Indian Railways is grappling with a significant surge in passenger complaints about cleanliness standards, prompting the Railway Ministry to issue specific directives for improved grievance handling across all zones. The complaints, lodged through the Rail Madad app, revealed concerning trends in passenger satisfaction during the October-November period.

Sharp Rise in Cleanliness Complaints

The data presents a stark picture of declining cleanliness standards across the railway network. Bedroll-related complaints witnessed a dramatic increase of approximately 50%, while coach cleanliness issues also saw substantial growth during the review period.

The November figures represent a 48% rise in coach cleanliness complaints compared to September, while bedroll complaints maintained approximately 50% higher levels in both October and November.

Passenger Feedback Trends

While the absolute number of passenger feedback responses increased during the period, the quality of ratings showed concerning declines. The feedback data reveals a troubling pattern in passenger satisfaction levels.

Despite higher feedback volumes, the proportion of 'excellent' and 'satisfactory' ratings declined. For bedroll services, these positive ratings dropped by 1.90% in October and 0.83% in November compared to September. Coach cleanliness saw even steeper declines, with 'excellent' and 'satisfactory' feedback falling by 2.62% in October and 1.19% in November.

Ministry Response and Directives

Expressing concern over the deteriorating feedback trends, the Railway Ministry issued a letter on January 6 to all zonal principal chief mechanical engineers responsible for housekeeping services. The directive emphasized the need for immediate analysis and corrective action.

The ministry stated: "During the monthly review of Rail Madad grievances, a comparative analysis of bedroll and coach cleanliness-related complaints under train cause-wise feedback for October and November, in comparison with September, has revealed a decline in overall feedback percentages and a reduction in overall 'excellent' and 'satisfactory' feedback ratios."

Key ministry directives include:

• Analyzing reasons for reduced feedback ratios
• Identifying causes behind declining 'excellent' and 'satisfactory' ratings
• Implementing suitable measures to improve grievance redressal mechanisms
• Strengthening overall cleanliness standards across the network

Rail Madad System Overview

The Railway Ministry emphasized the importance of the Rail Madad portal as an integrated digital grievance redressal system. The platform facilitates registration, real-time monitoring, and time-bound resolution of passenger complaints, serving as a crucial tool for measuring and improving passenger satisfaction across the railway network.

The current data trends suggest that despite the digital infrastructure being in place, the actual service delivery regarding cleanliness standards requires significant improvement to restore passenger confidence and satisfaction levels.

Indian Railways has achieved significant progress in budget utilization, spending ₹2,03,138 crore or 80.54% of its total gross budgetary support (GBS) of ₹2,52,200 crore by the end of December 2025. The ministry announced this development on Monday, highlighting a 6.54% increase in GBS utilization compared to the same period last year.

Strategic Fund Allocation Across Key Areas

The railway ministry has prioritized expenditure across critical infrastructure development areas. Safety-related works received the highest attention with 84% of allocated funds being utilized, demonstrating the organization's commitment to secure rail operations.

Infrastructure Modernization Achievements

The consistent capital expenditure over the last decade has yielded substantial results in railway modernization. The ministry outlined several major accomplishments that have transformed the Indian railway network:

• 164 Vande Bharat train services launched across the network
• 30 Amrit Bharat train services introduced for enhanced connectivity
• Kavach automatic train protection system implementation for improved safety
• Over 99% electrification of the broad-gauge network completed
• Extensive infrastructure works including new lines, gauge conversion, and track doubling

Capacity Enhancement and Passenger Experience

Out of the ₹1,09,238 crore allocated for capacity augmentation, the railways has spent ₹76,048 crore, achieving a 69% utilization rate. Customer amenities have seen significant investment with ₹9,575 crore expenditure by December 2025, representing 80% utilization of allocated funds.

The ministry emphasized that these initiatives have significantly improved speed, safety, and passenger comfort while maintaining affordable rail travel. The upcoming inauguration of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train is expected to further transform long-distance rail travel.

Future Outlook and Target Achievement

According to the ministry, the current expenditure trends indicate that the GBS expenditure plan remains on track with infrastructural works being executed expeditiously. Officials expressed confidence that the targets for FY 2025-26 are likely to be fully achieved, reflecting the railway's commitment to transforming into a future-ready organization aligned with the vision of a modern and connected nation.