Central Railway’s AC Class Task Force ensures 100% complaint resolution, enhancing passenger experience with a dedicated WhatsApp helpline | Representational Image
Mumbai: In a game-changing move to enhance passenger experience and maintain the sanctity of its premium AC local services, Central Railway’s Mumbai Division has successfully implemented a dedicated AC Class Task Force.
This initiative, launched on May 25, 2024, has not only addressed irregular travel but also ensured swift redressal of commuter grievances, achieving an unprecedented 100% complaint resolution rate.
24/7 WhatsApp Helpline for Immediate Action
To streamline complaint redressal, Central Railway introduced a dedicated WhatsApp complaint number (7208819987), allowing passengers to report irregular travel in real time. Complaints are addressed immediately if the Special Squad is present in the reported section or the following day if not immediately available.
This innovative approach allows passengers to report incidents of irregular travel, ensuring immediate assistance during peak hours and subsequent follow-ups as required.
According to CR, in the first ten months of the initiative (from May 25, 2024, to March 10, 2025), Central Railway received a total of 8,735 complaints. Of these, 157 complaints were resolved immediately, while 8,578 were addressed the following day, achieving a remarkable 100% resolution rate.
The number of complaints has shown a substantial decline, dropping from an average of 79 complaints per day in June 2024 to just 11 per day by March 2025. Moreover, the maximum complaints per day saw a significant reduction from 228 in June 2024 to 23 as of March 10, 2025.
“The initiative has also had a major impact on detecting and penalizing ticketless travelers. In the period from May 25, 2024, to March 10, 2025, a total of 82,776 passengers were caught traveling without valid tickets on AC locals, leading to a penalty recovery of Rs 2.71 crore. This translates to an average of 348 unauthorized travelers daily, generating Rs 1.14 lakh in penalty fees per day” said an official of CR.
Beyond the AC Class Task Force, Central Railway has been conducting rigorous ticket checking drives across its network. These checks have uncovered 92,217 cases of irregular travel during the 2024-25 fiscal year, collecting Rs 3.03 crore in penalties, a significant rise from the previous year’s figures of 40,335 cases and Rs 1.33 crore in penalties. This marks a staggering 128% increase in the number of violations and a 126% increase in the total penalty amount compared to FY 2023-24.
Notably, Mumbai Suburban Network of Central Railway carries approximately 3.9 million passengers every day through its 1810 services daily including 66 AC local services daily carrying approximately 78000 passengers per day.
“Central Railway’s Mumbai Division aims to achieve zero complaints regarding irregular travel in AC local coaches. The introduction of the dedicated WhatsApp complaint number along with regular checks has significantly aided in achieving this objective. Passengers are encouraged to utilise the WhatsApp complaint number, 7208819987, to report any instances of irregular travel they observe. It may be noted that the dedicated number is only for messaging the issue on the given number and that no phone calls can be made on the same” said a senior officer of CR.
