Indian Railways has imposed penalties worth Rs 5.13 crore on catering service providers over the last three years after inquiries into complaints related to poor food quality and unhygienic pantry cars, according to PTI.
The action comes as the national transporter continues to tighten oversight of onboard catering while handling millions of meals every year.
The details were shared by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha in response to questions from Congress MP Chandrakant Handore, who sought information on complaints related to food quality, hygiene standards in pantry cars and hospitality services in premium and express trains. He also asked about action taken against IRCTC licensees found guilty of overcharging passengers or serving substandard food and inadequate portions.
“Indian Railways serve about 58 crore meals every year on average. About only 0.0008% complaints are received on average. Based on inquiry on these complaints during the last three years, a fine of Rs 5.13 crore has been imposed,” Vaishnaw said in a written reply on Friday, according to PTI.
Complaints remain low, says Railways
The minister said Indian Railways receives a relatively small number of complaints compared with the overall volume of meals served annually. According to the ministry, nearly 58 crore meals are supplied to passengers every year through the railway catering network, with complaints accounting for only a tiny fraction of total meals served.
“Indian Railways continuously endeavour to provide good quality and hygienic food items to the travelling passengers as per the prescribed norms. Necessary steps are accordingly taken by Indian Railways from time to time to ensure the same,” he said, as per PTI.
Measures to improve catering quality and transparency
The Railways has also outlined a series of measures aimed at strengthening food safety and improving passenger confidence in onboard catering services.
The meals are increasingly being supplied from designated base kitchens to ensure better quality control, while modern base kitchens are being commissioned at identified locations. CCTV cameras have also been installed in base kitchens to enable real-time monitoring of food preparation and hygiene practices.
Vaishnaw said Indian Railways is also promoting greater transparency in onboard transactions by equipping pantry cars with Point of Sale (POS) machines for digital billing. Passengers can make payments using multiple digital options, including UPI, QR codes and debit or credit card swipe machines, reducing dependence on cash transactions, according to PTI.
The response comes amid continued scrutiny of catering standards on trains, particularly premium services where passengers have frequently raised concerns over food quality, cleanliness and pricing on social media and through railway grievance platforms.