BENGALURU: Tired of dirty trains and even dirtier loos in them? Here is some relief for passengers as the Bengaluru Railway Division is planning to launch an automatic cleaning system, which will ensure cleaner train journeys in the near future.
The automatic washing facility to clean coaches will be launched next month. Bengaluru division will be the first in the South Western Railways (SWR) and probably the second in the country to launch the facility, a senior Railway officer said. This is part of a number of initiatives launched by the Railways to maintain cleanliness in trains, he said.
SWR officials said that till now, cleaning was done manually and the new washing plant is being set up at one end of Platform One of Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station or City Central Railway Station. It is likely to become operational by July-end. “This is our best effort to maintain cleanliness in trains.
During manual cleaning, there used to be a shortage of workers at times and every part of the train could not be cleaned. The automatic washing facility, however, will be super fast and thorough. We are sure travellers will be happy,” a senior SWR official said.
Automatic washing will be done for a few long-distance trains initially, and later, all trains will be included. The automatic facility will use a lot less water than manual cleaning. A report released earlier by the Railways in New Delhi stated that manual cleaning requires 12,000 to 14,000 litres of water to clean a 22-24 coach train. The automatic facility will require only 6,000 litres of water for the same number of coaches and bulk of the water will be from recycled sources.
Rashmi M., a regular commuter to Mysuru, said, “I think it is a good initiative. I am a regular traveller and the biggest eyesore is paan stains on trains. I have never seen a clean train. Hope this initiative will help maintain cleanliness. People too should help in maintaining hygiene in trains and stations.”
