Indian Railways to Replace Chained Mugs with Jetsprays

Indian Railways has taken a big step in improving the train hygiene standards. They have decided that low level water taps and chained mugs will be slowly phased out, with Jetsprays being introduced in their place.

Railways took this decision after the successful implementation of a pilot project by the Northern Railways. They have circulated the regulations to all the zonal railways asking them to run similar pilot projects. 

Jetsprays to Improve Hygiene and Passenger Comfort

Jetsprays are better than the traditional tap and chained mug combination as it reduces the water spillage and improves coach sanitation. The Railways issued the following directives regarding the new changes:

• Staff will disconnect the water taps and install dummy plugs in their place in train lavatories.
• Officials will remove the steel mugs along with their chains.
• Health faucets (Jetsprays) to be properly installed.

The trail run of the Jetsprays delivered promising outcomes. Railways thus decided to expand it on a much broader scale.

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Why Indian Railways Introduced This Change

Low level water taps and the mug combination often led to water accumulation on the lavatory floors. The lavatory floors aren’t even all around and the water used to accumulate into small puddles on these unevenness. This puddling of water made the floor slippery and also very unhygienic.

Some of the other reasons why this change was necessary:

• Preventing water from stagnating on the floor and forming puddles
• Too much water was wasted
• Improving hygiene standards for the passengers
• Keeping the train toilet dry, clean and in sanitary condition.
• Lavatories becomes easy to clean and maintain with Jetsprays
• A clean washroom enhances the travel experience of the passengers.

By removing the old mug and tap with Jetsprays, Railways aimed to reduce the train toilet maintenance cost,  preventing water wastage and providing a better experience to the passengers. 

Why Were the Mugs Chained on Trains?

Chained Mugs have been a part of Indian trains for a very long time. The following reasons explain why mugs were chained in train lavatories:

• • Preventing theft of mugs: Public properties are often prone to being taken away. Chaining the mugs prevents this.
  • Traditional Use: Mugs are used by most of the Indian households. Using a mug introduces a sense of familiarity in railways lavatories.
  • Cost Efficiency: Replacing missing mugs is a costly affair. Chaining prevents this extra expenditure.

Although the mugs made sense earlier, experience tells us that they are not good from the sanitation perspective. Thus Indian Railways decided to replace it with the modern Jetsprays. 

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Successful Trials by Northern Railway

Northern Railways implemented these changes as a pilot project. Railway staff installed Jetsprays in Shatabdi Express trains and noticed visible improvements.

Authorities reported significant improvements, including reduced water pooling, drier washroom floors, easier maintenance, and an enhanced overall passenger experience.

Pilot Implementation Across AC Coaches

After reviewing the successful implementation of this policy, the Railway Ministry forwarded a circular to all zonal railways. The ministry has asked them to implement it on a pilot basis across their trains. Officials identified ten trains and will implement the process in the AC coaches of these selected trains.

Conclusion

The Railways’ decision to replace mugs and taps with modern Jetsprays reflects the increased focus on sanitation in trains. Indian Railways is constantly working to improve the passenger experience on trains and this small step is capable of making great changes.

Until now, the Railways have operated the project on a pilot basis. But with the successful implementation of these pilot projects our hopes are up. If these successes continue, it might be possible that chained mugs become a thing of the past, with Jetsprays taking their place in Indian Railways.