RailMadad — 139 Railway Complaint, PNR Filing and Status
One helpline and one portal cover every railway complaint, during the journey or after it. The thing that decides whether yours gets acted on is filing it while you are still on the train.
- Who to contact first
- RailMadad, the integrated Indian Railways grievance system — one route for the whole network, not the individual station or train crew.
- How to reach them
- Dial 139, or file at railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in or on the RailMadad app against your PNR. Note the complaint number; it arrives by SMS.
- How long to wait
- Complaints raised during a journey are worked in near real time and routed to on-board or station staff. Indian Railways has not published a single redress period for all complaint types.
- If they ignore you
- Escalate in writing to the Divisional Railway Manager of the division concerned, quoting the complaint number, then to the Zonal Railway. CPGRAMS runs in parallel with a 21-day norm.
Official source · last verified 1 September 2026 — RailMadad — Indian Railways grievance redressal. GetNyay is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any government department.
RailMadad handles what happened on the journey — cleanliness, catering, staff, security, fittings. A ticket refund after cancellation is a different process handled through IRCTC and the refund rules, and filing a refund claim as a RailMadad service complaint tends to lose time. If your grievance is that the train was cancelled or you could not travel, start with the refund route; if it is that the journey itself was bad, start with 139.
Generate a RailMadad complaint letter — free, Word & PDF
Answer a few questions and GetNyay drafts the complete letter with your registration number, an evidence checklist and the escalation timeline filled in. No payment, no signup.
Word & PDF · No signup
All contact channels
Every channel below was read on an official page. Contact details change — the source for each is linked in the verification footer at the end of this page.
The escalation ladder, level by level
Work through these in order. Every forum above asks what you did below, and skipping a rung is the commonest reason a complaint is sent back.
- 1RailMadad complaintWait Near real time during a journey
RailMadad itself, which routes the complaint to on-board or station staff for the train or station concerned.
139 · railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in
The PNR, or the train number with the UTS number for an unreserved ticket, the coach and berth, and the incident date. A photograph where the complaint is about a physical condition.
- 2Divisional Railway Manager (DRM)Wait Not published as a fixed period
The Divisional Railway Manager of the division the train or station belongs to, in writing.
The complaint number, the PNR, the date, and what the RailMadad response did or did not address. Divisions are geographic — name the one where the incident happened.
- 3Zonal RailwayWait Not published
The Zonal Railway headquarters above that division.
Both earlier references, the dates, and the relief still outstanding.
- 4CPGRAMS · District Consumer CommissionWait CPGRAMS: 21 days. Consumer complaint: two years from the cause of action
CPGRAMS, in parallel, and the consumer commission where you want compensation.
pgportal.gov.in · e-jagriti.gov.in
The ticket, the PNR, the complaint number and the loss claimed. A railway ticket is a paid service, so deficiency in service is actionable.
How the process runs
- 1File while you are still on the train
This is the single most important thing. RailMadad routes in-journey complaints to on-board and station staff who can act immediately — a coach that is cleaned at the next halt is a resolved complaint; the same complaint filed a week later is a statistic.
then: a complaint number arrives by SMS - 2Give the PNR and the coach
The PNR, or the train number with the UTS number for an unreserved ticket, plus the coach and berth. Attach a photograph where the complaint is about a physical condition.
then: the complaint is routed to the responsible staff - 3Check status on 139, option 9
Or on the portal with the complaint number. Unresolved complaints escalate within the system.
then: if nothing was done - 4Write to the Divisional Railway Manager
Quote the complaint number, the PNR and the date, and name the division where the incident happened. Then the Zonal Railway above it.
then: if you want compensation rather than an apology - 5Consumer commission
A railway ticket is a paid service, so a failure is actionable as deficiency in service at the District Consumer Commission, within two years of the cause of action.
What this system will not take up
Filing one of these wastes the whole period — it is closed on that ground alone.
- Ticket booking, cancellation and refund, which run through IRCTC and the refund rules rather than as a service complaint.
- Anything pending before a court.
- A claim for compensation — RailMadad fixes the service or explains; it does not award damages.
- Complaints about a private caterer’s own employment matters, or other disputes not concerning your journey.
What to have ready before you complain
Assemble these first. A complaint that opens with the identifying numbers gets routed; one that opens with how long this has been going on gets a template reply.
