Honeymoon suite décor in train lands TTE in trouble: All about railway protocols and public hazards

A beautifully decorated train interior is no big deal. In fact, there are several luxury trains which offer interiors that may look straight out of a movie set. But self-decorating a railway coach might land many in trouble. This is exactly what transpired in the viral video of the AC 1 class coach that had been recently decorated as a honeymoon suite. The first outcome was the suspension of the TTE as such over the top décor could definitely compromise passenger safety. Since all this happened under the nose of the TTE, he was of course, the first person to be held responsible for it.

What was the viral ‘honeymoon suite’ train video all about?

For the unversed, social media is filled with a viral video of the Nandigram Express. According to reports, a newlywed who were travelling on that train had hired private decorators to decorate their AC 1 class cabin and transform it to resemble a honeymoon room, complete with flower petals, balloons, lights, candles and signage. What was concerning was that the private decorators entered the train without tickets, decorated it and left. This raised serious concerns about the safety of the people, brought to light the security lapse in letting people not travelling, enter the train, in the first place and re-doing public property without authorisation. Due to this the Ticket Examiner (TTE) was suspended with enquiries to be made on him.

Moreover, while executing the whole plan was dangerous enough, here’s why such heavy decoration not only breaks safety protocol but also invite danger for the people. Inside a closed AC compartment, fairy lights increase the chances of a fire hazard. Decors like balloons and ribbons are equally combustible. Train coaches already offer limited movement space. With such heavy décor, it might obstruct space and movement further. Post travelling, what would have happened to the cabin and the décor? It would have generated a lot of waste materials. Further, securing such décor would have definitely called for the usage of adhesives and tapes which have already damaged the cabin quite a bit.

Is decoration prohibited in train / plane cabins?

One may now ask the question how train cabins have been decorated for official visits or VIP travel or even personal proposals in the past? The answer is simple. Prior permission with transparency has been maintained. If needed, personnel’s from the railway authorities have inspected the materials and décor before proceeding. Moreover, security and public safety protocols have always been maintained in such situations. Many trains themselves resort to additional decorations during festivals. These include the Maharaja Express, or Palace on Wheels etc. In fact, not just trains, even planes have been decorated as per themes with even the exteriors getting a fresh coat of colours. But all of these have taken place with authority knowledge.

Thus, though basic celebrations with a cake, flower bouquets, gifts and taking photographs are allowed on trains, elaborate décor is most definitely not. This incident just raises concern about the lapse of security, lack of civic sense, role of social media, and job responsibility. The suspension just became a lesson for both the public and the officials to act responsibly and maintain decorum while using public property.

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