HomeNewsTrendsPassengers report poor cooling in AC coach, officials find illicit liquor hidden in duct

Passengers report poor cooling in AC coach, officials find illicit liquor hidden in duct

Railway officials have yet to confirm whether the liquor was being smuggled by passengers or by individuals with access to the coach during maintenance.

August 14, 2025 / 15:32 IST
Story continues below Advertisement
The incident reportedly happened aboard the Lucknow-Barauni Express recently. (Image credit: @Benarasiyaa/X)
The incident has reignited concerns over security lapses and misuse of railway infrastructure. (Image credit: @Benarasiyaa/X)

Passengers aboard the Lucknow-Barauni Express were in for a surprise recently after complaints of low cooling in the AC coach led railway technicians to discover four packages of illicit liquor hidden inside the air duct.

A video from the coach shows a technician pulling out one package after another from the duct, as a passenger joked, “Someone must have kept them there to chill the drinks.”

Story continues below Advertisement

While the Railways appear to have initiated action after the incident came to light, social media users wondered if the consignment was hidden by passengers or whether the alcohol was being smuggled by railway officials or anti-social elements who had access to the coach at the train yard.

“Common passengers will not do such a thing. It can't be loaded when the train is in the station. It would have been loaded at the yard. So railway officials are responsible for smuggling,” wrote user Hari Kumar NG on X.