Railways launches tech-driven cleanliness reform for long-distance trains

New Delhi: The Railways on Saturday launched a reform aimed at enhancing cleanliness in long-distance trains by deploying tech-enabled professional teams.

All coaches, including general class, will be cleaned as and when required. In the beginning, 80 trains have been identified for implementation of the reform, and based on the experience, all other trains will be brought under it, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told media persons here.

Under the existing Clean Train Station scheme, trains are cleaned at designated stations along their routes. Under the new reform, the cleaning will be carried out throughout the journey at hourly intervals or as required by trained staff deployed onboard, Vaishnaw added.

He stated that monitoring, feedback and performance management will be conducted on a real-time basis with the help of technology.

The services will include cleaning of all coaches, toilets and basins; garbage collection; attending to minor repairs; coordinating water refilling as required, and checking and reporting the status of safety equipment. This will be carried out by trained supervisors and service staff.

"Frequency of cleaning will be regulated based on peak and non-peak hours, and war rooms will be created to monitor the cleaning process with the help of technology," Vaishnaw said.

The minister also introduced another reform under which cargo-related facilities will be created on railway land.

The development of warehouses, grinding units, and processing and aggregation units will be permitted on spare railway land to help improve Railways' freight business. Underutilised godowns will be developed as Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals and cargo facilities, he said.