“No Sleep in Sleeper Coach”: A viral video shows passengers without tickets sitting on the train’s floor

When travelers with reservations can’t get a seat on an overloaded train in India, they may find themselves paraphrasing a children’s rhyme and thinking, “Train, train, go away, come again another day.” Concerns over the status of Indian railways were heightened by a recent viral video that showed people without tickets filling the floor, adding to the many reports of extreme overcrowding on Indian trains.

This unsettling video shows the event that happened aboard the Suhaildev Superfast Express between Anand Vihar Terminal and Ghazipur City. There was little room to walk in the cramped passageway and the sleeper carriage, where people were sitting on the floor.

‘X’ user @5gqwedr bemoaned, “Train number 22420,” after sharing the video. A viral response was generated when someone said, “Koi bhi TT nhi aaya train Lucknow pahuchne wali hai Thank you railway SLEEPER CLASS KO GENERAL banana ke liye Maximum aadmi bina ticket ke ya general ticket hai” (most people are travelling without tickets while some have general tickets).

One user asked, “How to sleep in a sleeper coach?” It would take many more hours to address the issue, which was, “Why don’t railway officials take responsibility for the safety and comfort of passengers?” Another said, “This started to happen on a regular basis in Reserved carriages.

In response to the post, Railway Seva—the Railways’ official customer service account—asked the user to provide travel information so that a prompt resolution could be made.

Just yesterday, a different “X” user voiced their displeasure with the severe congestion on trains, resulting in injuries to his sister who had to disembark to locate her kid among the chaos.