Indian Railways, on November 12, imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on a catering service that overcharged passengers for bottled water. In a video posted by Indian Railways on the social media platform X, showed a passenger was charged extra for a bottle of water. A Rail Neer bottle, priced at ₹15, was sold for ₹20 by a vendor inside the train.
The 1 minute 47 second video, recorded by a passenger traveling in the 3rd AC economy class of the Pooja SF Express, showed the customer questioning the vendor about the additional ₹5 charge. In response, the vendor casually explained that he also needed to make a living. Although the passenger purchased the bottle for ₹20, he informed the vendor that he would file a complaint on the designated platform. The vendor, however walked away, seemingly unbothered to the consequences.
Determined to address the issue, the passenger immediately dialed 139, the integrated railway helpline number, to register his complaint. The video showed the entire process of filing the complaint, which was promptly acknowledged. Shortly after, a representative from the catering service approached the passenger to refund the extra ₹5 charged. The passenger also insisted that the vendor refund the overcharged amount to other passengers in the coach.
The video included a letter from Indian Railways stating that the catering service provider had been fined ₹1 lakh for the violation. The letter emphasized Indian Railways' zero-tolerance policy toward overcharging and unethical practices, sending a strong message to vendors to strictly adhere to pricing guidelines.
Know To How To Register Complaint
To file a complaint with Indian Railways, you can call 139, the integrated railway helpline number. You can also file a complaint online or through the RailMadad grievance detail form:
Online: Fill out an online form with details about the complaint, incident date, staff involved, and place of occurrence. You'll also need to provide your personal details, such as name, contact number, email address, and address.
RailMadad: Fill out the RailMadad form with details about the complaint, including your mobile number, OTP, journey details, train number, PNR number, and more. You can also use the form to track concerns and submit suggestions.
You can also file a complaint by SMS to 91-9717680982.
If you have a security-related complaint, you can call 182
