Kochi: Shoranur, the only Clean Train Station in the state, is likely to be ‘robbed off’ the distinction by the Southern Railway which is now focusing on implementing ‘On Board Housekeeping Services’ (OBHS) in all key long-haul trains.
The clean train station activity was introduced at Shoranur Junction back in 2015 on an experimental basis and over 350 coaches were attended per day on an average. However, the facility has been discontinued now.
“It takes 15 minutes to clean a train under the facility and also fails to get the desired result. The punctuality of trains too was affected. Hence we’ve temporarily discontinued the facility after the contract ended recently. Instead we’re introducing OBHS facility in all key trains operating through the state,” said a senior railway official.
The Clean Railway Station initiative had helped cut passenger complaints over cleanliness of long-haul trains reaching the state. Under the OBHS scheme, a team of cleaning workers is hired by the railways to keep coach toilets, doorways, aisles and passenger coaches neat during the journey from the originating to terminating stations.
The railways introduced the OBHS facility at 33 pairs of trains in the Thiruvananthapuram division and 10 in the Palakkad division.
“Also the passengers in trains originating from the two divisions are now provided with clean linens. While BOOT (Bui-ld, Own, Operate, transfer) laundries at Basin Bridge and Kochuveli supply, 23, 000 sets of quality linen per day on an average, more laundries are planned at Ernakulam, Nagercoil and Mangalore among others,” he said.
