Guwahati, 18 October (HS): The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has introduced upgraded technology-driven onboard services in five selected superfast trains to improve cleanliness, hygiene and passenger comfort. With this initiative, NFR has become the second zonal railway under Indian Railways to implement the enhanced services.

The initiative covers the Kamakhya–SMVT Bengaluru Express (12552/12551), Guwahati–Kolkata Garib Rath Express (12518/12517), Dibrugarh–Mumbai LTT Express (15946/15945), New Jalpaiguri–Patna Vande Bharat Express (22233/22234) and New Jalpaiguri–Guwahati Vande Bharat Express (22227/22228).

NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said on Sunday that the upgraded services were introduced on October 14 in the two Vande Bharat Express trains originating from New Jalpaiguri in the presence of senior railway officials. The services were also launched on the Kamakhya–SMVT Bengaluru Express from its originating station on the same day. The Guwahati–Kolkata Garib Rath Express and Dibrugarh–Mumbai LTT Express had already adopted the enhanced services on October 10 and 11, respectively.

The upgraded arrangements focus on maintaining higher standards of cleanliness and hygiene while ensuring a more comfortable journey. These include regular cleaning of windows in both general and air-conditioned coaches, improved washroom maintenance, efficient waste management and timely distribution and collection of linen.

Dedicated teams will provide basic technical assistance, monitor water availability and address passenger complaints within two hours. Issues that cannot be resolved within the stipulated period will be escalated to the concerned railway authorities.

The initiative also incorporates digital monitoring, geo-tagged service inspections, staff tracking and a centralised monitoring system to strengthen accountability and improve service delivery. Real-time passenger feedback, star ratings and AI-based cleanliness assessments will further help evaluate performance and identify areas requiring improvement.

Through this technology-enabled housekeeping system, NFR aims to enhance onboard cleanliness, maintain high hygiene standards and improve passenger satisfaction. The railway expects the integration of digital supervision and prompt grievance redressal to ensure a cleaner, more comfortable and improved travel experience for passengers.------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash