Indian Railways installs fancy toilet in Punjab Mail, passengers distroys it within days

Railways effort to modernise train amenities has been met with some shocking behaviour from certain 'passengers' in a hugely discouraging act of vandalism. The Central Railway upgraded toilets with tiled floor and walls, providing a standard seat and water cistern for improved flushing and for addressing the smell issue even in one non-AC coach of the Mumbai-Firozpur Punjab Mail. It has planned to take feedback from the commuters to implement the same on the larger scale. However, call it the work of some miscreants or unruly passengers,  their efforts have brought them some disappointment instead of encouragement.

Some unruly passengers have vandalised the upgraded toilet utilities. Post this incident, the Railways has appealed to the passengers for cooperation while saying that such incidents of vandalism discourage it from providing better amenities.

The Central Railway even went further saying that such incidents force the authorities to question the rationale behind upgradation.

Last week, the commodes and wash-basins of the train were found vandalised.

“Efforts were made in providing upgraded toilets with tiled floor and walls, providing a standard seat and water cistern for improved flushing and for addressing smell, in one non-AC coach of the Punjab Mail. It worked fine for the first two months, except for some thefts of taps and mugs. Our luck, however, finally ran out last week, when the rake returned with the first toilet being vandalised, and after a few more days, the second one too was also desecrated,” said the Central Railway in a statement.

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Central Railway said that vandalism not only denies the use of the facilities by other fellow passengers but is also a setback for the Railways upgradation efforts. 

“Enhanced passenger amenities are regularly provided and tried on a pilot basis, for assessing the impact by way of the feedback system. So that these can be implemented on a larger scale, but vandalising the property not only denies use of the same by other fellow passengers but is also a setback to us and it discourages our teams, who are committed to providing better amenities. It also questions the very basis of bringing in improvements/ innovations,” it said.

Indian Railways has been working to provide better trains and amenities to its passengers. However, incidents of vandalism and theft have hit hard its efforts. Last year, commuters walked off the Tejas Express with headphones provided to them onboard the train. They had damaged some LED screens as well. You won't be surprised to know that Railways has to keep toilet mugs chained due to rampant theft.