Parliament Question: Poor Condition of Railway Coaches in Southern Routes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 727 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026 POOR CONDITION OF RAILWAY COACHES IN SOUTHERN ROUTES 727. SHRI MANI A: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware of serious complaints regarding poor condition of coaches and substandard passenger services in certain Southern-bound Rajdhani Express trains, particularly Trivandrum Rajdhani, Goa Rajdhani and other Rajdhani services on Southern routes and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether it is a fact that despite charging high dynamic fares comparable to premium trains like Tejas Express and Rajdhani services on other routes, passengers are facing issues such as torn and dislodged seats, infestation of cockroaches, poor cleanliness, substandard quality of food and unhygienic bedding in these trains; (c) if so, the details of inspections conducted and complaints received during the last three years, train and route-wise; and (d) the corrective measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to improve coach maintenance, cleanliness, catering quality and bedding standards and to ensure uniform service quality across all Rajdhani Express routes? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (d) Modernization and Improvement/up-gradation of Rolling Stock to enhance safety, convenience and comfort of passengers is a continuous and ongoing process on Indian Railways. All the Rajdhani Express trains including Southern-bound Rajdhani Express are being operated with Technologically superior LHB coaches having better riding, improved aesthetics and features like Contd...2/-:2: Lightweight design, Anti climbing features, Air suspension (Secondary) with failure indication system, stainless steel shell and disc brake system etc. Production of LHB coaches during 2014-25 vis-à-vis 2004-14 is as under: Period LHB coaches manufactured 2004-14 2,337 nos. 2014-25 42,677 nos. (more than 18 times) Further, regular actions are taken to ensure and improve maintenance standards and cleanliness of coaches, which are as follows:  Maintenance of coaches is carried at coaching depots/terminals in line with laid down detailed guidelines and prescribed standards.  Mechanized Coach Cleaning is being ensured during maintenance for better cleaning of the coach including interior, exterior and toilets.  On-Board Housekeeping Staff Service is being provided to ensure cleanliness on run and Clean Train Station services are also provided for en-route attention.  Regular monitoring is done through inspections by nominated officials in divisions/depots & workshops etc across Zonal Railways.  Regular training of staff is also undertaken to ensure safety and comfort of passengers. Railway serves about 58 Cr meals every year on average. In order to take passenger feedback, the complaint management system over Indian Railways has been strengthened, simplified and made more accessible over the last few years through the introduction of RailMadad Portal. This RailMadad portal is Indian Railways grievance redressal mechanism that provides passengers an integrated platform for grievances redressal and assistance. RailMadad can be reached through multiple channels i.e. Helpline number- 139, RailMadad Web, App, SMS & RailOne App and it is resolved in real time by auto assigning the request to the concerned officials. Necessary steps are accordingly taken by Indian Railways from time to time to improve services to passengers.RailMadad also allows passengers to share feedback on the resolution of their grievances. *****