In a striking victory for consumer rights, a senior citizen couple from Hoodi, Bengaluru, has successfully taken on Indian Railways after being denied a refund for a journey they couldn’t undertake due to an overcrowded coach. The Bengaluru Urban II additional district consumer commission held South Western Railway (SWR) responsible for service failure and ordered a full fare refund along with compensation.

Purna Ramakrishna and his wife Hymavathi had booked sleeper class tickets on the Guwahati Express for April 13, 2022, paying ₹892.5. But upon reaching Krishnarajapuram (KJM) station, they found their coach swamped with passengers and were unable to board. With no railway staff to help and only a two-minute halt, they had to abandon their trip.

Despite filing representations and following up via email, they received no refund or explanation. Their initial complaint was dismissed in July 2023, but on appeal, the state commission ordered it to be reopened.

The couple’s ordeal didn’t end there. Their return trip had to be cancelled and a second journey was scrapped due to one unconfirmed ticket, leading to further losses.

Railways denied any service lapse, calling their decision “personal,” and claimed there were no other complaints of crowding. However, a May 2022 railway letter citing increased ticketless travel helped support the couple’s claim.

In March 2025, the consumer forum ruled in their favour, ordering a refund plus ₹5,000 for mental distress and ₹3,000 for litigation expenses.