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

Source: The Hindu February 10, 2026 00:06 UTC