What is the story about?
Major railway stations in India lack one or more basic passenger amenities, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit has found. According to the report,
E. coli bacteria has been found in drinking water samples picked up from water coolers at several railway stations and unhygienic conditions were also found in railway washrooms. Some strains of E.coli bacteria can lead to food poisoning, diarrhoea and kidney failure. According to the CAG, the Railway Board had issued various guidelines for the provision of passenger amenities at stations and that an audit was conducted to assess whether Indian Railways' efforts to ensure the provision of passenger amenities and sanitation at stations yielded the intended benefits.
E. Coli Bacteria Found In Drinking Water At Stations
"Water sample from water cooler was positive for E.coli at two stations (Coimbatore and Palakkad Junctions) in SR (Southern Railway), one station (Hyderabad) in SCR (South Central Railway), four stations (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan and Lonavala) in CR (Central Railway) and one station (Madhupur) in ER (Eastern Railway)," the report which studied passenger services at 512 non-suburban grade stations across all zones said.
"Test results of drinking water samples collected from taps in platforms at 49 stations in eight zones during 2022-23 and 56 stations in 9 zones during 2023-24 indicated presence of Total coliforms bacteria (including E-coli)," the report stated.
CAG Audit Flags Basic Amenity Gaps
The audit found that 458 out of the 512 selected stations (around 89 per cent) were deficient in the provision of Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA). It said that at these 458 stations, MEAs were either not provided at all or were available below the prescribed norms. Only 54 stations, or roughly 11 per cent, were found to have no such gaps.
Among the amenities found lacking, fans were missing at 42 per cent of the stations audited, making it the most common shortfall. Water coolers were absent at 40 per cent of stations, while 27 per cent did not have adequate drinking water taps — a combination that points to a significant gap in basic hydration and comfort infrastructure, particularly relevant given India's extreme summer temperatures.
The audit also flagged a shortage of urinals at 22 per cent of stations and insufficient seating at 15 per cent, both of which directly affect passenger experience during long waits. Platform shelters were inadequate at 13 per cent of stations, offering little protection from sun or rain, while 12 per cent of stations had shortfalls in toilet facilities.
"In April 2018, RB (Railway Board) issued comprehensive instructions prescribing Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA), Recommended Amenities (RA) and Desirable Amenities (DA) for stations categorised as NSG 1 to NSG 6. RB stipulated that MEAs were to be ensured at all stations by 31 August 2018," the report said.
"RB's instructions (April 2018) mandated that MEAs be provided first at all stations, irrespective of category. These include drinking water, waiting halls, seating arrangements, platform shelters, urinals, latrines, high-level platforms, fans, Foot Over Bridges (FOBs), dustbins, clocks and public address systems," it added.
It found even stations like CSMT, Howrah, Sealdah, New Delhi and Mumbai Central, which come under the NSG-1 category, deficient in seating arrangements, sanitary facilities (urinals and latrines), dustbins and electronic train indicator boards, among others.
Beyond the amenity gaps, the CAG audit pointed to a deeper issue: significant underutilisation of railway grants meant for such upgrades. Over a five-year period, ₹11,479 crore in allocated funds remained unutilised, the audit found. The problem was particularly stark in 2023-24, when ₹5,956 crore — more than half the five-year total — went unused in a single year alone.
