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Train travel can sometime become very irritating. Apart from the irritants that travel with you as co-passengers ( ) you may encounter  cockroaches in the compartment, the compartments not being cleaned properly, shortage of water, over charging,  dirty waiting rooms at the stations etc etc.

So what do you do… crib with your fellow passengers as a ‘small talk’? argue with authorities? or just give up by saying chalta hai.

But, have you ever asked for a Complaint Book? Believe me, for most of your worries during train travel,  complaint book is the power at your hand.

I was waiting for my train (which got delayed by 4 hrs) at the New Delhi railway station last month .  Though the first class waiting room on Platform No- 1 is air-conditioned it was very dirty with stained floors and stinky bathrooms.

I settled among cribbing fellow passengers about the dirty surroundings.   “The whole system is a failure” someone came out with a learned analysis.

It was a long wait for my train.  I started using my mobile to help me pass time but soon it gave me a ‘battery low’ warning. I looked around to find plenty of charging points but realized that only few of them worked. People sitting near the working ones were actually in a queue.  I wondered how much effort it takes to fix a few charging points at regular intervals.

I was taken aback by the state of things at the most important station in the capital of India.  I decided to ask for a complaint book. Only that I did not know whom to ask.

I asked the caretaker women outside the waiting room.  At first she thought I am going to complain against her. Only after she was convinced of my intentions, she told me to go to the Deputy Station Superintendent (Commerce). His office was nearby, but he was missing from his place.

Nothing much to do, I made 2-3 rounds after some intervals and finally he was there surrounded by a few people.

“Sir, I am a nuclear scientist working at Mumbai. I have come here to receive my wife and daughter. The train has already come and there is no time to take the platform ticket. Can I go without one?”

“I am a govt officer. One of your police officer at the entrance misbehaved with me. ….”

He listened to a couple of others before it was my turn.

“I need the complaint book”, I said.

“Why? tell me what the problem is and I will try to solve it.”

After I told him the problems, he tried to justify by saying that there are lesser cleaning staff and they have to cover the whole station premises. The charging points are sponsored and the sponsorship is over and that is why it is not fixed.

“Okay.. then also.. please give me the complaint book” I emphasized.

He finally handed it over to me. I wrote it in detail and came back. I was not sure what action will be taken and when.

It was not even 20 minutes, I saw the deputy SS entering the waiting room. He was accompanied by someone in charge of cleaning the station premises (i guess) and a few cleaning staff.  A thorough cleaning was done.  And just before I was leaving to take my train, I saw a group of electricians who started fixing the charging points.

This happened after I wrote a complaint. But believe me, most of the time just asking for a complaint book solves the issue.

So next time, if you are facing any issue due to the Railway’s mismanagement, just ask for a complaint book.

(P.S. :  No, I am not a Railway Officer neither a part of Jaago Grahak Jaago)

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