Amarkantak Express: Holy for Railfans as holy as Amarkantak is for devotees. - Ayan G

one of the dirtiest and ill maintained train of IR.
I booked my ticket in 2AC expecting good comfort, cleanliness and good hospitality on part of onboard staff.
I boarded it on 3rd May. Though the coaches were 2006 made but from inside they looked not younger then 99 made. curtains were torn away at some places and blue curtains were looking black having multiple layers of dust. the linen provided was clean but again no hand towel was provided with the bed roll. I chased down the coach attendant but he was...
more...

nowhere in sight. the side reading lamp bulb was fused and not working.
toilets were in filthiest condition with water logging at places and no liquid soap provided.... they looked like toilets of SL class of an ordinary mail/express train. also, no paper roll was provided in western style toilets. disgusting.
next morning train reached Bhopal, then again I looked out for the attendant. I asked him repeatedly to provide me the hand towel but he always ran away.
Then I started searching the SMS Complaint registration mobile no. of IR provided here at IRI by Vishwanath** ji.
I flashed one quick sms with the complaint description and my pnr details as soon as the left from bhopal. I got the acknowledgement in next 2 hours while approaching Itarasi. At Itarasi I was provided the hand towel by another coach attendant.
At Nagpur a senior official from CCM/Nagpur office came to me to check if the complaint has been actioned to satisfaction or not. except hand towel provided... everything else was as it is. He quickly called for head TTE and onboard train supritendant and other guys and scolded them badly for inaction and poor management. He assured me of action at Balharshah and called someone rightaway at Balharshah to take care of my complaint. The official gave me his mobile no. so that he can quickly attend to any further complaint or feedback on previous complaint.
Later at Balharshah a team of CTS staf came inside and quickly replaced empty cans of liquid soap in toilets and paper rolls. also coach was cleaned from inside and room freshener sprayed before the train was allowed to leave.
I quickly flashed one feedback sms to the official on his personal mobile no. and also on the IR mobile no.