NEW DELHI: In a first, the Indian Railway is learnt to have started working on a plan to use the latest UV-C Disinfection Technology for effective and sharp mitigation of airborne transmission of COVID-19 and other virus-born infections during journey in the trains amongst the passengers.
To begin with, the railways will use the UV-C technology in country’s entire premier and super fast trains, including the Rajdhani and the Tejas express trains.
According to Dr Jitendra Singh-Union minister of state for Science and Technology, UV-C Disinfection technology-developed by the ministry of Science and Technology through CSIR-CSIO (Central Scientific Instruments Organisation), is being installed in railway coaches for maximum mitigation of airborne transmission of SARS-COV-2(COVID-19) and other infections during the travel times amongst the passengers.
He recently said that the technology has been developed keeping the urgency and requirements for deactivation of COVID-19 virus and other airborne bacteria driven infections in railway coaches through emitting 254nm UV light.
Railway sources also informed that the initial test of UV-C Disinfection Technology in railways has already been completed successfully in railway coaches between Bandra and Chandigarh.
To begin with, the railways is contemplating to start installation of device using UV-C technology inside the coaches of all premier and the super fast trains
to disinfect the interiors from any kind of airborne infections ,including the COVID-19.
As per an official figure, the railway is operating 24 pairs of Rajdhani express trains, 25 other premier super fast trains in addition to hundreds of other
express trains from across the country.
“The passengers travelling in the AC coaches of all premier trains will have a very least chance of airborne infections after the installation of devices of UV-C technology as it effectively mitigate the chances of spread of infection through ultraviolet rays”, said a railway official in the know of this project. The same UV-C Disinfection technology was recently used for sanitisation of central hall of Parliament and officials chambers of Lok Sabha.
As per a statement of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the railway the Research Designs and Standards Organisation at Lucknow has already made recommendation for the adaptation of UV-C Disinfection Technology in all AC railway coaches gradually.