Mainland trains hit by public defecation incidents, rail operator cites lack of enforcement powers
Two incidents of public defecation and urination on Chinese mainland trains have sparked hygiene and regulation concerns. The national 12306 customer service said railway bureaus are transport enterprises without administrative enforcement powers, advising passengers to contact staff or railway poli
Mainland high-speed and regular trains have recently seen several cases of uncivilised passenger behaviour, including a man defecating beside his seat on an overnight high-speed train during the National Day holiday and a drunk man urinating on a female passenger's shoes on a sleeper train.
The first incident occurred on 7 October on the G5899 overnight high-speed train from Shaoyang in Hunan to Guangzhou South. Photos circulating online showed a male passenger defecating in the carriage, with a train attendant only providing toilet paper and a rubbish bag to clean up.
The incident sparked concern among frequent high-speed rail passengers about whether the seat covers and surrounding environment were thoroughly disinfected, prompting discussion about rail regulation and hygiene. Guangzhou Railway Group said it had registered the train number and that relevant departments were following up.
The second incident occurred in the early hours of 12 October on the K420 train from Luoyang to Xuzhou. A female passenger said a drunk man urinated in a semi-enclosed hard sleeper compartment just steps from the toilet, soaking nearby beds and her shoes under the lower bunk. The man then fell asleep on someone else's bed. After coordination by staff, the man compensated the woman 50 yuan at depreciation value, and she asked railway staff for disposable slippers to wear off the train. The Lanzhou 12306 customer service platform confirmed it had received the information and was verifying details.
The national 12306 customer service explained that railway bureaus are transport enterprises, not law enforcement agencies, and have no administrative enforcement powers to directly penalise or control people behaving uncivilly. It advised passengers encountering dangerous or uncivilised behaviour to contact onboard staff or railway police immediately.
Under the railway passenger transport service quality standards, seat covers are subject to regular cleaning, with a general replacement cycle of 180 days, and are cleaned promptly if soiled within that period. Staff will clean up and provide spare cushions if soiling occurs on a train.