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'Clean train scheme' to cover Central, Erode

By S. Vydhianathan

CHENNAI MAY 19. Chennai Central and Erode in the Southern Railway have been chosen for mechanised cleaning of trains by the Railway Board under a `Clean train stations' (CTS) scheme.

Normally cleaning is seldom performed on long distance trains while they are on the move. Cleaning, if any, is now done generally by unauthorised persons, mostly urchins, who are of nuisance value to passengers.

To provide periodic cleaning during the long journey, the Railway Board has launched the `clean train scheme' at 14 stations including Erode and Chennai Central. It provides for mechanised cleaning of compartments of long-distance trains in these stations within 10-12 minutes.

The CTS involves cleaning, disinfection, and drying of toilets in all reserved coaches, collection and replacement of waste disposable bags, swabbing aisle areas and mopping of passenger cabins, spraying of anti-mosquito deodorant and wiping of platform side windows of AC coaches.

While Erode junction has been selected as many long distance trains pass through the station, many long-distance trains either originate in or pass through Chennai Central.

The scheme was worked out by a multidisciplinary task force under the chairmanship of the Member (Mechanical), Railway Board, after the Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, had expressed his unhappiness over unhygienic conditions in compartments of long distance trains.

A pilot project was then tried at Ratlam. As it proved successful, the board now decided to introduce the same in 14 stations.

The project would cost about Rs. 100 crores, according to official sources here.

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