A railway employee has drawn attention to an unusual reason behind poor cooling in air-conditioned train coaches after showing an AC duct packed with garbage thrown inside by passengers.
In a video shared on Instagram, a railway AC maintenance worker opened a duct inside a train coach to inspect the air outlet. What came out was a pile of waste that had accumulated inside the duct, including used tea cups, chips packets, toffee wrappers and other pieces of garbage.
The employee used a screwdriver to open the duct before reaching inside and pulling out more waste. He explained that passengers travelling on upper berths sometimes remove or damage the small grille covering the air outlet and use the opening to dispose of their trash. He said that the garbage thrown into the duct can accumulate over time and obstruct the flow of air. This, in turn, can affect cooling inside the compartment.
The video offered a glimpse into an often-overlooked aspect of maintaining AC coaches. While passengers may assume that inadequate cooling is caused by a technical problem with the air-conditioning system, the employee's demonstration showed how waste being pushed into the ducts can also affect airflow.
{{/usCountry}}The video offered a glimpse into an often-overlooked aspect of maintaining AC coaches. While passengers may assume that inadequate cooling is caused by a technical problem with the air-conditioning system, the employee's demonstration showed how waste being pushed into the ducts can also affect airflow.
{{/usCountry}}Social media reactions
The incident has raised concerns about cleanliness inside trains. Apart from affecting airflow, accumulated waste inside an enclosed duct could potentially lead to unpleasant smells and hygiene issues.
In the comments section, several users criticised passengers for using AC vents as makeshift dustbins. Others questioned how travellers were able to access the vents and suggested that better waste-disposal arrangements could help prevent such behaviour.
"This country is beyond repair," one user commented.
"Zero civic sense," another wrote.
"Indians don't deserve any premium services," a third user said.
Another suggested providing dustbins closer to passengers, writing, "Har seat ke paas ek Dustbin dena chahiye taaki in sabme na jaaye."