Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 13: Indian Railways plans AI-enabled CCTV in East Central Railway pantry cars. The system will also cover base kitchens. Officials say it will strengthen food hygiene oversight and accountability.
Indian Railways plans AI-enabled CCTV surveillance for railway catering operations. The initiative covers pantry cars and base kitchens under East Central Railway. It aims to strengthen food quality and hygiene oversight. Officials will monitor preparation, packaging and supply processes.
AI CCTV Targets Train Food Hygiene
Cameras will provide round-the-clock surveillance of catering activities. The system targets food preparation, packaging and supply. It could help identify cleanliness and food-handling lapses. Officials expect the technology to assist compliance monitoring. The move follows a review by Railway Board chairman Satish Kumar. Kumar recently visited IRCTC’s war room in New Delhi. He stressed maintaining food quality and hygiene standards. Remote monitoring could give officials wider operational visibility. Continuous camera access may help track compliance more easily. Railways emphasises this is not meant to replace human inspection. The system is intended to work alongside existing checks.
73 Catering Services and 62 Base Kitchens
East Central Railway currently runs 73 pantry car services. This figure also includes train-side vending services. These operate across mail and express trains. The zone also operates 62 base kitchens. These kitchens supply long-distance and premium trains. Facilities include Patna Junction and Rajendra Nagar Terminal. Danapur and Patliputra also house key kitchens. These are examples among ECR’s wider catering network. The proposed cameras will let authorities monitor preparation more closely. Packaging and onboard supply will also fall under review. This gives officials broader visibility across the food supply chain.
Rail Madad Remains Passenger Complaint Channel
Passengers can continue reporting catering problems through Rail Madad. The platform operates round the clock. A senior ECR official said monitoring would strengthen passenger services. CCTV surveillance and passenger complaints are expected to work together. Neither channel is meant to replace the other. Passenger feedback remains a separate, complementary oversight mechanism. Together, both channels aim to widen catering accountability.
Festive Travel Raises Operational Pressure
IRCTC recorded 20.06 lakh online ticket bookings on September 7. This marked its highest-ever single-day booking figure. Another 19.50 lakh tickets were booked on September 8. Strong demand was linked to upcoming Diwali and Chhath travel. Passenger traffic typically rises sharply during these festivals. The AI surveillance initiative arrives during this high-demand period. Higher passenger volumes typically add pressure on catering facilities. Monitoring becomes operationally more relevant during such busy periods.
AI-enabled monitoring adds another layer of catering oversight. It cannot guarantee flawless hygiene across every facility. Rail Madad remains available for passenger feedback. Indian Railways faces growing pressure during the festive travel season. How the technology performs will become clearer over time.
