Bhubaneswar, Feb. 15 -- A passenger has alleged that he endured a difficult journey despite holding confirmed AC tickets, claiming he was forced to travel with his children seated on his lap for nearly five hours.

The complaint, shared on Reddit, has sparked debate online over overcrowding and enforcement in reserved coaches.

Posting on the subreddit r/Indianrailways, the traveller titled his account: "Paid Rs 2000 for 3rd AC tickets only to travel with kids on my lap for 5 hours. The 'Co-operate' culture is out of control." He said the incident occurred during a roughly 300-kilometre trip on the Pashchim Express from Surat to Dahod.

According to the passenger, he and his wife had booked confirmed 3rd AC seats but did not reserve separ...