Railway timetable still has old helpline numbers

The Indian Railways have scrapped all helpline numbers operated by the zonal railways, replacing those with a single national helpline number 139 for railway-related queries such as PNR status and information on arrival and departure of the trains

The newly released outstation train timetable for the west zone has old helpline numbers of various zonal railways, which do not exist anymore.

The Indian Railways have scrapped all helpline numbers operated by the zonal railways, replacing those with a single national helpline number 139 for railway-related queries such as PNR status and information on arrival and departure of the trains.

Page number 372 of the west zone timetable, which lists details of trains operated by the central railway (CR), western railway (WR), west-central railway (WCR) and north-western railway (NWR), the authorities have published over 12 helpline numbers of the zonal railways, although none of them are functional.

For instance, passengers could get information on their PNR status by dialing 135 and 137, both of which are non-functional.

Railway sources said the timetable is prepared by one of the four zonal railways on rotation every year and this year it was responsibility of the WCR. “The numbers have been non-functional for the past five years, despite which the authorities print the same numbers every year,” said Rajiv Singhal, member of WR’s zonal railway users consultative committee, adding passengers are being cheated despite spending Rs45 to buy it.

It learnt that WCR has printed over 41,000 copies of the west zone timetable.