Central Railway’s Mumbai Division, in a bold and decisive move to elevate the travel experience while prioritizing the safety and comfort of passengers, undertook a unique initiative to curb irregular travel.

On May 25th, 2024, CR introduced a dedicated AC Class Task Force to address issues related to irregular traveling in suburban trains. A specialised squad has been deployed to respond promptly to commuter concerns, aided by a dedicated 24/7 WhatsApp complaint number, 7208819987. This innovative approach allows passengers to report incidents of irregular travel, ensuring immediate assistance during travel hours and subsequent follow-ups as required.

Response to every complaint received on the dedicated WhatsApp number is immediate. If the Special Squad is in the particular section mentioned in the complaint, they immediately swing into action. However, if the squad is not immediately available, then action is taken on the subsequent day.

During the period 25th May 2024 to 30th June 2025, a total of 11,134 complaints were received and all were addressed within a short span of 2 days, marking a 100% resolution of complaints. This proactive enforcement has led to a notable decline in complaints, with the daily average dropping significantly from 79 in June 2024 to 29 in June 2025. The maximum complaints received per day have also come down from 228 per day in June 2024 to 103 in June 2025.

Based on a thorough analysis of complaints received, action taken, and deployment of special squads, an astonishing 1.22 lakh travellers were detected travelling without proper tickets in AC locals, and an amount of ₹4.01 crore was recovered as penalty during the period 25th May 2024 to 9th July 2025. This equates to an average of 365 passengers travelling without proper tickets daily and an average recovery of ₹1.19 lakh per day from offenders.

This initiative has received widespread praise from passengers for Central Railway’s proactive approach in upholding the high standards of its premium services.

Notably, the Mumbai Suburban Network of Central Railway carries approximately 3.9 million passengers every day through its 1,810 services, including 80 AC local services daily, which carry approximately 78,000 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 and that phone calls cannot be made on the same.

Central Railway appeals to its passengers to travel with dignity by purchasing proper tickets in order to avoid inconvenience.

Source/CR