Say goodbye to smelly trains! How Indian Railways plans to use new technology to address complaints of stinking train toilets, stations

No more smelly Indian Railways trains & stations? Indian Railways is exploring new technologies and solutions to tackle the issue of foul odour on trains and station premises. In a recent meeting, senior railway officials discussed the high number of complaints received through the Rail Madad app. Indian Railways is exploring the utilization of Internet of Things, new chemicals, and standardized watering systems as potential solutions.
An ET report quoted a senior government official saying that the Railway Board has raised concerns about the high volume of complaints received by the national transporter on smelly trains and station premises.
“To address the high volume of complaints regarding foul smell figuring in the Rail Madad app, the Railway Board has recommended testing new IoTbased technology for foul smell detectors,” the official was quoted as saying.

The Railway Board has suggested testing IoT-based technology, specifically foul smell detectors, to address this issue. Viliso Technologies, a Mumbai-based startup, known for odour monitoring, has been selected for this project. The technology will be tested in select coaches (LHB and ICF design) to assess its effectiveness and monitor onboard housekeeping services.
Additionally, the new Vande Bharat sleeper variant trains will be equipped with odour-free toilet systems and hot water showers in the first AC category cars.
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In addition to new technologies, traditional methods like cleaning chemicals are also being revamped. The Railway Board has recommended evaluating Clonon concentrate, a cleaning product by Dimple Chemicals & Services, to combat odour-causing bacteria in trains, platforms, and offices.
Moreover, the Indian Railways is considering revamping the watering system on trains to improve passenger convenience. A report by the Centre for Advanced Maintenance Technology (CAMTECH) on standardizing the Enroute Coach Watering System has pointed out insufficient infrastructure for worker movement along the tracks during the water-filling process. This concern has been noted in previous reports approved by the Railway Board.
CAMTECH suggests creating designated pathways for water-filling staff to streamline the process and increase water filling time per rake from 10 to 15 minutes.
Despite these recommendations, some zonal railways have yet to implement these measures. The report highlights the increasing water consumption on trains due to higher passenger footfall and recommends conducting trials to evaluate manpower and time requirements.