Breath of fresh air on slow trains

THE Beijing Railway Transport Court ordered a railway authority on Monday to remove smoking areas and smoking-related facilities on slow trains.

The order was given to the Harbin Railway Bureau which operates train K1301 after a female passenger surnamed Li sued the bureau last year.

Li found many passengers smoking between the carriages when she traveled from Beijing to Tianjin on train K1301 in June last year. She complained many times but got no useful response.

The lawsuit was heard in December.

Li asked the court to order the railway bureau to remove its smoking zones and ashtrays on the train. In addition, she sought compensation for her ticket of 102.5 yuan (US$16), 3,000 yuan for legal expenses and 1 yuan for her mental suffering.

The court backed her main complaint and ruled that the railway bureau violated a passenger transport rule in which train operators are required to provide an environment for passengers that ensures travel safety.

“Passenger’s rights to stay healthy in coaches, we believe, are more important than the rights of smokers,” the report quoted the verdict.

But Li didn’t prove what harm she had suffered from the smoking on the train, “so the bureau doesn’t need to pay compensation,” the court said.