Lok Sabha Question No. 536 (STARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Complaints regarding Food Quality and Catering Service in Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 536

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026

## COMPLAINTS REGARDING FOOD QUALITY AND CATERING SERVICE IN TRAINS

- †*536. SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV: SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the number of complaints lodged by passengers regarding poor quality of food in trains during the last two years, location and railwise;
- (b) whether regular complaints are being received about insects, cockroaches and poor taste of the food served in Mail, Superfast and Vade Bharat Express trains;
- (c) if so, the reasons for lack of cleanliness and quality control despite high ticket prices and catering charges;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  received  reports  of  stale  food  (such  as Papad-like  hard  rotis  and  day-old  dal/paneer)  being  served  on  popular routes and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the number  of catering contractors penalised, blacklisted/issued notices  during  the  last  financial  year  as  a  result  of  the  recurring complaints;
- (f) whether the Government has taken any steps to improve the quality of food  supplied  to  on  board  passengers  especially  in  the  Vande  Bharat and Shatabdi trains and if so, the details thereof;
- (g)  whether  the  Government  has  received  any  plea  for  the  supply  and serving of Southern Indian food in trains especially in Southern Railway and if so, the details thereof; and

§

- (h) whether the Government has commissioned modern base kitchens and introduce  QR  codes  on  food  packets  showing  details  like  name  of kitchen, date of packaging etc. and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (h): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****

## STATEMENT REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (h)  OF  STARRED QUESTION NO.536 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026 IN LOK SABHA

(a) to (h): Indian Railways serve about 58 cr meals every year on average in trains and on an average about 0.0008% complaints are received. Based on inquiry on these complaints during the last three years, a fine of Rs 2.6 cr has been imposed.

Passenger complaints related to quality and hygiene in trains are handled by  IRCTC  promptly  and  appropriate  punitive  action  is  taken  against  the service  providers  for  deficiency  in  service  as  per  contract  agreement. IRCTC publishes the debarment list on its official website.

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.

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.
-  Introduction of QR codes on meal packets supplied in trains to enhance food  safety,  transparency  and  passenger  awareness.  The  QR  code provides  complete  PLM  (Packing,  Labelling  and  Marking)  information

- including Maximum Retail Price (MRP), date and time of packing, name of the licensee and FSSAI license number, enabling passengers to verify food details easily
-  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.
-  Regular and surprise inspections by Railway/ IRCTC officials, including 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.

## Following measures have been taken to improve onboard cleanliness:

-  Mechanized Coach Cleaning is undertaken during primary maintenance.
-  On-Board  Housekeeping  Services  (OBHS)  are  provided  for  en-route cleaning and grievance redressal.
-  Clean  Train  Station  (CTS)  services  ensure  mechanized  cleaning  of coaches, including toilets, during scheduled stoppages.
-  Engagement of professional  and technology-enabled  service  providers for sustained improvements in cleanliness and passenger services.
-  All  passenger  coaches  have  been  installed  with  bio-toilets  so  that  no human  waste  is  discharged  from  coaches  on  the  track  resulting  in improved cleanliness level. The details of provision of bio toilets are as under:

| Period                   | Number of Bio-Toilet fitted   |
|--------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 2004-2014                | 9,587                         |
| 2014- Till February 2026 | 3,66,250                      |

Further, in order to take passenger feedback, the complaint management system over Indian Railways has been strengthened, simplified and made more  accessible  over  the  last  few  years  through  the  introduction  of RailMadad  Portal.  With  the  launch  of  RailMadad  Portal,  Indian  Railways provided  passengers  a  single  window  system  to  register  complaints  and suggestions.

Based  on  feedback  received  from  the  stakeholders  from  time  to  time, IRCTC has introduced regional cuisines to offer a personalised experience to passengers of different regions. Several regional and local dishes from the southern part of India have been introduced in trains. The details are as under:

|   S. No. | States         | Cuisine items                                                                                         |
|----------|----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Tamil Nadu     | Set Dosai, Palkatti Chettinad, Tomato Paruppu Kootu, Payasam, Chettinad Potato & Patani Curry         |
|        2 | Karnataka      | Medu Vada                                                                                             |
|        3 | Kerala         | Kerala Chicken curry, Malabar Chicken Biryani, Payasam, Banana Kalan, Allepey Veg Curry, Kadala Curry |
|        4 | Andhra Pradesh | Idly, Vada, Dosa, Pesarattu upma, Curd rice/Pulihora                                                  |
|        5 | Telangana      | Dry Veg Donda groundnut fry, Senagapappu Vankaya Koora                                                |
|        6 | Puducherry     | Semiya upma, poriyal/kootu, Tamarind Rice                                                             |

*****