New Delhi: Nearly nine out of 10 non-suburban railway stations inspected by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) were found to be deficient in at least one essential passenger facility, raising concerns over the quality of basic services provided across the Indian Railways network.
The CAG’s report on passenger amenities and sanitation at non-suburban railway stations, released on August 12, 2026, found that 458 of the 512 stations inspected more than 89% did not meet one or more prescribed Minimum Essential Amenities (MEAs).
The shortcomings included inadequate drinking-water facilities, seating, toilets, platform shelters, fans, water coolers and signage. Only 54 of the 512 stations inspected had no shortfall against the prescribed norms.
The audit covered the period from 2019-20 to 2023-24 and examined facilities across India’s 5,908 non-suburban railway stations. These stations serve more than 7,424 passenger trains and cater to millions of passengers each year.
Systemic gaps in passenger facilities
Indian Railways has prescribed standards for passenger amenities, with the norms first codified by the Railway Board in 1952 and subsequently revised in 2018. However, the CAG found that deficiencies remained widespread across station categories and railway zones.
An analysis of data from the Passenger Amenities Management System also showed that the shortcomings were not confined to individual stations or regions. The audit described them as systemic gaps and noted the absence of time-bound action plans to address deficiencies in recommended and desirable amenities.
The audit also highlighted problems with sanitation infrastructure, including non-functional toilets, inadequate pay-and-use facilities and unauthorised entry points that could affect cleanliness and passenger safety.
Drinking water quality raises concern
The quality and monitoring of drinking water at railway stations emerged as another major concern.
According to the CAG, water-supply systems were not inspected at the prescribed frequency, while testing for residual chlorine, bacteriological contamination and chemical parameters was inadequate in several cases.
Tests conducted during 2022-23 found residual chlorine levels outside the prescribed range of 0.2 to 0.5 parts per million at 135 stations across all 16 railway zones. In 2023-24, similar deviations were recorded at 139 stations across 15 zones.
At 63 stations across 11 zones, more than half of the tests showed residual chlorine levels outside the prescribed range.
The audit also found total coliform bacteria, including E. coli, in drinking-water samples collected from 49 stations across eight zones in 2022-23 and 56 stations across nine zones in 2023-24.
The findings, according to the CAG, indicate shortcomings in water-quality management and raise concerns over the safety of drinking water supplied to passengers.
Non-compliance with transparency measures
The CAG also found that Indian Railways had not complied with a direction of the National Green Tribunal requiring station-wise webpages containing information on passenger amenities, sanitation measures and action plans.
As of March 2024, none of the railway zones had operationalised such webpages, according to the audit.
Funds remained underutilised
The deficiencies in passenger facilities were recorded despite the availability of dedicated funds.
The CAG found that between 36% and 44% of the budget grant allocated for passenger amenities remained unspent in each year between 2019-20 and 2023-24. The underutilisation was also recorded during non-COVID years.
According to the audit the persistent underspending points towards shortcomings in planning and execution rather than a lack of financial resources.
The findings highlight the need for Indian Railways to strengthen monitoring of passenger amenities, ensure regular testing of drinking water, improve sanitation infrastructure and make better use of funds allocated for passenger facilities. The report also underscores the importance of time-bound action to address gaps that have persisted across the railway network.