Cleanliness at Indian Railway Stations is Not Easy – How to Make it Better

In the last decade, Indian Railways has installed more than 360,000 bio-toilets in trains and passenger coaches to prevent the discharge of waste directly onto the tracks, thereby eliminating a major hygiene issue. 

Bio-toilets in Indian trains use anaerobic bacteria to break down human waste into water, methane, and carbon dioxide, effectively preventing direct discharge onto tracks and improving station hygiene.

This has kept tracks cleaner, reduced manual scavenging, and massively improved the user experience compared with the earlier system, in which human waste was discharged directly from trains onto the railway lines. 

In 1909, a humorous letter was written by a passenger, Okhil Chandra Sen, requesting the installation of toilets on Indian Railways. Although the letter lacked basic English grammar, the anguish and deep pain it conveyed prompted the railways to install toilets.

Despite the success of bio-toilets in Indian trains, which reflects the evolution of the Indian railway system since 1909, there remain challenges related to overall cleanliness at Indian railway stations. 

Challenges in Managing Waste

Much of India’s rail infrastructure has improved in the last few years, with high-speed trains, swanky railway station buildings, escalators to ensure convenience, food courts offering delectable meals, waiting rooms, and more.

However, substantial improvements are needed in sanitation and cleanliness. Social media is replete with posts indicating persistent passenger dissatisfaction stemming from inadequate maintenance, poor cleanliness, dirty toilets, waterlogging, and unclean railway tracks and platforms. 

These grievances are not unfounded, as the internal review by the Indian Railways of bio-toilet maintenance identified significant lapses.

In 2025, a special monitoring drive identified maintenance gaps and advised the Zonal Railways to address them to ensure a hygienic environment for passengers.

Though the railways have made significant strides in improving cleanliness, gaps and challenges persist due to insufficient housekeeping staff, lack of accountability, and inadequate monitoring.

Furthermore, cleanliness at Indian railway stations and trains is exacerbated by high passenger volumes and poor civic hygiene.

Littering, spitting paan, open defecation near tracks, and improper use of dustbins overwhelm station resources. Passengers often affix posters to walls or discard waste anywhere, while misuse, such as flushing non-biodegradable items, clogs facilities. 

Efforts That Ensure Cleanliness at Indian Railway Stations

While there are complaints and general apathy toward cleanliness at Indian railway stations, it does not detract from the Railways’ efforts to improve waste management and enhance the user experience. 

The primary focus is on building infrastructure, such as sewage and effluent treatment plants, and material recovery facilities, which have been installed and commissioned at multiple locations across Indian Railways. 

To effectively manage waste generated in trains, railway stations, and coaches, tie-ups for waste disposal have been made between local Railway authorities and municipal bodies. 

Trash cans and colour-coded dustbins have been provided in trains and at various stations to segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste at the source.

Indian Railways is increasingly installing water vending machines and kiosks at stations, allowing passengers to refill reusable bottles at low costs to promote plastic-free travel. 

Additionally, many railway stations in India also have plastic bottle-crushing machines. These IoT-enabled machines allow passengers to crush empty bottles and, in some cases, to receive rewards such as phone recharges.

Manual sweeping, mechanised cleaning, and regular cleanliness campaigns are organised across Indian Railways to achieve significant, sustainable improvements in cleanliness standards.

There is a clear direction for the maintenance teams to ensure that waste collected on trains is disposed of at designated en route stations. On Board Housekeeping Staff are strictly mandated not to throw garbage on tracks, and strict penalties are imposed for violations.

Railways has launched an SMS- and app-based service that allows passengers to request coach cleaning and provide feedback codes for closure.

To improve civic sense, Indian Railways regularly conducts awareness campaigns to encourage passengers to dispose of waste in the dustbins provided on trains.

Posters on the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) initiative are prominently displayed at railway stations to spread awareness.

Regular and surprise checks are also conducted by supervisors and senior officials at the Divisional, Zonal, and Headquarters levels. 

Wrapping Up – How to Make Indian Railways Cleaner

While efforts are underway to improve cleanliness at Indian railway stations and trains, a multi-pronged approach focusing on enforcement, infrastructure, accountability, and awareness is needed.

To improve infrastructure, railways should expand mechanised cleaning at all major stations, using modern equipment to clean floors, tracks, and drains. 

The railways could also outsource cleaning to private firms under strict service-level agreements, with daily inspections and penalties for noncompliance.

Accountability of housekeeping and cleanliness staff can be increased through regular audits, CCTV (camera) monitoring, and linking incentives to cleanliness scores.

In addition to awareness campaigns, the railways need to take strict action against civic issues, such as imposing fines for littering, spitting, open defecation, displaying violation boards and enforcing them through the railway police.

To manage crowd pressure, access to the station should be limited to valid ticket holders with restrictions for non-passengers and a strict ban on unauthorised vendors. 

These steps, if synergised with ongoing cleanliness drives and campaigns, can make a marked difference in how Indian Railways are perceived. 

As Indian Railways moves toward net-zero goals, effective waste management and ensuring cleanliness in railway infrastructure are not only necessary but also a pressing need.

The article is written by Varun, Founder of Change Started