RAILWAY BOARD ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR SYSTEMATIC GARBAGE DISPOSAL
New Delhi, Nov 15, 2025 : The Railway Board on Thursday issued a fresh set of detailed guidelines to all Zonal Railways to streamline the collection and disposal of garbage generated onboard trains. The move is aimed at improving hygiene standards and enhancing the overall travel experience for passengers.
According to the new instructions, On-Board Housekeeping Service (OBHS) teams and Pantry Car staff must collect waste from passenger coaches and toilets and deposit it in sealed bags at designated stations along the train’s route. The Board said the mechanism is essential not only for maintaining cleanliness inside trains but also for preventing littering along tracks and station premises.
Emphasising the role of on-board staff in providing a “hospitable and comfortable” journey, the Board noted that these personnel—many of whom are contractual—must be properly trained and equipped by Zonal Railways to carry out their duties effectively. Cleanliness inside coaches, the Board added, is a critical component of passenger safety and comfort.
To ensure effective implementation, all Zonal Railways have been directed to immediately conduct a large-scale sensitisation exercise titled ‘Samvaad’ (Dialogue), bringing together supervisors and officers from both the Commercial and Mechanical Departments. Through these sessions, officials will engage directly with OBHS and Pantry Car staff to explain the importance of waste-handling protocols under the Swachh Bharat Mission and identify challenges they may face while disposing of garbage en route.
The ‘Samvaad’ programme will also involve screening instructional videos on proper garbage-handling methods and briefing staff on disposal procedures specific to each train and its nominated stations. Railway divisions have been asked to submit feedback from these interactions to their respective Principal Chief Commercial Managers (PCCMs) and Principal Chief Mechanical Engineers (PCMEs), who will compile zone-wise reports. A consolidated report is to be sent to the Railway Board within 10 days of completing the exercise.
The sensitisation drive is expected to cover all trains within a month. Once completed, Zonal Railways will submit comprehensive feedback to the Board for further review.
The communication also reminds licensees operating OBHS and Pantry Car services that adherence to these guidelines is mandatory. Any violation will be treated as a major contractual default and may lead to termination of the licence.
The initiative builds on a framework introduced in July 2024, which mandated en-route garbage disposal, work studies to assess waste generation on trains, and uploading disposal details to the Central Monitoring Module (CMM) of CRIS to enable consistent oversight.
With a mix of strict compliance measures and staff engagement through ‘Samvaad’, the Indian Railways aims to elevate onboard hygiene standards and strengthen its passenger-focused service delivery.