Railways Flooded With Over 61 Lakh Passenger Complaints In 2 Years, Security Tops List

The Indian Railways has been inundated with passenger grievances, with more than 61 lakh complaints lodged in two financial years (2023-24 and 2024-25).

Data disclosed by the Railway Board in response to an RTI query filed by Chandra Shekhar Gaur of Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, said that security, cleanliness, and electrical failures dominated the list of complaints.

In FY 2024-25, the Railways registered about 32 lakh complaints, an 11% jump from the 28.96 lakh complaints filed in 2023-24. While complaints about train services surged by 18%, grievances related to railway stations fell by 21%, reflecting mixed progress across the network.

Security emerged as the single-largest problem for passengers. Complaints related to safety in trains shot up by a staggering 64%, from 4.57 lakh in 2023-24 to over 7.50 lakh in 2024-25. Over the two years, security alone accounted for 12.07 lakh complaints, roughly one in every four complaints filed about trains.

Other major concerns included electrical equipment failures: 8.44 lakh complaints in two years. Coach cleanliness: 8.44 lakh complaints, forming 16.5% of all train-related grievances. Water availability, staff behaviour, and catering services also saw steep increases.

Complaints about punctuality declined by 15%, from 3.25 lakh to 2.77 lakh, and coach cleanliness complaints showed a slight dip, though the numbers remain alarmingly high.

Station-level grievances, however, dipped from 5.55 lakh in 2023-24 to 4.39 lakh in 2024-25.

The steepest decline was seen in unreserved ticketing complaints, which fell by 40% from 1.93 lakh to 1.16 lakh. Complaints about ticket refunds, luggage-parcel handling, and staff behaviour also declined.

Yet, issues like security, water availability, cleanliness, and Divyangjan facilities at stations continued to trouble passengers.

The RailMadad helpline (139) was by far the most used grievance channel, handling over 20 lakh complaints in 2024-25. Digital avenues such as the RailMadad app (4.68 lakh), website (4.92 lakh), and social media (2.12 lakh) saw heavy use, while traditional modes like manual letters and emails dwindled.

The numbers highlight a stark reality: while the Railways has improved in areas like punctuality and certain ticketing processes, systemic issues of safety, hygiene, and service quality continue to plague millions of passengers.

With over 61.05 lakh complaints in two years, the data is a damning reminder that despite large investments and modernisation drives, India's rail network struggles to provide the basic standards of security and comfort that its vast ridership demands.