Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that woollen blankets provided to train passengers are washed at least once a month. Passengers are also given a bedsheet in the bedroll kit to use as a quilt cover for improved hygiene.

Vaishnaw's statement was in response to a question from Congress MP Kuldeep Indora, who asked whether washing blankets only once a month meets the basic hygiene standards, considering passengers pay for bedding services.

Giving a written response, Vaishnaw stated, "The blankets used in Indian Railways, as per current specifications, are lighter, easy to wash, and provide good insulation to passengers for an overall comfortable journey experience."

He called the member's attention to the several steps taken to enhance passenger comfort and safety in a written reply. These include the procurement of new linen sets designed to meet improved BIS specifications for better quality. He also highlighted the use of mechanized laundries to ensure the supply of hygienic linen, the adoption of standard machines, and specified chemicals for linen washing, along with regular monitoring of the washing process to maintain hygiene.

The minister said, "Whito-meters" are used to look upon the quality of washed linen. The codal life of linen items has been reduced from the previous duration to allow for quicker replacement with fresh items, ensuring better hygiene and quality for passengers.

He further stated, "War rooms have been established at zonal headquarters and divisional levels to monitor/prompt action on complaints lodged on RailMadad portal, including complaints on linen/bedroll.”

Along with eco-friendly packaging for bedrolls, improved logistics are being employed for the storage, transportation, loading, and unloading of linen and bedrolls at stations and on trains, said Vaishnaw.

How the hygiene issue with blankets started

Concerns over the hygiene of blankets provided to passengers by Indian Railways have been raised after a recent disclosure obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) request by The New Indian Express. The RTI response from the Ministry of Railways revealed that while linen is washed after each use, woollen blankets are washed "at least once a month, preferably twice, subject to available capacity and logistics." However, the report stated that housekeeping staff confirmed blankets are only washed when they are stained or smelly. 

These findings have raised concerns, especially given the scale of Indian Railways, which serves millions of passengers daily, where lapses in cleanliness could pose significant health risks. The responses were filed by Rishu Gupta, Section Officer of Environment and Housekeeping Management (EnHM) of the Ministry of Railways.