- The PNR, or the train number and UTS number for an unreserved ticket.
- The coach number and berth or seat number.
- The incident date — the portal accepts the current date or a small number of recent dates, so file promptly.
- A photograph of the condition complained about, taken in the coach with the coach number visible where possible.
- The complaint number issued by RailMadad, which arrives by SMS.
- For a refund or compensation claim, the ticket itself and proof of what the failure cost you.
Timelines at a glance
How long to wait at each stage, and where that period comes from.
| Stage | Window | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| RailMadad complaint raised during a journey | Near real time — routed to on-board or station staff | RailMadad is designed for in-journey assistance |
| Complaint after the journey | No single published period across complaint types | Record your own dates from the complaint number SMS |
| CPGRAMS, if filed in parallel | 21 days, with an interim reply if longer | CPGRAMS FAQ |
| Consumer complaint, from the cause of action | Two years | Consumer Protection Act, 2019 |
Common complaints handled here
Who runs this, and who is above it
Ministry of Railways, Government of India
RailMadad was created to replace a scatter of separate railway helplines with one integrated number, 139, covering queries, complaints and assistance during travel. Like India Post, Indian Railways is a government department rather than a regulated company, so there is no sector ombudsman above it — the ladder runs through the division and the zone, with CPGRAMS and the consumer commission alongside.
https://railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in/ →If they ignore you — where to go next
What each forum costs and what it needs before it will take your case.
The complaint number, the PNR and the date. Name the division where the incident occurred.
A parallel central record with a 21-day norm and a 30-day appeal window.
A railway ticket is a paid service, so a failure of that service is actionable as deficiency in service. Two years from the cause of action.
Frequently asked questions
What is the railway complaint number?
139. It is the integrated Indian Railways helpline for queries, complaints and assistance during travel, replacing the several separate numbers that existed before. The menu includes options for general complaints, vigilance, parcel and goods, IRCTC-operated trains, and checking the status of a complaint you have already made.
How do I complain about a train on RailMadad?
File on 139, on railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in or on the RailMadad app, against your PNR — or the train number with the UTS number if you hold an unreserved ticket. Give the coach and berth, pick the complaint category, and attach a photograph where the complaint is about something visible. You receive a complaint number by SMS, which is what you track with.
Does complaining during the journey actually work better?
Yes, and it is the single most useful thing to know about this system. RailMadad is built around in-journey assistance: a complaint raised from the train is routed to on-board or station staff who can act at the next halt. The same complaint filed after you get home has no one who can still fix it, and becomes a matter of record rather than repair.
How do I check my RailMadad complaint status?
Press 9 on the 139 menu, or use the complaint number on the RailMadad portal. Keep the SMS you were sent — the complaint number is the only identifier that works, and people frequently try to check status with a PNR instead and conclude nothing was registered.
Can I get compensation for a delayed train?
Not through RailMadad, which addresses the service rather than awarding damages. Because a railway ticket is a paid service, a failure can be pursued as deficiency in service at the District Consumer Commission, with no filing fee where the consideration paid is up to ₹5 lakh and a two-year limitation from the cause of action. Keep the ticket and evidence of what the delay actually cost you.
Is RailMadad the same as IRCTC complaints?
Not quite. RailMadad covers the journey — cleanliness, catering, staff, fittings, security. IRCTC handles booking, cancellation and refunds, and the 139 menu has a dedicated option for IRCTC-operated trains. If your issue is a refund, start with the IRCTC refund route; if it is the journey itself, start with RailMadad.
Letter and notice formats
Full sample letters you can adapt, or generate your own with your facts filled in — free.
Related escalation guides
Every contact detail on this page was read on an official page — primarily RailMadad — Indian Railways grievance redressal. Government contact details change without notice. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will check it.
What we deliberately left blank (4)
- — The RailMadad portal refused connections when this page was built. The helpline number, its menu options and the filing flow come from Government of India press material and portal descriptions rather than from a page we could open directly — verify on the portal before relying on a specific menu option.
- — A published redress period for railway complaints, which does not appear to exist as a single figure.
- — Divisional Railway Manager contact details, which differ by division and are not published as one central list.
- — The exact number of past dates the portal accepts for an incident, which is described as a small recent window rather than a fixed figure we could verify.