The special train, which started from Chennai, was privately booked by a group for a religious function at Gujarat’s Palitana, informed Central Railway’s chief public relations officer Dr Shivraj Manaspure.

“Around 80 to 90 passengers from a coach complained of food poisoning between Solapur and Pune. They complained of nausea, loose motion and headache,” the railway official said.

A team of doctors attended to the sick passengers at Pune station and provided them treatment on board.

“The train departed after 50 minutes. The condition of all passengers was stable,” the official said.

He claimed that the food consumed by the passengers was not supplied by the Railways or Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).