What happened
CAG audit (Report No. 31 of 2026) and PAC meeting on 17 Sept 2026 flagged massive amenity gaps across Indian Railways 512 non-suburban stations.
The PAC on 17 September 2026 pulled up Indian Railways over serious gaps in passenger amenities, citing a CAG audit of 512 non-suburban stations.
Bio-toilets — a flagship initiative — were deficient or non-functional at 491 of 512 stations, the CAG Report No. 31 of 2026 found.
Water tests found E. coli at 49 stations (2022-23) and 56 stations (2023-24); Wi-Fi and water-vending also flagged deficient at 65/380 and 29/77 stations.
PAC Chairperson K.C. Venugopal said four PAC reports since 2007 have been ignored and asked for a response within one month.
Timeline
- 2007 — First PAC report on passenger amenities
- 2013 — Second performance audit
- 2016 — Compliance audit
- 2026-08-12 — CAG Report No. 31 tabled in Parliament
- 2026-09-17 — PAC discussion on Railways
Key Numbers
- 491/512 bio-toilets deficient
- 458/512 stations amenity deficiencies
- 65/380 Wi-Fi deficient
- 29/77 water-vending deficient
Why it matters for me
Railways must review observations since 2007 and submit corrective measures; water at 49+56 stations showed E. coli contamination.
Daily Life
Travelers · General Public
Contaminated water at 105+ stations puts passenger health at risk
Work · Daily Life
Policy Watchers · General Public
PAC directs Railways to respond within a month with corrective measures
Daily Life
Travelers
Repeated PAC reports since 2007 show implementation failure despite flagship schemes
What to remember
Bio-toilets — a flagship scheme — failed at 96% of audited stations despite repeated PAC reports since 2007.
PAC slams Railways: 491/512 bio-toilets non-functional, water contaminated at 105 stations.
Verified sources (3)
PAC pulls up Railways over gaps in passenger amenities despite promises
↗CAG Report No. 31 of 2026 — Passenger amenities and sanitation at non-suburban railway stations in Indian Railways
↗Railway zones to respond to CAG report on harmful bacteria in drinking water, unhygienic toilets
↗Claims and linked sources
8 claimsThe Public Accounts Committee on 17 September 2026 expressed concern that bio-toilets, projected as a game changer by Indian Railways, were found deficient or non-functional at 491 of 512 stations inspected by the CAG.
PAC Chairperson K.C. Venugopal said four PAC reports on passenger amenities/sanitation have been tabled since 2007 and the Railways has ignored their findings; the Ministry keeps submitting action-taken reports without on-ground improvements.
The PAC directed the Ministry of Railways to review its observations since 2007 and submit a response within one month detailing measures to address the deficiencies.
The CAG audit found deficiencies in water-vending machines at 29 of 77 stations and in Wi-Fi facilities at 65 of 380 stations, even though the Ministry had told the Standing Committee on Railways in 2020-21 that these facilities had been introduced.
The CAG report (No. 31 of 2026) flagged serious deficiencies in Minimum Essential Amenities — drinking water, seating, toilets, platform shelters, fans, water coolers, signage — at 458 of 512 audited stations, including at high-revenue/high-footfall stations.
CAG bacteriological tests of platform drinking-water taps found total coliform bacteria including E. coli at 49 stations in eight zones (2022-23) and 56 stations in nine zones (2023-24); the Ministry subsequently launched a special cleanliness/drinking-water quality drive.
The CAG report is the fourth audit on passenger amenities/sanitation in nearly two decades, following performance audits in 2007 and 2013 and a compliance audit in 2016; it was tabled in Parliament on 12 August 2026 and the PAC discussion took place on 17 September 2026.
Venugopal acknowledged the scale and complexity of running Indian Railways but said that should not hamper basic services for citizens.
Community signals
Signal-only · not reporting“Basic amenities provided to passengers have serious discrepancies, including drinking water, seating arrangements, fans, and roofing on platforms...”