The impromptu bash resulted in the train arriving 23 minutes late, a police callout, 216 claims against the group on behalf of fellow passengers, and a bill of 7,676 euros ($7,586) after the incident in Spain.
The 11 partygoers were on board an AVE—a high speed train—leaving the capital Madrid bound for Malaga when they decided to continue their fun in the cafeteria car. But the revelry soon got out of hand, according to Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, which did not reveal the time or date when the incident took place in their article, which was published on Monday.
Another report on the same case, published on Monday by the free Spanish newspaper 20 Minutos, said the party occurred back on July 6, 2018, although it’s not clear why it’s only being reported now and when the court case was heard.
A court ruling reportedly said the group had been “drinking, dancing, singing, and shouting at full volume and in a totally uncontrolled manner.” It went on to say they were increasingly “getting out of control” before they “intensely disturbed the order inside the train.” Some had even been seen “hitting the walls,” the ruling said.
A train inspector asked them to settle down, but the group only “escalated” their behavior, according to the ruling. They were then ordered to leave the train when it made its scheduled stop in the town of Cordoba. But they refused to leave, and the national police had to be called, resulting in a 23-minute delay for all the other passengers while the party was ejected.
The court found that the civil liability of the young people was proven, and exonerated the state-owned train company Renfe from any blame. It reasoned the firm “is not obliged to hire security personnel, nor can it close the cafeteria to the detriment of other passengers, nor can it determine, at the time that a train ticket is purchased, if travelers intend to hold an event inside the AVE.”
Renfe had been forced to pay compensation to the other 216 passengers as a result of the train delay. So each of the 11 revelers was ordered to pay almost 700 euros ($690) to settle the claims made on behalf of the rest of the passengers, in order for the company to recoup its losses.
Newsweek reached out to Renfe for further details about the incident. The company did not confirm which date the party took place, but a spokesperson said: “[Renfe] will continue being forceful with behaviors that alter the trip, will resort to the State Security Forces and Bodies when serious cases of disturbance of public order occur, and will denounce those behaviors and their consequences on the rest of the passengers and the company itself before the courts.”
It’s not the first time passengers have hit the headlines after partying on a train.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has his own “party train” which was last spotted outside his own country heading to Beijing, China, back in March 2018. Guests are said to be able order delicacies, such as lobster and the finest wines, while there’s also karaoke and a pork barbecue on board, according to the New York Times.
While more mundane journeys around the world are livened up by passengers or staff, such as a corgi dog who went viral after he was spotted traveling on a London Tube train, and a railway security guard who stunned commuters by bursting into song to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after the monarch’s death earlier this year.
Update 10/25/22, 6:18 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a statement from a Renfe spokesperson.
