Indian Railways intensifies cleanliness checks on 11 long-distance trains
Staff will photograph coaches and toilets at specific stops for trains with journeys exceeding 40 hours, according to the Times of India.
The Railway Board has launched a plan to increase supervision and cleanliness measures on 11 long-distance trains that have journey times of more than 40 hours. According to the Times of India, staff must now take time-stamped photographs of toilets and coaches at the starting station, the destination, and specific inspection points along the route.
The selected trains include the Jhelum Express, Vivek Express, Pune-Saharsa Express, Amritsar Garib Rath Express, Avadh Assam Express, Howrah-Yesvantpur Express, Danapur-SMVT Bengaluru Express, Amrapali Express, Ahmedabad-Saharsa Express, Rajgir-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express, and RKMP-Agartala Express.
A senior official told ET that on-board housekeeping staff will be trained to perform minor repairs, and dedicated teams of plumbers and electrical staff may be deployed en route to address concerns. Cleaning at designated 'clean train station' points will also receive special attention.
Zonal railway officials will review passenger complaints and the resulting actions every week. The performance of on-board housekeeping service agencies will be evaluated using complaints lodged through Rail Madad, the official digital platform of the Railways.
Indian Railways has also implemented a waste management system involving twin dustbins for segregation and arrangements with municipal authorities for disposal. The Railways has installed biogas plants, composting plants, and plastic bottle-crushing machines at various stations.
To maintain hygiene, on-board housekeeping services are provided on 1,450 pairs of identified long-distance trains. Additionally, the Clean Train Station (CTS) scheme is currently operational at 63 stations, covering 2,800 trains.