Samvaad to Curb On-Train Littering
Railway Board Issues Detailed Guidelines to Zonal Railways
New Delhi: The Railway Board has issued comprehensive directions to all Zonal Railways for the systematic collection and disposal of garbage on trains, reinforcing measures already in place to maintain cleanliness and improve passenger experience. The initiative follows a recent incident in which a catering staff member was penalised after being caught on video throwing waste out of a running train, prompting renewed focus on the need for strict enforcement of onboard hygiene norms.
The fresh order mandates that On-Board Housekeeping Service (OBHS) and pantry-car personnel must gather all refuse from compartments in sealed bags and offload them only at nominated stations en route. The system aims to eliminate littering along tracks while ensuring a cleaner environment inside coaches. Zonal Railways have been instructed to provide training, protective equipment, and logistical support to these frontline workers—many of them contractual—to help them carry out their duties effectively.
To strengthen accountability, the Board has also declared that any breach of these rules will be treated as a serious contractual violation, liable to result in the termination of OBHS or pantry-car licenses.
A month-long exercise titled ‘Samvaad’ (Dialogue) has been launched across all zones, during which senior supervisors and officers from the Commercial and Mechanical departments will interact directly with onboard workers. The sessions will explain the broader objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission, address operational hurdles faced by staff, and showcase standard procedures for safe waste handling through instructional videos and live demonstrations. Feedback from these interactions will be consolidated at the divisional level and forwarded to the Railway Board for review.
The OBHS framework currently operates on nearly 1,700 long-distance trains, including Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto and key Mail and Express services. Passenger feedback is integrated through the ‘Coach-Mitra’ platform, which enables travellers to report housekeeping issues in real time.
Existing waste-disposal rules require trains to segregate dry, wet, and recyclable waste at the source and deposit sealed garbage bags only at authorised stations equipped with collection and treatment facilities. Each disposal instance is recorded digitally in the Centralised Management Monitoring (CMM) system of CRIS, which tracks compliance by contractors and divisions.
The latest order builds upon earlier guidelines issued in July 2024 that introduced mandatory en-route garbage disposal, prescribed a minimum number of waste-collection bags for every train, and required periodic work-studies to quantify average waste generation. Those measures established the basis for the data-driven monitoring now being reinforced.
The OBHS system itself has evolved over the past five years. Pilot projects began before 2020 on premium trains such as the Rajdhani Express, after which the scheme was extended to Mail and Express services in 2021. By 2023, OBHS coverage had expanded to over 1,300 train pairs, supported by mechanised cleaning at terminals and intermediate stations. The July 2024 directive standardised these practices nationwide, making them an integral part of train operations.
By coupling a stringent compliance regime with a human-centred outreach effort through Samvaad, Indian Railways seeks to instil a culture of responsibility among its onboard staff. The initiative represents a coordinated step toward cleaner journeys, environmental sustainability, and better passenger comfort across the national rail network.
– global bihari bureau
