Rail Jan Samvaad on CR- Passenger grievances and suggestions received during interaction
· Free Press Journal
As part of the Rail Jan Samvaad campaign, healthy interactive sessions with passengers were organised at various stations across Central Railway on 22.10.2026.
Visit een-wit.pl for more information.
Rail Jan Samvaad, a nationwide initiative of Indian Railways under the Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters (SCDPM-6) is aimed at strengthening citizen engagement, gathering passenger feedback and improving railway services through direct interaction with rail users.
Rajeev Shrivastava, General Manager, Central Railway along with Smt.Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances(DARPG), Government of India and Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, DARPG spearheaded the Rail Jan Samvaad at Chhatrapati Shivaji MaharajTerminus on 22.10.2026.
The event featured one to one interaction with passengers who came forward with their grievances, suggestions and views.
The grievances put forth included: Late running of trains, Increased rush in suburban trains, Difficulty in travelling for Ladies, Senior citizens and children, Unauthorised travelling in Divyangjan coaches, Vendors menace, Lack of cool drinking water facilities at stations, Non availability of reserved tickets in Mail & Express trains during the season, etc
Hiresh Mina, Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai division, responding to the grievances stated that Central Railway is presently running 1820 suburban services daily. A number of trains have been upgraded to 15 coach services recently and 15 coach trains on the Kasara route will be introduced shortly. To cater to the increased rush of passengers during the festive season, Central Railway is also running Festival Special trains.
He also said that inspite of snags like Alarm Chain Pulling and other operational reasons, Central Railway is trying its best to maintain timely running of trains and assured appropriate action for enhancing passenger convenience.
Passengers also put forth a number of suggestions including, more number of Coaches for ladies in suburban trains, Reduction in AC local fares, dedicated bogies for ladies in Mail & Express trains, more number of sleeper coaches in Mail & Express trains, Virar-CSMT suburban services for the benefit of commuters travelling from western suburbs etc
Passengers also acknowledged the positive changes in railways over the past few years, namely cleanliness, better amenities, helpline numbers, helpful staff etc.
Feedback forms were also distributed among the public to get more response.
Addressing the public present at the event, Smt.Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary, DARPG appreciated the tremendous response of the passengers to the Rail Jan Samvaad. She emphasised the role of the Youth in creating awareness about being a responsible citizen and urged the young generation to take up the cause of bringing about a visible change in the Society.
A Nukkad Natak on the theme “ Badalti Rail- Naye Bharat ki Pehchaan” was also presented by artistes of the Central Railway Cultural Association.
Similar interactive programmes were held at various stations across Central Railway where passenger issues, suggestions and feedback were systematically collected and reviewed under three categories: Short-Term, Mid-Term and Long-Term.
· Short-term issues covered matters that could be resolved immediately or within a short time frame;
· Mid-term issues require coordinated action, planning and implementation by the concerned departments; and
· Long-term issues involving policy changes, strategic planning or approval from higher authorities.
Central Railway has already made a significant contribution with the success of Swachhata Hi Seva and Swachhata Pakhwada. The Rail Jan Samvaad event is part of the Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters (SCDPM-6), being observed across all Zonal Railways and Railway Units from 2nd to 31st October 2026.
Through Rail Jan Samvaad, Central Railway aims to strengthen its engagement with passengers, provide a structured mechanism for addressing their concerns and encourage greater public participation in improving railway services.
The initiative seeks to make citizen dialogue an integral part of railway management by encouraging direct interaction with passengers at railway platforms and other passenger touch points, with special emphasis on youth participation. It also aims to promote continuous dialogue, encourage young citizens to share their perspectives and facilitate practical solutions to passenger-related concerns.
The initiative also reinforces Indian Railways’ commitment to responsive, transparent and citizen-centric services, ensuring that passenger voices and youth perspectives contribute meaningfully to the continuous improvement of railway facilities and the overall travel experience.