The Indian Railways is once again under the scanner as the national auditor has flagged more than one lakh passenger complaints over water shortage in train toilets and wash basins during the financial year 2022-23. The findings, placed before Parliament this week, expose how systemic inefficiencies continue to undermine the quality of onboard sanitation, raising concerns over passenger safety, hygiene, and the credibility of India’s largest transport lifeline.
According to the audit, passengers reported 100,280 complaints in the last fiscal year regarding the non-availability of water in long-distance coaches. In nearly 34,000 of these cases, rectification was delayed beyond the prescribed timeline, leaving passengers without basic amenities during their journeys. Experts argue that such shortcomings undermine the push for modern, sustainable mobility solutions, particularly when India is aspiring to adopt global best practices in railway operations. The audit attributes the frequent water shortages to gaps in operational efficiency. Many complaints arose from failures to fill water tanks at designated watering points. Although the Railway Board had directed the installation of Quick Watering Arrangements (QWA) to speed up refilling, only 81 of 109 identified stations had functional systems by March 2023. At 28 stations, projects were delayed for up to four years due to funding constraints and contractor inefficiencies.
Beyond water supply, the audit paints a mixed picture of Indian Railways’ cleanliness operations. While passenger satisfaction with bio-toilet facilities exceeded 50 per cent in five zones, it fell below 10 per cent in two others. Surveys across 96 long-distance trains revealed glaring inconsistencies in the quality of sanitation services, exposing the challenge of implementing uniform standards across the vast network. Budgetary performance has also raised eyebrows. Expenditure on key sanitation services such as linen management and coach cleaning consistently exceeded allocated funds, with utilisation ranging from 102 to 147 per cent of the sanctioned grant. At the same time, under-utilisation in some zones reflected uneven financial planning. Automatic Coach Washing Plants, meant to standardise cleaning operations, were found to be underutilised, with eight out of 24 inspected plants lying idle.
Equally troubling was the poor execution of the Clean Train Stations (CTS) scheme, designed to allow mechanised cleaning of bio-toilets and coach interiors at en-route halts. Joint inspections across 12 zones revealed that promised machine usage, manpower deployment, and toilet cleaning were far from adequate within the prescribed 10–15 minute stoppages. Onboard Housekeeping Services, though better rated, delivered only moderate satisfaction levels across most zones, barring a few exceptions. Experts note that unless service providers are held accountable and operational monitoring is made transparent, complaints will continue to mount despite rising expenditure.
Amid these concerns, the audit did highlight isolated successes. For instance, the environment-friendly laundry model operational in one Western Railway depot was commended as an example of sustainable practice, proving that efficiency and eco-consciousness can co-exist when systems are managed professionally. Analysts argue that these findings underline the urgent need for the railways to prioritise not just capacity expansion but also passenger-centric services that align with India’s broader goals of sustainable and equitable urban transport. Without reliable sanitation and water availability, the passenger experience risks being eroded, jeopardising the national carrier’s vision of becoming a modern, eco-friendly mobility backbone.
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