Title - Housekeeping service likely on more trains

PATNA: Encouraged by the response, railways has decided to introduce 'on-board housekeeping services (OBHS)' on more running mail and express trains at the country level. The railways has already introduced this new scheme in all Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto and Garib Rath trains across the country. According to a Railway Board official, this scheme has so far been introduced in about 300 trains, including important long-distance express trains, at the country level. Under the scheme, a team of cleaning workers are hired by railways to keep coach toilets, doorways, aisles and passenger coaches neat and clean during journey from the originating to terminating stations, he said, adding railways has been incurring huge expenditure on OBHS scheme to provide homely comforts to passengers. Under OBHS, the cleaning staff are required to be present on board the trains concerned. Passengers can call them to clean the coaches and toilets if they find them dirty and unhygienic, he said. According to sources, identification of trains for provision of OBHS scheme is still an ongoing process in every zone of railways. Cost of OBHS provision could vary from train to train as it depends on the number and type of coaches, sources said, adding railways has been executing 'OBHS' scheme on public-private partnership (PPP) basis across the country. An ECR official said about 25 pairs of mail and express trains have been brought under the 'OBHS' scheme in the zone. This scheme has been implemented under all five divisions of ECR. Railways has been keeping a close watch on the performance of the cleaning workers. He said Mughalsarai, Barauni, Muzaffarpur and Dhanbad have been made main centres of OBHS scheme. According to Danapur rail division PRO Ranjit Kumar Singh, the division has introduced OBHS scheme in most of the trains originating from Rajendra NagarTerminal, Patna Junction and Danapur stations. Railways has set up a team of railway officials to make surprise check of cleanliness on running trains.