Wool blankets washed ‘once a month’: Railways
TIRUCHY: How often does the Indian Railways wash the blankets provided to passengers paying for AC coach travel? In an RTI response to TNIE, the Ministry of Railways said the linen provided to passengers is washed after each use but the wool blankets are to be washed “at least once a month, preferably twice in a month, subject to available capacity and logistics arrangements”.
TNIE spoke to around 20 housekeeping staff of various long-distance trains, most of whom said the blankets are only washed once a month. They are only washed more frequently if stained or smelly, many said.
Asked if Indian Railways charges passengers for blankets, bedsheets and pillow covers, the Railways said in the RTI response, “It’s all part of the train fare package. Further, in trains like Garib Rath and Duronto, the bedroll (pillow, bed sheets, etc.) can be obtained by paying an additional amount for each kit after opting for the option of bedroll while booking the tickets.” The responses were filed by Rishu Gupta, section officer of Environment and Housekeeping Management (EnHM) of the Ministry of Railways.
Housekeeping staff of various trains, including Duronto, shared the dirty truth of the Railways’ laundry. “After every trip, we put the bedsheets and pillow covers (the linen) in bundles to give it to the laundry service. In the case of blankets, we fold them neatly and keep them in the coach. We send them for laundry service only if we there is a foul smell or notice some food on it,” a housekeeping staff said.
Another housekeeping staff, who had worked on various trains for over 10 years, said there is no monitoring of the cleanliness of the blankets. He said, “There is no guarantee that the blankets are washed twice a month. In most cases, we would give the blankets for washing only if we noticed a foul smell, wetness, vomit, etc. In certain cases, we immediately ensure a clean blanket is provided if the passenger raises complaints.”
A retired senior officer of EnHM opined that the Railways should discontinue the use of wool blankets. “The blankets are heavy and it is difficult to ensure they are properly washed. It is high time the Railways stopped using these blankets,” she said.
According to the RTI response, Indian Railways has 46 departmental laundries and 25 BOOT laundries in the country.
Land & washing machines owned by railway but staff employed on contract basis
Senior officials from the Indian Railways said, “Departmental laundry means the land and washing machines are owned by the Railways. However, the staff working there may be employed on a contractual basis. BOOT means Build-Own-Operate-Transfer laundry. Here, the land will be owned by the Indian Railways. However, the washing equipment and the staff concerned would belong to the private party or the contractor concerned.”