The Indian Railways is set to revolutionize its cleaning process with the introduction of the '14-minute clean-up' concept for Vande Bharat trains, taking inspiration from Japan's highly efficient bullet train system, according to railway officials. This groundbreaking move is set to dramatically reduce the cleaning time for these trains, from a usual three-hour process to just 14 minutes per coach, with a total of four staff deployed in every coach to clean it. Over 200,000 people participated in a cleanliness drive campaign launched by Indian Railways ahead of the launch. The initiative is scheduled to kick off on October 1.
In preparation for the implementation of the '14-minute clean-up' concept, the Indian Railways launched the Swachhata-Hi-Seva campaign as part of the ongoing Swachhata Hi Seva Swachhata Pakhwada, which spans from September 15 to October 2.
The official launch of this innovative initiative is scheduled to take place at the Delhi Cantonment Railway Station and will involve the simultaneous adoption of the system by more than 29 Vande Bharat trains across the country.
Additional railway stations, such as Varanasi, Gandhinagar, Mysore, and Nagpur, will also implement the concept, with timing tailored to the arrival schedules of Vande Bharat trains. Currently, nearly 68 Vande Bharat train services are operational in India.