'No litter, no mess': Passengers on Mizoram-bound Sairang Express carry their own trash bags; train coach remains spotless throughout the journey

A video shared on X showing passengers on the Kolkata to Sairang Express carrying their own trash bags to collect waste during the journey has prompted a wave of appreciation online, with many pointing to it as an example the rest of the country would do well to follow.

The clip shows the interior of a sleeper coach with no litter visible on the floor, a sight uncommon enough on Indian trains to stop people mid-scroll.

What the video shows


According to the person who recorded and posted the clip, most of the passengers in the coach were from Mizoram. Rather than leaving food wrappers, bottles, or packaging on the seat or the floor, they had brought small plastic bags from home to collect their own waste during the journey.

One woman in the video is seen carefully disposing of waste into a white plastic bag she had carried with her onto the train.

The coach, by the time the video was filmed, had no visible mess despite being mid-journey.

Watch the video here:


What people are saying

The video drew a strong response in the comments, with many users pointing to upbringing and community values as the reason behind what they saw on screen.

"Everything boils down to upbringing. If parents have the culture and maturity to be clean and tidy, they will bring up children that way," one user wrote, adding that the contrast with educated adults who litter shamelessly made the point even sharper.

Others were more direct in their admiration for the northeast. "Our brothers and sisters from NE India are really ahead of the rest of us in terms of community civic sense. Kudos and respect to them," another comment read.

Several users said the video had personally changed how they intended to travel. "I myself decided to carry a packet with me when I next travel in a train after seeing this video a few months ago, because in every Shatabdi I travel, the dustbin is overcrowded and rubbish is outside everywhere after a few stations," one person wrote.

Another called it simply "a blessing and a true privilege to live in such places."

A moment that made people reflect

What struck many viewers was not just the cleanliness but the effortlessness of it. Nobody was being watched. Nobody was being told. The passengers had simply brought their bags and used them, the way one might carry an umbrella because rain is expected.

(Disclaimer: This article is based on a viral social media post and online reactions. The Economic Times cannot independently verify the authenticity of the content and does not claim or endorse it.)