpline confirmed the complaint.

12:34 AM: An SMS from the helpline acknowledged the report.

12:49 AM: The RPF contacted him, informing that the train had moved to the yard and instructed him to check there.

1:12 AM: He received a WhatsApp message with two photos of the wristwatch.

1:13 AM: A follow-up call from RPF confirmed the watch had been found and requested verification.

"The work done by Southern Railways and RPF within 40 minutes, at midnight, is amazing," said Mascarenhas. "This wasn't even a complaint caused by the Railways-it was my mistake. Yet a dozen people coordinated seamlessly to recover it."

According to the passenger, the recovery involved multiple teams including complaint registration, platform checks, yard coordination, and RPF verification, all culminating in confirmation and closure of the complaint.

This morning, Mascarenhas visited Egmore Station, submitted the required documents including his ticket and Aadhaar, and successfully retrieved his wristwatch.

He praised the dedication of Southern Railways and RPF staff, emphasizing the moral of the story:

"Keep calm and trust the government" and the Tamil saying "கடமையை செய் (Raise a complaint immediately) பலனை எதிர்பார்".

This incident highlights the efficiency and responsiveness of Indian Railways' grievance redressal mechanisms, demonstrating that even during late-night hours, the system can act quickly and effectively to assist passengers.