Spotless Kolkata-Sairang train sets an example, wins praise online – The Tribune

Lately, many incidents of littering and poor cleanliness on trains have been making headlines. However, a refreshing example of civic sense has recently gone viral from a train journey to Mizoram.

The train in focus is the Kolkata–Sairang service, which was launched in September last year.

One would normally expect food packets, plastic bottles and wrappers scattered across the coach during a rain journey, however, to everyone’s surprise, the sleeper compartment appeared remarkably clean. According to the passenger who recorded the video, the cleanliness was largely due to the behaviour of fellow travellers, most of whom were from Mizoram.

The clip shows passengers collecting their own waste in small polythene bags instead of leaving it behind. A woman was also seen disposing of waste into a plastic bag she was carrying with her.

The traveller also highlighted the spotless condition of the Sairang-bound train, with no litter visible on the floor. Beyond cleanliness, the video captured passengers maintaining discipline and decorum, occupying their designated seats, interacting politely and enjoying a peaceful journey.

This is the same Indian Railways, but the people of Mizoram know how to keep it clean and beautiful. pic.twitter.com/8VjnZfdf2N

— Tehxi (@yajnshri) July 16, 2026

Netizens react:

A user wrote, “People of Meghalaya, Sikkim, Mizoram far ahead of the rest of India in terms of discipline, cleanliness.”

Another reacted, “Not only that, the traffic sense in Aijawl is much better than many of the tier 1 cities in India.” A third shared, “Same railways, same system, same trains. Difference: People! Rest of India is mostly an uncivilised lot.”

Someone else commented, “The cleanest thing about Mizoram isn’t just its streets—it’s the civic sense of its people, who treat public spaces with the same respect as their own homes.”