Central Railway boss promises 'paan'-free ‘stainless’ local trains

Violet trains will remain violet and not stained with paan spit.

This was the assurance given by Central Railway’s new general manager Subodh Kumar Jain to commuters.

Commuters on Central Railway have been complaining of dirty trains, especially the new-age violet ones. The older trains are reddish brown and the paan stains did not show.

“We have taken up complaints of cleanliness seriously and are looking into it. We will instal mechanised cleaning machines at 13 locations — three have already become functional. The rest will be commissioned soon,” Jain said.

“Give us time and see the changes. The mechanised cleaners will scrub all the trains clean with pressure jets,” he said.

Another official said that mechanised cleaning will also save water. Sources said the Central Railway cleans about 14 trains daily. They use about 500 litres of water for a rake. The stains have to be washed manually using disinfectants and it takes about an hour to wash one train.

Sources said the railways spends Rs 1.5 crore annually to clean all trains clean of paan stains.

To curb the problem of paan stains, the new trains that are yet to come will be made of steel. The Integral Coach Factory that manufactures the new-age trains is in the process of preparing anti-stain and anti-graffiti paint by using nano technology for the exteriors.

The paint has been developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation, the research arm of Indian Railways.