Archive · 16 Aug 2026
IRCTC Intensifies Surprise Checks, Flags Unauthorised Catering Staff on Trains
IRCTC is the company that organises food on trains in India.
It has a special team called the Quick Response Team.
This team checks trains to make sure only people who are allowed to serve food are doing it.
Food servers must wear proper uniforms and carry their ID cards.
Recently, the team did surprise checks on trains in western India.
They found some people serving food who were not supposed to be there.
They also found workers without uniforms and ID cards at Vadodara and Surat.
The companies running those food services were told to fix the problem.
IRCTC says it has a zero-tolerance policy, which means it will not accept rule-breaking.
The checks are meant to keep passengers safe and make sure food service is reliable.
IRCTC's Quick Response Team (QRT) has intensified surprise inspections on trains in the West Zone.
Inspections detected unauthorised catering staff, missing uniforms and invalid identification cards.
Two unauthorised vendors were found on Train No. 22938, operated by M/s Rathore Caterers, at Vadodara station on August 11.
Two catering staff were found without prescribed uniforms and valid ID cards on Train No. 12480, operated by M/s Harish Kumar Arora, at Surat station.
IRCTC says it follows a zero-tolerance policy towards violations affecting passenger service standards.
- Who
- IRCTC's Quick Response Team (QRT), with Dr A.K. Singh, PRO, IRCTC West Zone, overseeing; catering operators M/s Rathore Caterers and M/s Harish Kumar Arora were flagged.
- What
- Surprise inspections found unauthorised catering staff, staff missing prescribed uniforms and invalid identification cards on West Zone trains.
- When
- Around August 11, when one inspection took place at Vadodara; checks have recently been intensified.
- Where
- West Zone of Indian Railways, including Vadodara and Surat stations.
- Why
- To ensure only authorised personnel provide catering services to passengers and to enforce compliance with catering norms under a zero-tolerance policy.
- Organisation
- IRCTC (West Zone)
- Inspection team
- Quick Response Team (QRT)
- Policy
- Zero-tolerance towards service violations
- Violations detected
- Unauthorised catering staff, missing uniforms, invalid ID cards
- Inspection 1
- Train No. 22938 (M/s Rathore Caterers) at Vadodara station on August 11 - two unauthorised vendors
- Inspection 2
- Train No. 12480 (M/s Harish Kumar Arora) at Surat station - two staff without uniforms/ID cards
- Spokesperson
- Dr A.K. Singh, PRO, IRCTC West Zone