Indian Railways is introducing independent, technology-enabled food safety audits across trains and railway stations after repeated passenger complaints about poor food quality and unhygienic catering practices. The initiative will be implemented through a strategic Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and the Quality Council of India (QCI), according to a statement issued by the Railway Ministry.
Under the arrangement, QCI will appoint certified professionals to carry out unannounced quarterly and half-yearly inspections of catering operations across the railway network. The ministry said the audits would check compliance with statutory Food Safety and Standards Authority of India regulations as well as the prescribed culinary standards.
The inspection process will use QCI’s digital infrastructure to create a time-stamped and location-linked record of each audit. Inspectors will be required to use a mobile application to upload findings, geo-tags and photographic evidence. Audit reports must be submitted within 24 hours, allowing railway and IRCTC officials to identify shortcomings and track corrective and preventive action against vendors.
The ministry said the digital documentation was intended to prevent data tampering and improve transparency in the enforcement process. Where catering licensees violate prescribed standards, the records will also support faster corrective action and the imposition of penalties.
The new system will cover both onboard catering and station-based food facilities. The Railway Ministry said independent screening of food preparation on trains would help protect passengers from substandard meals, while standardised inspections at static catering units would focus on hygiene and cooking conditions at major stations.
Indian Railways serves around 58 crore meals every year. Over the past three years, IRCTC has taken punitive action against vendors in response to complaints and inspection findings, including fines totalling Rs 5.13 crore, 54 show-cause notices, termination of six contracts and the debarring of licensees for food quality and hygiene violations. IRCTC has published the list of debarred licensees on its website.
Railway and IRCTC officials, including Food Safety Officers, already conduct routine and surprise inspections covering food safety, staff deployment, equipment maintenance, cleanliness and compliance with applicable regulations. The new QCI-led system adds an independent inspection layer and a mandatory digital evidence trail to those checks.
The measures outlined by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a recent Rajya Sabha reply include preparing meals at designated base kitchens, developing modern base kitchens at select locations, installing CCTV cameras for real-time surveillance and using branded raw materials. IRCTC has also appointed Food Safety Supervisors at base kitchens, deployed supervisors on trains and prescribed regular deep cleaning and pest-control activity in base kitchens and pantry cars.
The Railway Ministry said the QCI inspections would run through recurring quarterly and half-yearly cycles, with the 24-hour reporting requirement intended to speed up action against catering operators that fail to meet food safety and hygiene standards.
