Railway passengers take note: If you drink water from station coolers, CAG has found E coli in samples from 8 locations

Drinking water at several railway stations was found to be contaminated with E coli bacteria, while hundreds of stations lacked essential passenger facilities, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

The CAG audit on “Passenger Amenities and Sanitation at Non-Suburban Railway Stations”, presented in Parliament last week, highlighted significant gaps in sanitation, drinking water and basic amenities across the Indian Railways network.

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As per TOI, the audit found that 458 of the 512 selected railway stations were deficient in providing minimum essential amenities.

E coli found in water coolers at eight railway stations

The CAG report said bacteriological analysis of drinking water was not conducted at 59 stations across six railway zones.

Water cooler samples collected at eight stations were found to be positive for E coli, a bacterium commonly associated with faecal contamination and unsafe drinking water.

The report said, “Water sample from water coolers was positive for E coli at two stations (Coimbatore and Palakkad junctions) in Southern Railway, one station (Hyderabad) in South Central Railway, four stations (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan and Lonavala) in Central Railway, and one station (Madhupur) in Eastern Railway.”

The findings raise concerns about the quality and safety of drinking water available to passengers at railway stations.

Drinking water samples show presence of coliform bacteria

The CAG audit also found evidence of bacterial contamination in drinking water collected from taps.

According to the report, samples taken from taps at 49 stations across eight railway zones during 2022-23 and 56 stations across nine zones during 2023-24 indicated the presence of coliform bacteria.

The findings point to gaps in regular water quality monitoring and sanitation at several stations.

458 railway stations lacked essential passenger amenities

Water quality was not the only concern highlighted by the CAG.

The audit found that 458 of the 512 selected railway stations were deficient in providing minimum essential passenger amenities.

Among the stations identified as having deficiencies were prominent railway hubs such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Howrah, Sealdah, New Delhi and Mumbai Central.

The shortcomings included inadequate seating arrangements, sanitary facilities, dustbins and electronic train indicator boards, among other passenger amenities.

Shortage of toilets, urinals and water taps at stations

The CAG's analysis of the Passenger Amenities Management System found deficiencies against prescribed norms across several categories.

The audit identified a shortfall of toilets at 201 stations, while 403 stations faced a shortage of urinals.

The most widespread deficiency was related to drinking water access, with a shortfall of water taps at 2,035 stations, according to the report.

The findings suggest that passengers at a large number of stations continue to face gaps in basic facilities despite prescribed standards for passenger amenities.

Railways plans Tank to Tap water filtration system

Following the CAG report, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and senior railway officials held a review meeting to discuss the findings.

The Railways said it would introduce a new “Tank to Tap” water filtration system at 20,000 locations.

Under the proposed system, water tanks will be replaced and regular testing of water will be carried out at both source and outlet points.

The Railways also said the system would include centralised monitoring and accountability, along with scheduled cleaning and maintenance of storage tanks.


Inputs from TOI