Railway upgrade: General coaches to get first-class cleanliness with AI monitoring

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Indian Railways has announced a major and historic relief to its millions of common passengers. It was often complained that first class and AC coaches are sparkling clean, but passengers travelling in general compartments have to face dirt and stench. Now this old picture is going to change completely. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has made it clear that there will be no discrimination against any passenger in matters of cleanliness. Railways has geared up under its ambitious 'Reform Plan 2026', which is going to have a direct and positive impact on the rail travel of the common man.

Special focus will be on the cleanliness of general coaches

The Railways has prepared a comprehensive action plan, under which 52 major reforms will be implemented over the next 52 weeks. This major campaign begins with "cleanliness." According to the Railway Minister, cleaning every coach of the train will now be ensured during the journey, with general coaches being prioritized. Since general coaches are not connected to the rest of the train through internal vestibules, cleaning staff were unable to reach them while the train was moving. Now, a concrete arrangement has been made. As soon as the train stops at a station, cleaning staff will disembark and go directly to the general coaches to clean the toilets, dustbins, and the entire coach. Initially, 4-5 trains have been selected in each zone for this purpose, after which it will be implemented in groups of 80 trains each.

Action will be taken against negligence in cleanliness, AI will keep a close watch

The Railways has made it clear that mere lip service to cleanliness will no longer be tolerated. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used to make this entire system high-tech and transparent. Immediately after cleaning, photos of the coach will be sent directly to a centralized control room, where the AI-based system will verify whether the cleaning has been done according to the prescribed standards. If any dirt or deficiencies are found, immediate and strict action will be taken against the concerned vendor or contractor. In the future, cleaning contracts will only be awarded to those with an excellent track record. In view of the rush during peak hours, the Railways will deploy additional staff to ensure a clean environment for every passenger.

New and faster revenue streams from cargo terminals

In addition to improving passenger amenities, the Railways has also taken major strategic decisions regarding its revenue and cargo handling. To win investor confidence and maintain long-term stability, the contract term for Gati Shakti cargo terminals has been extended from 35 years to 50 years. Based on data from the past three years, 124 cargo terminals have been constructed across the country, generating a substantial revenue of ₹20,000 crore (approximately $20 billion) for the Railways. The government now aims to build more than 500 such Gati Shakti cargo terminals in the next five years. These new reforms are expected to generate additional revenues of ₹30,000 crore (approximately $30 billion) for the Railways over the next three years, which will not only improve the Railways' financial health but also revolutionize the logistics sector.