Indian Railways Steps Up Food Quality Checks, Plans Quicker Action On Complaints

Indian Railways is set to strengthen monitoring of catering services, improve food hygiene standards and speed up grievance redressal through enhanced use of technology.

The move follows a review of the IRCTC War Room by Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar at the IRCTC office, where systems for passenger feedback, kitchen surveillance and quality checks were assessed.

According to a PIB release, the review focused on making existing monitoring mechanisms more responsive, technology-driven and focused on timely action.

Rail Madad Complaints To Get Closer Tracking

During the review, Satish Kumar directed officials to further automate the Rail Madad interface to allow passengers to raise concerns more easily through a simplified process.

The Railway Board also emphasised closer monitoring of complaints received through the platform, including direct interaction with passengers wherever required to understand issues and ensure effective resolution.

The move is aimed at improving accountability in handling passenger complaints related to catering services and other railway facilities.

“To strengthen accountability of inspecting agencies, the CRB directed that each inspecting agency should systematically post details of deficiencies observed as well as performance during inspections, enabling their work to be continuously monitored and evaluated,” the Ministry of Railways said in the release.

More Cameras For Railway Kitchen Monitoring

The review also examined the use of camera-based surveillance systems in railway catering kitchens.

Currently, four camera feeds are available for monitoring kitchen operations. The Railway Board has directed the installation of additional cameras in raw material storage areas along with PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras to expand surveillance coverage.

The monitoring system is also being used to identify kitchens requiring improvement. During the review, the catering kitchen at Anantapur in South Central Railway was flagged for improvement based on inspection findings and video monitoring.

Officials were also asked to conduct a detailed review of the roti and paratha preparation process to identify gaps that could affect food quality and consistency.

Third-Party Inspectors Under Review

The Railway Board also reviewed the functioning of third-party agencies responsible for inspecting catering services.

Satish Kumar directed that inspection agencies should regularly record deficiencies identified during inspections along with details of their own performance. The information will help authorities assess whether inspection mechanisms are effectively improving service standards.

The PIB release said agencies found to be consistently ineffective could face action, including delisting wherever required.

“Agencies whose performance is found to be consistently ineffective should be reviewed for appropriate action, including delisting wherever warranted, to ensure that inspection mechanisms deliver the intended quality assurance,” the release stated.

AI Alerts To Trigger Corrective Action

The review also discussed the use of Artificial Intelligence-based systems to identify issues such as rodents, cockroaches and other deficiencies in catering facilities.

The Railway Board stressed that AI-based detection should lead to immediate follow-up measures rather than merely recording problems.

Officials were directed to ensure that alerts generated through such systems are followed by warning notices and corrective or deterrent action against lapses.

According to PIB, the initiatives are aimed at improving food quality, strengthening hygiene standards and creating a more responsive catering system focused on passenger confidence.

The Railway Board said the measures will combine technology-enabled monitoring, stronger inspections and faster corrective action to improve catering services across Indian Railways.