[Resolved]  Indian Railways — Railway phone numbers not working/staff not responding/web portal displaying misleading information

Address:

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Chennai
12th September 2011
To
The Chairman, Public Grievances
Additional Divisional Manager
Chennai Division, Southern Railway
Divisional office, Park Town
Chennai –600 003
Phone –[protected], Fax[protected]

Kind Attention Mr John Thomas

Subject : Railway phone numbers not working/staff not responding/web portal displaying misguiding information
Reference : Delayed Train 12698:: Date 10/09/2011:: PNR No [protected]:: Membership Number: [protected]
Dear Sir,

May I take this opportunity to expose the present condition of railway function from a passenger’s experience? Try to do something if possible.

I was to travel from Trivandrum to Chennai on E ticket PNR No [protected] by Train No. 12698 on 10/09/2011. Since I had a wait listed e-ticket checked the same in http://www.indianrail.gov.in/cgi_bin/inet_pnrstat_cgi.cgi to know the status, there it was indicated Train running 6 hours 20 minutes late.

In order to confirm this called 139 repeatedly which informed over IVR the train is running on time. To confirm it with an executive/officer it was not possible through 139.
Got an SMS from (TA – 139) on my registered phone no. [protected] (as
TRAIN : 12698-TVC CHENNAI EXP
Stn Name : TRIVANDRUM CNTL
Stn To Start : 10 Sep 11,20 :10 Hrs
Exp Dept : EX-20 :10, 10 sep 2011 Hrs
Late by : NO DELAY Hrs
Schd Platform :Not Available

To know more on it called[protected] explaining the situation but rudely told to call 139, informed of the IVR, but hung up whenever called. Then called[protected],[protected] nobody picked, called[protected], informed to call 139, desperately informed that through 139 nobody in person could be contacted but informed that is the only way, called Reservation 132, 1361, 133,[protected],[protected],[protected] none worked or responded, lastly tried the Railway alert no [protected] surprisingly that too did not work.
Tried another railway portal http://www.trainenquiry.com/indexNS.aspx which showed this
Ultimately I had to rush to the railways station and on enquiring at the counter they informed the train is late. The amount of money spend on phone calls, the mental agony and the physical endurance I had to undergo has no limit. I wrote down a complaint No 382470 at the Station Masters office, Trivandrum and travelled with alternate method.
With so much of technology and abundant manpower the railways is functioning this way to everyone’s dismay. Earlier railways functioned to some level, now it is in shambles. When will this country wake up to the call of the citizens? It is rightly said that Indians are treated as cattle as far as railways is concerned.
I have depicted the plight of railways; please do something to do justice to the taxpayer’s money.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully
Geo Kocupurackal ([protected])

Attached the copy of the complaint