The Indian Railways took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a video of trains being cleaned by the Automatic Coach Washing Plants which it claims help clean trains within 15-20 minutes.
The video claimed that the plants are equipped with “outstanding features” such as high pressure water jets and horizontal and vertical rotating brushes, among other things. It added that the plants help in reducing the amount of water required to clean the trains and require minimal energy, maintenance and manpower. They also help in improving efficiency.
As of August 2023, 67 such plants have been commissioned, as per Indian Railways.
“Automating operations for swift coach cleaning! Automatic Coach Washing Plants enable eco-friendly and efficient coach washing at higher efficiency and reduced requirements,” the railway ministry tweeted.
What are Automatic Coach Washing Plants?
The plants are a multi-step cleaning system for railway coaches and use detergent solution, high pressure water jet and rotating brushes. It also has an Effluent Treatment system and water softening plants for use of soft water for external washing. The cost of the plant is nearly Rs 1.9 crore.
Recently, the Eastern Railways’ Howrah Division installed an ACWP at EMU (electric multiple unit) Car-Shed in order to provide quality cleaning for the EMU trains. Last year, the Tikiapara Coaching Depot saw the installation of an ACWP.