New Delhi: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has intensified efforts to tackle railway ticket fraud and improve passenger services, taking action against millions of suspicious user accounts while also expanding artificial intelligence-based monitoring of food hygiene across its railway catering network.

As part of its anti-fraud campaign, IRCTC has deactivated more than 30 million suspicious user IDs linked to potential misuse of the railway ticket booking system. In addition, another 60 million user accounts have been placed under verification.

With these measures, nearly 90 million accounts are currently under scrutiny as railway authorities work to strengthen the integrity of the ticket reservation process.

Action taken against suspicious PNR activity

According to IRCTC officials, the large-scale verification exercise is aimed at preventing abuse of the online ticket booking platform and ensuring genuine users receive fair access to railway tickets.

The corporation has also taken action against suspicious booking activity by filing 501 complaints related to 4.18 lakh questionable Passenger Name Records (PNRs) on the National Cybercrime Portal.

In a further effort to curb fraudulent practices, IRCTC has blocked 13,343 suspicious email domains during the current year.

Officials said these steps form part of a broader strategy to identify and eliminate unauthorised activities that affect railway passengers and the ticketing ecosystem.

AI-powered surveillance expanded across railway kitchens

Alongside its anti-fraud initiatives, IRCTC has significantly strengthened food quality and hygiene monitoring through the use of artificial intelligence.

The corporation has installed 2,394 AI-enabled cameras across more than 800 railway kitchens nationwide. The advanced surveillance system is designed to continuously monitor food preparation areas and identify hygiene violations in real time.

The cameras are capable of detecting nine different types of issues, including staff not wearing headgear, failure to use transparent gloves, poor cleanliness standards, and the presence of pests such as rats, flies and cockroaches.

Officials said the technology is highly sensitive and can detect objects as small as 7 to 8 millimetres, roughly the size of an ant.

AI system analyses CCTV footage for hygiene violations

IRCTC has also developed a specialised artificial intelligence module that analyses CCTV footage to identify deviations from standard operating procedures.

The system uses vision computing and machine learning technologies to assess video and photographic data collected from kitchens across the country.

According to officials, the AI platform can recognise unexpected events or behavioural patterns that do not match established operational standards, allowing authorities to quickly identify potential problems.

The monitoring system is being used to oversee base kitchens on a pan-India basis as part of IRCTC's wider food safety programme.

Instant alerts and quick action on violations

A senior IRCTC official said the AI-driven system immediately generates alerts whenever it detects a hygiene or procedural issue.

If the problem is not resolved promptly, the alert is automatically escalated to the relevant manager. Action against the individual responsible is then taken within two hours.

Officials say this rapid-response mechanism has helped improve compliance and maintain hygiene standards across railway catering facilities.

Headgear violations most common as system generates 350 alerts daily

Data collected through the monitoring system shows that failing to wear headgear is the most frequently recorded violation.

On average, the AI platform generates around 350 alerts every day. Despite the large number of notifications, officials said the effective error rate remains low at approximately 10 per cent.

Complaints and alerts tend to increase during periods of changing weather conditions, when hygiene-related challenges become more common.

IRCTC serves 600 million meals as AI monitoring network grows

The scale of the monitoring effort reflects the vast size of IRCTC's catering operations.

During the 2025-26 financial year, the corporation served approximately 600 million meals to railway passengers across India.

Officials said the AI surveillance network will continue to expand as IRCTC increases its catering capacity and strengthens food safety measures throughout the Indian Railways system.