57886-new railway number

 Customer care is the new mantra for railways as it is all set to launch a 24-hour helpline for passengers by December. 

Passengers can call 57886, or send text message at this number from across the country to lodge complaints about quality of food, bed rolls, misbehaviour by railway employees. 

Railways, in collaboration with CRIS, is working on the customer care and feedback system to esnure that passengers can lodge complaints or give feedbacks about all 16 railway zomes. 

"We are revamping the entire passenger feedback and complaint system to ensure that passengers could be heard. The 24x7 customer care number is a major step to improve service and customer satisfaction," Derek O'Brien, chairman of the railways' passenger services committee, told TOI. 

The system has been devised in such a way that as soon as messages or calls are received at the dedicated all-India number, it would forward them to authority in zonal headquarter, which, in turn, would be passed to the official concerned for immediate action. 

The back-office is designed to facilitate that the records of every callrelating to complaint or feedback is maintained for further action, to make the official accountable and to help the customer to know the status of his\her complaint. The call or SMS made to the customer care number will be charged as per the normal rate. 

Passengers can now book parcels or goods by using the customer care number. "Payment gateways are being worked out so that passengers can book their goods," O'Brien said. 

Railways' existing toll-free passenger enquiry number, 139, and the new customer care number will remain functional till end-February. Come March 1, only 57886 will be operational.