Prayagraj: For cleanliness and pleasant travel experience the Railway Board has decided to implement a revamped On-Board Housekeeping Service (OBHS) policy. As per the directive issued by Railway Board Director (environment and housekeeping management) Lav Shukla on Feb 17, the policy will be rolled out as a pilot project on five trains in each railway zone. Following evaluation of the pilot phase, the new system will be implemented nationwide in phases.Accordingt to sources, the trains from NCR shortlisted for implementing the new policy include Prayagraj, Humsafar, Shram Shakti, Bundelkhand and Sangam Express.Under the revised policy framework, full responsibility for coach cleaning, linen management, and on-board passenger amenities will be assigned to a single service provider. This centralised accountability is expected to eliminate coordination gaps caused by multiple agencies and ensure consistent service quality from the train’s origin to its destination.The new policy introduces strict, time-bound toilet-cleaning schedules. As per the schedule toilets must be cleaned every hour between 6am and 9am, and again from 8pm to 10pm. During the remaining hours, cleaning will be done in every 2 hours. AI-based tools will be deployed to monitor and assess cleanliness standards. Service providers will be required to upload geo-tagged photographs before and after cleaning through a dedicated mobile application, enabling real-time tracking and transparency.Chief public relation officer (CPRO), NCR, Shashikant Tripathi, confirmed that preparations to implement the new policy has already started marking a step towards modernising services. The five trains of NCR, in which the new policy will be implemented, will be soon finalised .
