The newly redeveloped Gomti Nagar Railway Station in Lucknow, earlier praised for its modern, airport-like design, is once again making headlines, but this time for the wrong reasons. Despite earlier acclaim
for its cleanliness and sleek appearance, the station has recently been stained with gutka marks inside the premises.
The station had gone viral earlier after photos and videos showed its wide platforms, bright interiors and glass-and-marble design. Many people had welcomed it as a sign of how Indian railway stations were changing. But even at that time, several users had expressed concern that the place would not remain clean for long.
Those fears resurfaced after a new clip began circulating online that showed parts of the station marked with red gutka stains.
Gutka Stains At Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar Railway Station
The video was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user who had earlier posted about the station’s redevelopment. Along with the clip, the person wrote, “I shared a reel of the newly built modern Gomti Nagar railway station. Most of the comments predicted that people would soon deface it by spitting. Unfortunately, they were right.”
The short video shows areas inside the station where chewing tobacco residue can be seen on surfaces.
Watch The Clip Here
I shared a reel of the newly built modern Gomti Nagar railway station.
Most of the comments predicted that people would soon deface it by spitting.
Unfortunately, they were right pic.twitter.com/0QEqHeB6oz
— Lala (@FabulasGuy) January 10, 2026
Internet Reacts With Anger And Frustration
For many viewers, this was disappointing, especially considering how recently the station had been upgraded. Many focused on what they called a lack of basic civic responsibility.
One user commented, “In India, a degree in civic sense should be made compulsory by the government.”
Another said, “That’s disappointing to hear. Let’s hope for more respect for public spaces”
“These gutkha eaters should be banned from public & may be kept under camera surveillance for hefty fines. Make them pay for destroying the beautification of the public property,” someone else demanded.
“I’m pretty sure there are CCTV cameras in and around that area. Let’s identify such people and fine them massively! I don’t care how much money they have, or no basic civic sense needs to be instilled!” a person added.
“In India, especially north India and central India, gutka and tobacco painting is the go-to business of uncivilised people,” a viewer remarked.
An individual wrote, “Spent crores on marble and glass, but civic sense is bankrupt. This is why India keeps going in circles. Shiny stations for show, spit for the reality-taxpayer money perfectly wasted.”
Beyond criticism, several users also suggested strong measures to prevent such damage in the future, with one user suggesting, “By simply banning this one thing, ‘gutkha,’ we can solve half of the problems.”
“Who’s fault? Why is there no ban on Gutka? Why is no one to watch and fine? If the government is not able to enforce just basic discipline, what else can it expect? Catch them, fine them, lock them and then see the difference. Stop this nonsense for incompetency of officials,” read another comment.
Modern Station Faces Persistent Challenges
Gomti Nagar Railway Station, Uttar Pradesh’s first privately-managed railway hub, represents a major step towards the modernisation of Indian Railways. According to reports, the station was redeveloped at Rs 360 crore. While train operations, security and ticketing remain under Indian Railways, most other aspects (maintenance, cleaning and passenger amenities) are managed by private companies. Despite these efforts, the recent gutka stains at the station show the ongoing challenge of maintaining civic discipline.
