TIRUPATI RAILWAY STATION : SCR to upgrade facilities

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• Complaints reduced by 90% after the introduction of BOOT laundry
• Another such facility is on cards to meet increasing needs of washing linen
• SCR contemplating to run several express trains originating from Tirupati every day

Tirupati: Here is a happy news to Shirdi Sai devotees as the Railway department has been contemplating with the idea of making the weekly Tirupati-Sainagar Shirdi superfast express as daily in the near future.

Also, the Tirupati–New Delhi (tri-weekly), AP Sampark Kranti express and the weekly Tirupati–Jammu Tawi Humsafar express may also become daily trains, according to a senior railway official. He said that the proposal was under active consideration.

In this context, railway officials are focusing on enhancing the existing facilities, particularly the completely mechanised BOOT (Build, Own, Operate and Transfer) laundry, which has yielded good results in the past one year.

It was catering the needs of at least half of the washing requirement of linen used for 16 daily trains, which were under maintenance of Tirupati station.

In all, 7 tonnes of linen are required for these 16 trains and the BOOT laundry has been able to handle 3.5 tonnes of linen whereas the remaining load was entrusted to a private operator, who have been also running a fully mechanised laundry for railways.

For the BOOT laundry, South Central Railway (SCR) has provided 7,720 square feet of land to the operator Sparkles laundry services, which has constructed building and established the facility as per agreed specifications.

After maintaining it for 10 years, they have to handover everything to the railways. For this, SCR pays to the operator Rs 11.58 per unit of linen that consists of 2 bed sheets, one hand towel and a pillow cover.

Operator employed 10 members each in two shifts to finish the daily task. An official said that they are using eco-lab chemicals which are said to be high-end to maintain the quality.

They have established modern equipment like washer-cum-extractor, flat ironer-cum-feeder, folders and dryers from China based Dolphin company.

They are also using best of the eco-friendly steam boilers for energy efficient and pollution free generation of steam and the quality of washed linen will be so good which makes the passengers happy.

“Since the BOOT laundry was established, the complaints about linen have reduced by 90 percent,” said the official. After every wash, a random check will be done by the railway officials and if they find the quality was not good,

it will be sent back to laundry. Even before sending the used linen to laundry, they will be segregated as heavy soiled to light soiled and wash them accordingly.

The other mechanised laundry established by private operator was under two years contract with railways. As one year was already over, the railways are mulling to establish another BOOT laundry in the next one year to meet the increased requirement.

“Already that laundry was dealing with linen of 8 trains and with the introduction of more daily trains the load will go up and another laundry will become necessary,” he felt.

It may be noted that Tirupati’s BOOT laundry was first in AP and second in the SCR with the first one was at Kacheguda which can handle 16 tonnes of linen.

Similar facility was introduced in Kakinada recently and Vijayawada will get it in a couple of months.