Why is there a caste-system for trains, asks PAC

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), headed by senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal, at its meeting on Monday (February 9, 2026) castigated the government for what it described as a “caste system” in the Indian Railways, providing better sanitation facilities for premium trains while neglecting regular passenger trains.

The panel was reviewing the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s report on “Cleanliness and Sanitation in Long-Distance Trains in Indian Railways” for the year ending March 2023. The Indian Railways was represented by Satish Kumar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Railway Board.

A BJP member pointed out that there appears to be a “caste system” in trains, with premium services such as the Vande Bharat offering superior linen and cleaner coaches compared to regular passenger trains.

The Railway Board Chairman acknowledged several systemic and structural challenges—such as limited stoppages, severe staff shortages, budget constraints, and high passenger volumes—that hinder efforts to maintain cleanliness.

Panel members, however, contested this justification, according to sources. They noted that these long-standing issues should have been addressed by now with concrete solutions. The committee recommended periodic cleanliness audits across all zones and directed the Railways to maintain a comprehensive digital dashboard, citing the absence of consolidated data on grievances received and resolved. Members also stressed the need for a uniform passenger grievance redress mechanism. Additionally, they suggested balancing penalties and incentives for zones based on cleanliness performance and called for a detailed study to improve laundry management.

Mr. Kumar informed the panel that, as part of efforts to ensure cleaner trains, the Railways has introduced “quick-watering stations” at several locations, especially for long-distance trains with limited stoppages. The panel recommended a significant increase in the number of such stations and urged an upward revision of the sanitation budget.

Indian Railways operates 12,541 passenger trains, carrying more than 17.52 million passengers daily across over 7,364 stations.