The Indian Railways is taking innovative and effective steps to keep the train coaches properly maintained. Railway Board Chairman, GM, and DRM of the Indian Railways have now been tasked to ensure the cleanliness of the coaches and public amenities in the general and sleeper classes.
The senior railway officials recently carried out a surprise inspection of facilities in 544 trains. They travelled on the train as common men to check the proper facilitation of cleanliness, catering, or lighting of trains and toilets. This was the first time that Railway Board officials have travelled as normal passengers.
Senior officers of Zonal and Divisional Railways are traveling in trains to provide better facilities during the journey to the railway passengers. Teams of officers have so far carried out surprise inspections of facilities in trains 544 times. This cycle will continue for now.
After this, the board members including the chairman and CEO of the Railway Board will travel in the trains to find out the status of cleanliness, catering, lighting, etc. of coach-bio toilets. This will be the first time that board level officers will travel in trains like normal passengers.
In this, senior officers of the zonal railway and division level are traveling in trains to ascertain their status. A senior Railway Board official said that they are taking stock of the cleanliness of coaches, lighting, berth-curtains, AC condition, catering service, cleanliness of bio-toilets, etc. in trains.
A railway official said that a meeting of the Railway Board would be held after a week in which the officials involved in the cleanliness campaign would suggest their problems and their solutions. Which will be implemented in the future. In particular, discussions will be held regarding new technology or changes in its design to eliminate the problem of foul smell and choking from the bio-toilet.
He said that based on the complaints of the passengers, action would be taken against the officers of the respective division zone. Apart from this, fines will be imposed on contractors and companies.
He said in the second phase of the said campaign, the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board and board members will travel in trains and see the results of the steps taken for the convenience of the passengers. If there is any defect in it, it will be rectified. After this, Railway Board level officers sitting in Rail Bhawan will travel in trains.