Indian Railways’ 19 Rail Neer Plants Supply Packaged Drinking Water Across the Network

Indian Railways is currently meeting the demand for its packaged drinking-water brand, Rail Neer, through 19 operational production plants located across different parts of the country.

The facilities supply packaged drinking water to passengers travelling on major trains as well as those using important railway stations. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, or IRCTC, has been entrusted with establishing Rail Neer plants at locations selected according to regional demand and operational requirements.

The nationwide production network is intended to ensure a dependable supply of standardised packaged drinking water across the railway system, particularly at high-traffic stations and on long-distance train services.

One Lakh Bottles Per Plant Per Day

Each Rail Neer plant has a production capacity of approximately 1,00,000 bottles a day.

A plant established under the public-private partnership model requires an estimated investment of around ₹10 crore. This amount includes the construction of a pre-engineered building shed and the installation of production machinery and associated equipment.

The estimated cost does not include the value of the land required for setting up the facility.

Based on the stated capacity, the 19 operational plants together have a theoretical production capability of about 19 lakh bottles per day, although actual production may vary according to demand, maintenance schedules and operational conditions.

Rail Neer Plants Spread Across 15 States and Delhi

The existing Rail Neer production network includes the following facilities:

No.	Rail Neer Plant	State or Union Territory
1	Nangloi	Delhi
2	Danapur	Bihar
3	Ambernath	Maharashtra
4	Palur	Tamil Nadu
5	Maneri	Madhya Pradesh
6	Amethi	Uttar Pradesh
7	Nagpur	Maharashtra
8	Una	Himachal Pradesh
9	Hapur	Uttar Pradesh
10	Jagiroad	Assam
11	Sankrail	West Bengal
12	Kota	Rajasthan
13	Mandideep	Madhya Pradesh
14	Sanand	Gujarat
15	Bhusawal	Maharashtra
16	Bhubaneswar	Odisha
17	Bilaspur	Chhattisgarh
18	Simhadri	Andhra Pradesh
19	Vijayawada	Andhra Pradesh

Maharashtra has the largest number of facilities, with plants at Ambernath, Nagpur and Bhusawal. Andhra Pradesh has two plants, located at Simhadri and Vijayawada, while Madhya Pradesh operates facilities at Maneri and Mandideep. Uttar Pradesh also has two plants, at Amethi and Hapur.

The remaining plants extend the supply network across northern, southern, eastern, western and northeastern India.

IRCTC Responsible for Expansion Based on Demand

IRCTC identifies suitable locations for new Rail Neer facilities after assessing passenger demand, consumption patterns, train operations, station requirements and the availability of distribution infrastructure.

Locating production units closer to major railway consumption centres can reduce transportation distances, strengthen local availability and support more reliable replenishment at stations and onboard trains.

The decentralised network is particularly important because packaged drinking water must be produced, stored and transported under controlled conditions while meeting applicable quality and safety standards.

Supporting Passenger Amenities

Access to safe drinking water is an essential passenger amenity across the Indian Railways network, which carries millions of people every day.

Rail Neer was developed as a railway-specific packaged drinking-water brand to provide passengers with a standardised product through authorised catering and station outlets. Its production network supports supplies to trains, platforms, food plazas, refreshment rooms and other approved railway catering points.

The operation of 19 plants also gives Indian Railways greater control over production planning and distribution compared with relying entirely on independently sourced packaged-water brands.

Information Presented in Lok Sabha

The details were provided by Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on August 5, 2026.

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Reference

Press Information Bureau, Government of India
“Indian Railways Operates 19 Rail Neer Plants Across the Country, Supplying Safe Packaged Drinking Water to Passengers”
Published: August 5, 2026, at 3:28 PM
Ministry of Railways
Lok Sabha reply by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

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