Central Railway’s AC Local Task Force Revolutionizes Commuter Experience with 100% Complaint Resolution
In a significant move to enhance the travel experience of its passengers, the Central Railway’s Mumbai Division has implemented a dedicated AC Local Task Force to ensure the safety and comfort of commuters while tackling irregular travel on suburban trains. The initiative, launched on May 25th, 2024, focuses on addressing issues related to ticketless travel, ensuring swift action and maintaining the integrity of the AC local services.
The task force has been equipped with a specialized squad that responds to commuter complaints promptly, supported by a 24/7 WhatsApp complaint number (7208819987). This feature allows passengers to report any irregular travel incidents, especially during peak hours, ensuring immediate action and follow-ups when required. The squad, based on availability, springs into action when complaints are received, with a guaranteed response even if immediate intervention is not possible.
From May 25th, 2024, to March 10th, 2025, the task force handled a total of 8,735 complaints. Of these, 157 were addressed immediately, while the remaining 8,578 were resolved the following day, marking an impressive 100% resolution rate. As a result, the number of daily complaints dropped significantly, from an average of 79 in June 2024 to just 11 by March 2025. The highest number of complaints per day also saw a sharp decline, from 228 in June 2024 to 23 by March 2025.
In addition to addressing complaints, the initiative led to the detection of 82,776 passengers traveling without proper tickets in AC locals during this period, resulting in a penalty recovery of Rs. 2.71 crore. This translates to an average of 348 ticketless travelers daily and Rs. 1.14 lakh in penalties per day. The proactive enforcement of this program has drawn significant appreciation from passengers for its effectiveness in maintaining the quality and standards of the AC local services.
Furthermore, Central Railway has ramped up its ticket-checking drives across AC locals. As a result, there were 92,217 instances of irregular travel detected between April 2024 and March 2025, leading to penalty recoveries of Rs. 3.03 crore. This marked a 128% increase in cases and a 126% rise in penalty recovery compared to the previous year, highlighting the success of the enforcement efforts.
The Mumbai Suburban Network, which serves about 3.9 million passengers daily across 1,810 services (including 66 AC local trains), is committed to achieving zero complaints related to irregular travel in AC local coaches. The introduction of the WhatsApp complaint number and regular checks have been instrumental in meeting this goal.
Passengers are encouraged to continue using the WhatsApp complaint number (7208819987) to report any instances of irregular travel and contribute to further improving the commuting experience on Central Railway’s AC local services.