The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged widespread gaps in basic passenger amenities at railway stations across India, including major terminals such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai Central, Howrah, Sealdah and New Delhi. The shortcomings range from inadequate drinking water taps and fans to toilets, seating, dustbins, signage and electronic train indicator boards.
In its report, Passenger Amenities and Sanitation at Non-Suburban Railway Stations in Indian Railways, the CAG examined facilities at stations for the period 2019-20 to 2023-24. The findings raise questions over why basic facilities remain inadequate at some of the country's busiest stations despite the Railway Board laying down detailed norms and timelines.
Basic Facilities Still Fall Short
“Audit of passenger amenities and sanitation at railway stations revealed persistent and widespread deficiencies across Indian Railways, despite detailed norms and timelines prescribed by the Railway Board since 1952 and reiterated comprehensively in April 2018,” the report said.
At Non-Suburban Group-1 (NSG-1) stations, the highest category covering stations with earnings exceeding ₹500 crore and/or outward passenger traffic exceeding 20 million, the audit found a shortage of drinking water taps at 12 stations. Fans and water coolers were deficient at eight stations each, while signage was inadequate at five.
The 12 stations with deficient drinking water taps were CSMT, Thane, Kalyan Junction, Howrah, Sealdah, New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi, Tambaram, Mumbai Central, Surat and Ahmedabad.
Four stations, CSMT, Howrah, Sealdah and Ahmedabad, had deficiencies in seating arrangements. Urinals were deficient at CSMT, Thane, Chennai Egmore and Tambaram, while CSMT and Thane had deficiencies in latrines.
Major Terminals Among Those Flagged
Fans were found deficient at Patna Junction, Howrah, Sealdah, New Delhi, Chennai Egmore, Tambaram, Mumbai Central and Surat. Water coolers were deficient at CSMT, Kalyan, Howrah, Sealdah, Secunderabad, KSR Bengaluru, Mumbai Central and Ahmedabad.
The audit also found a deficiency in electronic train indicator boards at Delhi. Signage was inadequate at Howrah, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Secunderabad, MGR Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore, while dustbins were deficient at Sealdah, Secunderabad and Tambaram.
The findings are particularly concerning because several of the stations are major terminals handling large numbers of passengers. Basic amenities such as drinking water, toilets and seating are fundamental requirements, and shortcomings at premier stations point to gaps in maintenance and monitoring.
The CAG said its scrutiny of NSG-1 stations showed deficiencies in core passenger amenities at major terminals, including CSMT, Howrah, Sealdah, New Delhi and Mumbai Central.
Seven Amenities Meet The Mark
There was some positive news. The report found no gaps at 18 selected NSG-1 stations in seven basic facilities: waiting halls, platform shelters, high-level platforms, foot overbridges, clocks, public announcement systems and parking-cum-circulatory areas.
However, deficiencies in the remaining nine basic facilities were found at 17 of these 18 stations. This shows that even when stations meet some prescribed standards, passengers may still encounter shortcomings in other essential facilities.
According to Railway Board instructions issued in April 2018, basic passenger facilities are to be provided at all railway stations irrespective of their category.
These Minimum Essential Amenities (MEAs) include drinking water, waiting halls, seating, platform shelters, urinals, latrines, high-level platforms, fans, foot overbridges, dustbins, clocks and public announcement systems.
2018 Deadline, Gaps Remain
The Railway Board's April 2018 instructions prescribed MEAs, Recommended Amenities (RAs) and Desirable Amenities (DAs) for stations categorised from NSG-1 to NSG-6. The Board stipulated that MEAs were to be ensured at all stations by Aug 31, 2018, with facilities subsequently augmented to recommended and desirable levels.
The persistence of deficiencies years after that deadline underlines the scale of the challenge facing Indian Railways in ensuring that standards laid down on paper translate into facilities available to passengers on the ground, Indian Express reports.
The extent of the problem becomes clearer across the 512 stations surveyed by the CAG. Only 54 stations, or less than 11%, had no shortfall in prescribed basic passenger amenities. These stations were spread across 13 Railway Zones.
Over 89% Stations Found Deficient
The remaining 458 stations, accounting for more than 89% of those surveyed, were deficient in the provision of MEAs. At these stations, facilities were either unavailable or provided below prescribed norms.
“Thus, 458 out of the 512 selected stations, accounting for more than 89 per cent, were deficient in the provision of MEAs,” the report said, adding that the findings indicated “widespread non-compliance with mandatory requirements and systemic gaps” in ensuring minimum passenger facilities.
Gorakhpur Junction was the only NSG-1 station among the selected stations to meet all MEA requirements.
In the NSG-2 category, eight stations met all requirements: Agra Cantt, Indore, Jaipur, Kota, Nagpur, Nashik Road, Patliputra and Tatanagar. Seven NSG-3 stations met the requirements: Akola, Banaras, Bhagat Ki Kothi, Bikaner, Kishangarh, Ranchi and Shri Ganganagar.
Three NSG-4 stations, Bhiwani, Chalisgaon and Falna, had no shortfall. The report listed 14 NSG-5 stations and 18 NSG-6 stations as meeting all MEA requirements.
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CAG Calls For Time-Bound Action
The CAG also found that delays in passenger amenity works meant essential facilities were not made available to passengers on time, affecting their convenience and services.
It recommended that Indian Railways ensure prescribed standards for basic amenities within fixed timelines. The auditor also called for station-wise, time-bound plans to address deficiencies in Recommended Amenities and Desirable Amenities.
The findings indicate that the issue is not simply about creating new facilities but also ensuring that prescribed amenities are available and maintained. With more than 89% of the surveyed stations recording deficiencies in minimum essential amenities, closing these gaps will require sustained monitoring and time-bound implementation rather than norms alone.
