In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Central and Western Railway on Saturday, 14 March, ordered a withdrawal of blankets and curtains from AC coaches as they are not washed every day.
Other items in the bed roll, including bedsheets, towels and pillow covers, are washed every day.
“As per the extant instructions, curtains and blankets provided in AC coaches are not washed (after) every trip. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, blankets and curtains will be immediately withdrawn from service till further orders,” Western Railway spokesperson Gajanan Mahatpurkar told PTI.
Passengers will be advised to bring their own blankets in their own interest. Some additional bedsheets will be kept for any exigencies," Mahatpurkar added.
The Central Railway has also instructed its personnel to intensively clean coach fittings as they are touched by thousands of passengers every day.
These fittings include grab handles, door handles, door latches, entry door handles, seat guard, snack trays, window glass, window grill, bottle holders, upper berth climbing stair, electrical switches, charge points etc. They will be cleaned with disinfectants, an official said.
"Doorway and gangway areas, frequented by passengers, are being cleaned with hot water. Intensive cleaning, including steam cleaning, will be ensured in pantry cars. All curtains in AC coaches, and roller blind fabric in trains like Tejas, will be removed in four to five days," he said.
The official said liquid soap, napkin rolls and disinfectant chemical will be provided to passengers by the housekeeping staff on board.
"In AC coaches, attendants have been told to not recirculate used linen. They have been advised to maintain a vigil for any passenger with cold-cough symptoms and segregate the linen items used by such passengers," he added.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)