The contrasting handling of two private celebrations aboard trains has put Indian Railways under the spotlight. Social media users have questioned whether similar standards are being applied to comparable incidents involving reserved railway accommodation.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, July 13: Indian Railways has come under scrutiny over what many on social media describe as inconsistent enforcement of rules after two viral incidents aboard trains drew sharply different official responses within days of each other.
In one case, a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) was suspended after allowing a privately booked First AC coupe to be decorated for a honeymooning couple. In another, Railways defended a video showing a religious puja being conducted inside a moving train, explaining that the ceremony took place in a commercially booked luxury saloon coach and did not violate operational norms.
The contrasting responses have sparked a wider debate over whether similar standards are being applied to private events on trains.
Honeymoon Coupe Leads to Suspension
The first incident occurred on July 6 aboard the Nandigram Express (Train No. 11002).
A newly married couple, who had exclusively booked a First AC coupe, arranged for it to be decorated with balloons, fairy lights, flowers and rose petals, transforming the compartment into a honeymoon suite. Videos of the decorated coach quickly went viral, drawing widespread appreciation online.
However, railway authorities took a different view.
According to South Central Railway, the decorations were carried out by a private decorator who boarded the train at Jalna station without authorisation, constituting a breach of railway security protocols. The on-duty TTE was suspended pending an inquiry, and action was initiated against the decorator.
Railway officials maintained that the issue was not the decorations themselves but the unauthorised entry of a non-passenger into the train.
The action nevertheless triggered criticism, with many arguing that the couple had legally booked the entire coupe and that the decorations neither damaged railway property nor inconvenienced other passengers.
ये हो क्या रहा है देश में? पहले ट्रेन में सोहागरात अब चलती ट्रेन के अंदर ही रुद्राभिषेक शुरू हो गया है! रेलवे के नियमों की खुलेआम धज्जियां उड़ाई जा रही हैं। प्रशासन को इस पर तुरंत ध्यान देने और कार्रवाई करने की ज़रूरत है। 🛑#IndianRailways #Controversy #ViralVideo pic.twitter.com/CwbqC47gSC
— Bhoomi (@TheBPnova) July 13, 2026
Railways Defends In-Coach Puja
Days later, another viral video showed a priest performing abhishek and other religious rituals inside a train coach while devotees participated during the journey.
The clip prompted comparisons with the honeymoon episode, with social media users questioning why one event attracted disciplinary action while the other drew no punitive response.
Responding to the controversy, Northern Railway clarified that the ceremony had not taken place inside a regular passenger coach but in a privately booked saloon car.
According to the Railways, the luxury coach—equipped with bedrooms, a lounge, kitchenette and other amenities—had been commercially hired through IRCTC for ₹3,08,580. The saloon was attached to Train No. 12926 Paschim Express for a one-way journey from New Delhi to Mumbai on July 10.
Officials said the religious ceremony was conducted entirely within the exclusive booking and did not affect train operations, passenger safety or the comfort of other travellers.
“The primary responsibilities of the Railways are ensuring safety, security, punctuality and passenger convenience. In this case, the ritual was performed inside a privately booked saloon coach and no passenger was inconvenienced,” the Railways said.
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Debate Over Uniform Enforcement
The differing official responses have fuelled accusations of double standards.
Critics argue that both events involved privately booked railway accommodation, yet the honeymoon decorations resulted in disciplinary action while the religious ceremony prompted an official clarification defending the arrangement.
Railway officials, however, insist the two cases are fundamentally different. They contend that the honeymoon incident involved unauthorised access to a regular passenger coach by an outside decorator, whereas the puja took place inside an entirely reserved saloon coach, where the organisers were entitled to hold a private event within applicable rules.
The controversy has revived broader questions about passenger rights in reserved railway spaces, the distinction between First AC coupes and saloon coaches, and the need for clearer guidelines governing decorations, private celebrations and religious ceremonies aboard trains.
With social media increasingly amplifying such incidents, Indian Railways may face growing pressure to issue uniform, transparent rules on what passengers can—and cannot—do inside privately booked railway accommodation.
