Indian Railways to wash blankets after every use

Smelly blankets may soon become a thing of the past on trains, with the railways deciding to wash them after every use.
As per the plan, newly designed lightweight blankets made of soft fabric will replace the existing ones and these will be washed after every use, a first in railways.

Currently blankets are washed only periodically - once or twice a month.

“We are procuring blankets designed by NIFT which can be washed after every use and still last longer,“ said a railway ministry official.

National Institute of Fashion Technology has de signed the fabric of the blanket, a mix of wool and cotton, which can withstand daily wash. “Since there were complaints about blankets, we have tried to address the issue. We have approved the NIFT-designed washable blankets. The blankets will be used in a few selected premier trains, to begin with.Later, more trains will be covered,“ said the official.

The railways has also undertaken steps to set up state of-the-art mechanised laundries at many stations to cater to the increased requirement of daily washing of bedrolls, including blankets.

It is not only blankets but the entire bedroll that has been redesigned with new colour combination by NIFT. So bedsheets and pillow covers will all sport a new look.

Passengers prefer coloured bedroll to all-white, according to a survey on passenger preferences, he said.

Besides, the interiors of the coaches are being modified to match the colour of curtains and bedsheets.

The railways recently introduced the e-bedroll facility to enable passengers to opt for bedrolls while booking tickets online. Passengers in sleeper-class coaches can buy takeaway bedroll kits at stations or order online at the time of buying tickets.

The transporter will charge Rs 140 for two bedsheets and a pillow and Rs 110 for a blanket. Together, these can be purchased for Rs 250. Cur rently only AC passengers have free bedroll facility.

Last month, minister of state for railways Manoj Sinha had told Rajya Sabha during question hour that while bedsheets, bedrolls and pil low covers were washed every day , blankets were washed every two months.

His reply followed questions raised by MPs regarding the quality and hygiene of laundry and linen supplied by Indian Railways on trains Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari had quipped that the earlier system of passengers bringing their own linen and pillows for journeys seemed to be better.

(Source: Toi Kolkata dated 2016-03-14)