Oops! Lost in Translation: Railway's Blunder Renames Train To 'Murderer Express'

The Indian Railways sparked online buzz when a snapshot of the Hatia-Ernakulam Express board, translating "Hatia" as "Kolapathakam" (murderer) in Malayalam, went viral. Hatia, a location in Ranchi, hosts the weekly route between the two cities.

Social media users couldn't resist commenting on the mishap. "Shhhh, nobody tell them," quipped one, while another blamed Google Translate for the gaffe.


Railway authorities swiftly rectified the error, covering the Malayalam term with yellow paint after the image gained traction online.

An India Today report revealed the translation mistake stemmed from confusion with the Hindi word "Hatya," meaning "murder," according to a Railways official.

Acknowledging the error, the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Ranchi Division assured corrective action, ensuring the nameplate was promptly rectified upon notification.