Local actor Darren Lim, 53, is one of eight hostsof the documentary series Rail Life Story (列车人生), which follows its presenters as they travel by train to uncover human stories across different regions.
In Darren’s segment, he journeys to Bangladesh — one of the world’s most densely populated countries, where many face significant economic challenges. In the days leading up to Eid, train travel becomes especially chaotic, with severe overcrowding forcing some passengers who fail to secure tickets to risk climbing onto train roofs just to make it home.
During his time there, Darren accompanied a leather craftsman and his family of seven on a gruelling nine-hour train journey from Dhaka back to their hometown.
Speaking to 8world, Darren shared that the sight of jam-packed trains in Bangladesh is often regarded as a “spectacle”, with thousands of people climbing atop the cabins.
“We’ve seen such sights on the news many years ago, but the local authorities have been determined, and continuously working to prevent people from doing this. So yes, we still saw people climbing [up the trains], but in reality, it was not as terrifying as we imagined it to be,” he said.
Still, Darren admitted he felt conflicted witnessing such scenes firsthand. While he understands the programme’s intention to document these realities, he would rather not encounter them personally as a host — especially knowing the risks involved.
