Passenger slams Indian Railways after kids forced to sit on lap in overcrowded 3rd AC coach

A passenger has alleged that he endured a difficult journey despite holding confirmed AC tickets, claiming he was forced to travel with his children seated on his lap for nearly five hours. 

The complaint, shared on Reddit, has sparked debate online over overcrowding and enforcement in reserved coaches.

Posting on the subreddit r/Indianrailways, the traveller titled his account: “Paid Rs 2000 for 3rd AC tickets only to travel with kids on my lap for 5 hours. The ‘Co-operate’ culture is out of control.” He said the incident occurred during a roughly 300-kilometre trip on the Pashchim Express from Surat to Dahod.

Allegations of Overcrowding in 3rd AC Coach

According to the passenger, he and his wife had booked confirmed 3rd AC seats but did not reserve separate berths for their two daughters due to the relatively short duration of the journey. 

However, upon boarding, they allegedly found their coach occupied by a group of eight people carrying around 25 pieces of luggage, who reportedly had only two confirmed tickets and said they were returning from a wedding.

He claimed the group filled the storage space beneath the seats and occupied much of the seating area, repeatedly asking others to “please co-operate.” The passenger alleged that despite paying for comfortable travel, he spent the entire journey holding his children.

Online Reactions and Suggested Remedies

The traveller further claimed that the ticket examiner saw the situation but “did absolutely nothing.” His post questioned the purpose of paying for AC class if the experience resembled that of a general compartment.

Several users in the comments section shared similar concerns about overcrowding on trains operated by Indian Railways. Some suggested contacting RailMadad or the Railway Protection Force (RPF), while others discussed broader issues related to enforcement and passenger responsibility in reserved coaches.