Overview
- A viral clip on X showed a priest conducting a Rudrabhishek inside a moving train coach and prompted Northern Railway to investigate the footage.
- Northern Railway said the ceremony occurred in a saloon car commercially booked through IRCTC, with a booking request on July 8 and the coach attached to Train No. 12926 (Paschim Express) for a one-way run on July 10 after an advance payment of Rs 3,08,580.
- Railway officials stated that they issued permission for the saloon's commercial run subject to operational feasibility and that no injuries or operational disruptions were reported during the journey.
- Public reaction on social media questioned whether paying for a private coach allows unrestricted activities, raised fire and security concerns, and compared the response to an earlier 'honeymoon coach' episode that led to a staff suspension.
- Saloon cars are private luxury coaches that Indian Railways permits to be hired through IRCTC under prescribed rules, and this episode has increased calls for clearer, more transparent guidance on what private hirers may do aboard chartered coaches.