See Pics: Automatic Coach Washing Plant set up in Visakhapatnam

The cleaning procedure of the exteriors of a 24-coach train typically involves at least five individuals working for about four hours. In order to save time on the same, Waltair Division has set up an Automatic Coach Washing Plant at the Coaching Depot in Visakhapatnam. This state-of-the-art facility, which is the first of its kind to be set up in the limits of the East Coast Railway (ECoR), also helps in reducing water consumption and manpower requirements.

Working of the Automatic Coach Washing Plant:

The set up of the Washing Plant has four vertical brushes extending up to the height of the railway coach. Two circular brushes are assigned for scrubbing in circular movements, and a few other brushes to clean the curved portion at the lower end of the coach exterior. The plant is also equipped with sensors to track the movement of the coaches. The coaches will be operated at a speed of 5 km/hr to enable thorough cleaning. As soon as the train approaches the plant, the mechanism automatically operates the brushes while releasing water simultaneously.

In the three-step cleaning process, the coaches will be first cleaned with water. RO water, mixed with sodium hypochlorite solution and detergent, will be used in the second step of the process. Following this, freshwater will be used to wash off the detergent foam. Finally, a vertical blower will be used to dry the coach exteriors.

Manned by a single operator, each 24-coach train can be washed and dried within fifteen minutes at the Automatic Coach Washing Plant in Visakhapatnam. The washing plant also results in reducing the usage of water by 52 percent in comparison with the water required for manual cleaning. It is to be noted that as many as 8000 coaches are being attended at the Automatic Coach Washing Plant in Vizag every month.