Kerala TTE Tracks Passenger To Return Lost AirPods, Honest Gesture Wins Hearts; Viral Reddit Post

What started as a routine overnight train journey from Chennai to Kannur turned into a heartwarming story of honesty and kindness after a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) went out of his way to return a passenger’s lost AirPods.

The incident came to light through a post shared on Reddit’s r/IndianRailways, where the passenger recalled travelling in an AC 3-tier coach. Before going to sleep during the journey, they had used their AirPods while resting on the lower berth but left them behind while getting off the train early the next morning.

The passenger woke up around 4 am, deboarded at Kannur roughly half an hour later, and reached home completely unaware that the device had been left on the train.

Soon after, they received a call from an unknown number. On the other end was the TTE, who had boarded the train at Kerala’s Palakkad Junction.

The railway staff member asked whether the passenger had travelled on the train and if they had misplaced their AirPods. That was the moment the passenger realised the device had been left behind on the berth.

The TTE informed the passenger that the AirPods could be deposited with the Railway Protection Force (RPF), though collecting them would require travelling all the way to Mangaluru Central. Instead of taking the formal route, he offered to personally return the AirPods while travelling back on the same train later that evening.

Keeping his word, the TTE met the passenger at Kannur around 7 pm and safely handed over the lost device.

Explaining how he tracked down the owner, the TTE revealed that after passengers had vacated the compartment, he noticed the AirPods lying on the sheets. He then used the passenger’s PNR details to contact them directly.

“A big shoutout to Mr Santhosh, TTE from Palakkad Division, for this wonderful gesture. In a world where we often hear complaints about the Indian Railways, this was such a heartwarming reminder that honest and responsible people are quietly doing their jobs every day. Thank you, Mr Santhosh. Indian Railways needs more people like you,” the passenger said.

The touching story quickly struck a chord online, with several Reddit users praising the TTE’s honesty, dedication, and extra effort to ensure the lost AirPods safely reached their rightful owner.