How clean are train blankets? Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw answers
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that train blankets are washed at least once a month. He added that an extra bedsheet is now provided in the bedroll kit to be used as a quilt cover to improve hygiene. He was responding to Congress MP Kuldeep Indora's question on how often blankets are washed, keeping in mind passengers' expectations for hygienic bedding.
Indian Railways implements measures for improved hygiene
Vaishnaw also detailed a few steps taken by the Indian Railways to improve passenger satisfaction and bedding hygiene. These include the procurement of new linen sets with better Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications and the introduction of mechanized laundries for the supply of hygienic linen sets. Further, the minister noted that standard machines and specified chemicals are used for washing linen, with activities closely monitored for cleanliness.
Quality control and complaint monitoring in Indian Railways
To ensure the quality of washed linen items, Indian Railways uses whito-meters for assessment, Vaishnaw said. Moreover, the codal life of linen items has been curtailed to facilitate faster induction of fresh items. He also said that war rooms have been set up at zonal headquarters and divisional levels to keep track of complaints registered on the RailMadad portal, including those regarding linen and bedrolls.
