Caught Smoking Twice, Banned from High-Speed Rail for Life

Starting from August 15, 2016, railway authorities will further intensify the crackdown on smoking on high-speed trains. Passengers caught smoking on high-speed trains twice will be banned from riding for life. If a passenger is caught smoking for the first time, they can continue to ride after signing a guarantee agreement, but a second offense will result in a permanent ban from high-speed trains.

It is important to note that taking high-speed trains has become a primary mode of transportation for residents in our country, and being unable to ride them will undoubtedly cause significant inconvenience. Given the direction of railway development in our country, high-speed trains will gradually replace regular trains, handling most, if not all, passenger transport needs. If being banned from high-speed trains today only brings inconvenience, in the near future, it will mean a complete farewell to rail travel.

Anyone who has taken a high-speed train has likely heard the repeated announcements about the smoking ban, which is very important. In the fully enclosed design of high-speed trains, smoke can enter the cabin's air circulation, meaning that if one person smokes, everyone else is exposed to secondhand smoke. Additionally, there are many flammable materials in the cabin, so for health and safety reasons, the smoking ban on high-speed trains is non-negotiable.

Smoke detectors are installed throughout the cabin, and once an alarm is triggered, it will lead to emergency deceleration or braking, causing delays—not just for one train, but potentially for a series of subsequent delays. According to the previously enforced "Railway Safety Management Regulations," individuals who violate the smoking ban face fines ranging from 500 to 2000 yuan. This amount clearly cannot compensate for the economic and time losses caused by delays, and it seems to lack deterrent power for some individuals. Statistics show that since 2015, there have been 34 instances in January alone where smoke alarms were triggered by passengers smoking on Hainan's East Ring Line high-speed trains. There have even been cases where individuals, desperate for a smoke, were willing to pay 2000 yuan for the opportunity to smoke.

Some have suggested that high-speed trains should have designated smoking cars. However, for the currently widely used high-speed trains, establishing a smoking car is not as simple as just emptying one car; it also involves modifications to the air circulation system and fire safety equipment. With so many high-speed trains nationwide, making all passengers pay for expensive modifications just to indulge in a globally recognized bad habit is unreasonable from both a legal and moral standpoint. In today's context, where smoking bans are being strengthened across the country, setting up smoking cars on high-speed trains would be a regression.

Ultimately, while strict regulations are good, the key lies in strict enforcement. Since the "Railway Safety Management Regulations" were issued, although they clearly state fines for smoking on high-speed trains, in practice, some train crews often prioritize education over punishment. While the spirit of educating through criticism is commendable, if regulations are not enforced strongly, their deterrent effect diminishes significantly. The railway department is not a place for re-educating passengers on social ethics; any violation, whether due to a rude attitude or sincere acknowledgment of wrongdoing, should be punished to effectively regulate passenger order. (Shenzhen Evening News commentator Li Shenmiao)