Vande Bharat trains will be cleaned in 14 minutes from October 1 onwards: Railway Minister

The Indian Railways is set to introduce the ’14 minutes of miracle’ concept, aimed at expediting the cleaning of trains, starting from October 1. This initiative will kick off with 29 Vande Bharat trains being cleaned at their respective destination stations across the country. The formal launch of this concept will take place at the Delhi Cantt. Railway Station and will be officiated by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Under this initiative, the goal is to ensure that Vande Bharat trains are thoroughly cleaned within a remarkably short time frame of just 14 minutes. The primary objectives of this initiative are to enhance the punctuality of these trains and improve their turnaround time. By efficiently cleaning and preparing the trains for their next journeys, the railway authorities aim to provide passengers with a more reliable and timely service.

This approach reflects the Indian Railways’ commitment to continually improving its services and ensuring that trains are well-maintained and ready for their scheduled operations. The ’14 minutes of miracle’ concept is likely to have a positive impact on the overall travel experience for passengers using Vande Bharat trains.

The ’14 minutes of miracle’ concept introduced by the Indian Railways is indeed a unique and innovative approach to train cleaning and turnaround time, as highlighted by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. This concept draws inspiration from a similar practice in Japan known as the ‘7 minutes of miracle,’ which is implemented at various stations in Japan, including Osaka and Tokyo, where bullet trains are efficiently cleaned and prepared for their next journeys within a mere seven minutes.

Adapting such a concept to the Indian Railways demonstrates a commitment to efficiency and improving passenger experiences. By significantly reducing the cleaning and turnaround time for trains like the Vande Bharat express, the railway authorities aim to enhance punctuality and provide passengers with a smoother and more reliable travel experience.

This innovative approach not only streamlines operations but also highlights the willingness of Indian Railways to learn from best practices around the world and implement them to benefit passengers and the overall railway system.

The successful implementation of the ’14 minutes of miracle’ concept for cleaning Vande Bharat trains has been achieved by improving the efficiency, skills, and working attitude of the cleaning personnel, all without increasing the number of front-line workers already engaged in this activity, as explained by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

This initiative demonstrates the importance of training and equipping the existing workforce with the skills and processes necessary to achieve higher levels of efficiency. By enhancing the capabilities and work attitude of cleaning personnel, Indian Railways can optimize their resources and provide a more effective and rapid train cleaning service.

The rollout of this concept will not be limited to Delhi Cantt. Railway Station; it will be extended to several other railway stations across the country, including Varanasi, Gandhinagar, Mysore, and Nagpur. The specific stations selected will depend on the respective arrival timings of the Vande Bharat trains, ensuring that this innovative cleaning approach benefits passengers at various locations across the railway network.

Prior to launching the ’14 minutes of miracle’ concept for train cleaning, the Indian Railways conducted several dry runs to refine the process. During these trials, the cleaning attendants initially took approximately 28 minutes to clean the train. Subsequent efforts resulted in reducing the cleaning time to 18 minutes. Now, with further enhancements and process improvements, the cleaning process for Vande Bharat trains will be accomplished within just 14 minutes. Importantly, this achievement has been realized without the need for any new technology.

The successful implementation of this concept with Vande Bharat trains is just the beginning. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that this efficient cleaning approach will be gradually applied to other trains as well. The broader adoption of this concept is expected to have a significant positive impact on improving the punctuality of trains across the railway network, ultimately benefiting passengers by providing a more reliable and timely service.

The Indian Railways initiated a cleanliness drive called the Swachhata-Hi-Seva (SHS) campaign, which spanned over a fortnight in September. During this campaign, the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board led the effort by administering the Swachhata pledge to railway officials via video conferencing from Rail Bhawan in New Delhi.

The SHS campaign aimed to promote cleanliness and hygiene across railway facilities and operations. According to railway authorities, during the first 15 days of the campaign, a remarkable number of more than 2.19 lakh individuals actively participated in approximately 2,050 cleanliness-related activities. These efforts collectively involved an impressive 685,883 man-hours of work.

This campaign reflects the Indian Railways’ commitment to maintaining cleanliness, ensuring a pleasant and hygienic environment for passengers and staff, and fostering a culture of responsibility towards cleanliness and sanitation. Such initiatives contribute to the overall improvement of railway services and facilities, enhancing the travel experience for passengers.