Lok Sabha Question No. 4224 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: IRCTC's Drive against Unauthorised Vendors on the Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4224

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026

## IRCTC'S DRIVE AGAINST UNAUTHORISED VENDORS ON THE TRAINS

## 4224. SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it is a fact that Indian  Railway Catering  and  Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has recently deboarded a large number of unauthorised vendors from long-distance trains;
- (b)  if  so,  the  total  number  of  such  illegal  vendors  identified  and  removed during the last three years, zone-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has put in place any technological/ enforcement  mechanism  to  prevent  unauthorised  sale  of  food  items inside trains and to ensure passenger safety and hygiene and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps proposed by the Government to strengthen monitoring across the railway network?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (d):  Unauthorized  hawking  and  vending  in  the  passenger  area  on Indian  Railways is  prohibited.  It  is  an  offence  punishable  under  Section  144 of Railways Act, 1989. Regular inspections are conducted by designated  officials  and  RPF  to  check  and  prevent  entry  of  unauthorised vendors in trains. Special drives are also conducted by Railways and IRCTC officials  to  curb  unauthorised  vending  in  railway  premises  from  time  to time.

To  establish  identity  of  the  authorised  vendors  in  trains,  issuance  of  QR code enabled Identity Cards in the name of individual vendors/helpers/staff deployed for managing onboard catering services has been made mandatory. This QR code is linked to establish authenticity of the staff by

displaying the Vendor's name,  Aadhaar  No., Medical Fitness, Police verification  details,  etc.  Other  measures  taken  to  curb  unauthorised vending include QR code on food packets which displays name of kitchen and date of manufacturing etc.

The following measures have been taken to improve quality, hygiene, and food safety:

-  Supply of meals from designated Base Kitchens.
-  Commissioning of modern Base Kitchens at identified locations.
-  Installation of CCTV Cameras in Base Kitchens for better monitoring  of food preparation.
-  Shortlisting and use of popular and branded raw materials, like  cooking oil, atta, rice, pulses, masala items, paneer, dairy products etc. for food
- production.
-  Deployment of Food Safety Supervisors at Base Kitchens to monitor food safety and hygienic practices.
-  Deployment of on-board IRCTC supervisors on trains.
-  Regular deep cleaning and periodical pest control in Base Kitchens and Pantry Cars.
-  In order to ensure compliance with Food Safety Norms, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certification from  designated Food Safety Officers of each catering unit has been made mandatory.
-  Regular  food  sampling  as  a  part  of  the  inspection  and  monitoring mechanism to ensure quality of food on trains.
-  Third  Party  Audit  is  done  to  examine  hygiene  and  quality  of  food  in Pantry  Cars  and  Base  Kitchens.  Customer  satisfaction  survey  is  also conducted.
-  Surprise inspections by Food Safety Officers.
-  Regular training is conducted by IRCTC to enhance the skills of catering staff, focusing on customer service areas i.e., communication, courteous behaviour, service standards, personal grooming, and hygiene.

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