NEW DELHI — India’s ambitious railway modernisation programme has transformed stations, trains and infrastructure across the country, but a new audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) shows that the makeover has not yet solved some of the most basic problems passengers face every day.
The audit, covering passenger amenities and sanitation at non-suburban railway stations, found deficiencies at 458 of the 512 stations examined. The findings range from inadequate toilets and drinking-water facilities to concerns over sanitation and maintenance.
The most serious finding involved drinking water. Samples collected from water coolers at eight stations were found to contain E. coli, raising concerns about contamination and the safety of water being provided to passengers.
The findings highlight a growing challenge for Indian Railways: building modern infrastructure is only one part of transforming the country's largest transport network. Keeping that infrastructure clean, functional and safe may prove equally important.
E. coli contamination raises safety concerns
Safe drinking water is among the most basic services expected at a railway station. The discovery of E. coli in samples from eight locations therefore stands out as one of the most significant findings of the audit.
E. coli can indicate faecal contamination and its presence in drinking water can pose health risks.
In response, Indian Railways has launched a special drive to clean and disinfect drinking-water tanks and filters. Zonal railway authorities have also been asked to inspect drinking-water infrastructure and correct deficiencies.
The Railways has further directed officials to monitor station-wise problems and the action taken to address them.
The response underscores a wider issue identified by the CAG: installing a facility does not guarantee that it will remain usable or safe.
A water cooler may represent new infrastructure, but its value to passengers depends on clean tanks, functioning filters, properly maintained pipelines and regular testing.
Basic amenities remain a major weakness
The CAG audit found that nearly nine out of every 10 stations examined had deficiencies in at least one essential passenger amenity.
The problems included toilets, urinals, drinking-water facilities, seating, platform shelters and accessibility-related infrastructure.
These are facilities that passengers encounter during virtually every railway journey.
For millions of commuters, migrant workers, students, families and travellers, the railway experience begins before they board a train. Finding a clean toilet, obtaining safe drinking water, locating a waiting area or moving safely around a station can be as important as the train itself.
The findings therefore provide a different measure of railway modernisation — one based not on the appearance of major stations but on everyday passenger experience.
The gap between construction and maintenance
India’s railway transformation has increasingly been associated with major infrastructure projects.
New Vande Bharat trains, redeveloped stations, new railway lines, electrification projects, escalators, lifts and large concourses have become visible symbols of the government’s infrastructure push.
But the CAG findings suggest that the next challenge is maintenance.
A newly built station can look modern when it opens, but maintaining toilets, water facilities, waiting areas and other amenities requires continuous spending, supervision and accountability.
The audit therefore raises an important question about the sustainability of the modernisation programme: can Indian Railways ensure that new and existing facilities continue to meet passenger needs long after inauguration?
Record investment brings new responsibilities
The audit comes as Indian Railways is undertaking one of the largest investment programmes in its history.
For 2026-27, railway capital expenditure has been budgeted at approximately ₹2.93 lakh crore, with central government support accounting for about 95% of the planned capital spending.
The scale of investment has allowed the Railways to accelerate infrastructure expansion.
But the financial picture also presents challenges. The operating ratio — the proportion of earnings consumed by working expenses — is budgeted at 98.4% for 2026-27, following a revised estimate of 98.8% for 2025-26.
A high operating ratio leaves relatively little financial room for the railway system to fund additional improvements from its own operating resources.
This makes efficient maintenance and management of the rapidly expanding asset base increasingly important.
Passenger revenue remains under pressure
The financial challenge extends beyond infrastructure spending.
According to budget analysis cited in the report, railway revenue estimates have faced shortfalls. Freight revenue for 2025-26 was estimated to be 5.1% below the budget target, while passenger revenue was expected to fall 13.8% short of its budget estimate.
That combination — record capital expenditure alongside a narrow operating margin and revenue pressure — makes long-term maintenance particularly important.
The Railways must not only build new assets but also ensure that existing infrastructure generates sufficient value and remains operational.
Modernisation cannot stop at inauguration
The CAG report does not dispute the scale of the transformation underway.
Instead, it highlights the difference between creating infrastructure and delivering reliable services.
A redeveloped railway station is ultimately judged by how passengers experience it. A modern waiting hall that is poorly maintained, a toilet that is unusable or a drinking-water facility that fails safety checks can undermine the benefits of a much larger redevelopment project.
That is why the response to the audit could be significant.
The Railways' decision to conduct inspections and track station-level deficiencies indicates a shift toward monitoring service quality rather than simply measuring the number of projects completed.
Smaller stations face the biggest test
Another challenge is consistency.
Large railway stations in major cities are more likely to receive substantial redevelopment and investment. But India's railway network also includes hundreds of smaller stations serving communities far from major urban centres.
The CAG's finding of deficiencies at 458 of the 512 stations examined suggests that modernisation has not yet produced uniform standards across the network.
For passengers using smaller stations, the transformation of Indian Railways will be judged through basic services rather than flagship projects.
A clean platform, functioning toilet, safe drinking water and adequate seating can make a greater difference to their experience than a futuristic station design elsewhere.
The real test of the railway makeover
India's railway modernisation drive is clearly changing the network.
Capital investment is at record levels, new trains are entering service and stations are being redeveloped. But the CAG audit shows that the transformation remains incomplete.
The next phase will require equal attention to maintenance, sanitation, safety and everyday passenger amenities.
The discovery of E. coli in drinking-water samples provides a particularly stark reminder that modern infrastructure must also be safe infrastructure.
For Indian Railways, the challenge now is to ensure that the billions being invested in transformation translate into dependable services across the entire network.
The true measure of the railway makeover may ultimately be much simpler than a new station façade or a modern train: whether passengers can consistently find clean toilets, safe water, functioning facilities and a reliable journey wherever they travel.
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