Hygiene Concerns on Indian Railways: Blankets in AC Coaches Cleaned Just Once a Month, Reveals RTI
Frequent travelers on Indian Railways may want to reconsider how cozy their next ride really is. A recent disclosure obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) request by The New Indian Express has revealed a concerning gap in hygiene practices: while bed sheets and pillow covers in air-conditioned (AC) coaches are washed after every journey, blankets are cleaned just once a month—or even less often.
This revelation has left many passengers questioning the cleanliness of the bedding provided during their journeys, raising concerns about whether Indian Railways is doing enough to ensure both comfort and safety.
Disparity in Bedding Maintenance
Passengers traveling in AC coaches are provided with a bedding kit that includes bed sheets, pillow covers, and blankets. The cost of these items is factored into the ticket fare. While bed sheets and pillow covers are freshly laundered for each journey, blankets tell a different story. According to the RTI response, blankets are cleaned just once a month, far less frequently than passengers might expect.
Rishu Gupta, section officer of Environment and Housekeeping Management (EnHM) at the Ministry of Railways, confirmed that woolen blankets are typically washed only once a month, and even then, only if they are visibly dirty. “In rare cases, if they are particularly soiled, they might be washed twice in a month,” Gupta explained. This has caused dissatisfaction among passengers, who feel they are not getting the level of hygiene they’re paying for.
Housekeeping Staff Confirm Practice
Housekeeping staff on long-distance trains supported these claims, acknowledging that the washing of blankets is infrequent. One staff member, with over a decade of experience, revealed, “We only send blankets for washing if there’s a foul smell or if there’s an obvious issue like vomit or food spillage. Otherwise, they’re just folded and reused.” This casual approach to cleanliness has passengers questioning whether they are truly receiving clean blankets during their travels.
Ongoing Concerns
Concerns over blanket hygiene on Indian Railways are not new. A 2017 report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) raised alarm when it revealed that some blankets were left unwashed for as long as six months. Despite this warning, little seems to have changed, with the recent RTI confirming that blankets continue to be washed infrequently.
Calls for Change
In light of these findings, experts and former railway officials are advocating for Indian Railways to phase out woolen blankets altogether. A retired senior officer from the EnHM division suggested that these heavy blankets, which are difficult to clean thoroughly, should be replaced with lighter, easier-to-wash alternatives. “The wool blankets are too heavy, and ensuring proper cleaning is a challenge. It’s time the Railways moved to lighter bedding that’s easier to maintain,” she said.
Passengers echo this sentiment, pointing out that the dark colors of the blankets, typically black or brown, often hide stains, making it difficult to determine when they’re actually clean.
Laundry Management Under Scrutiny
Indian Railways operates 46 departmental laundries and 25 Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) laundries across the country, managing vast amounts of bedding for its trains. While these resources exist, the cleaning of blankets remains insufficient, leaving passengers with lingering concerns about the cleanliness of the bedding they use during long-distance journeys.
Despite a robust laundry network, the current protocols are failing to meet passengers’ expectations, with many now hoping for a change in Indian Railways’ approach to bedding hygiene.
