Here’s how Railways is prepping its coach for post-COVID world to ensure safe travel

New Delhi: Sustaining the fight against COVID-19, Indian Railways' production unit, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, has developed a post-COVID coach to enhance safety for passengers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This coach has design improvements like handsfree amenities, copper-coated handrails & latches, plasma air purification and titanium di-oxide coating for COVID-19-free passenger journey.

Designed for the post-COVID world, here are the special features of these coaches:

Handsfree amenities: Post-COVID coach has handsfree amenities like foot-operated water tap and soap dispenser, foot-operated lavatory door (outside), foot-operated flush valve, foot-operated latches in lavatory door, outside washbasin with foot-operated water tap and soap dispenser and forearm operated handle on the compartment door.

Copper-coated handrails & latches: The new coach is equipped with copper-coated handrails & latches because copper degrades the virus that has landed on it within a few hours. Copper has anti-microbial properties. When the virus lands on copper, ion blasts pathogen and destroys the DNA and RNA inside the virus, said the Ministry of Railways in an official statement.

Plasma air purification:  The post-COVID coach has the provision of plasma air equipment in the AC duct. This plasma air equipment will sterilise the air and surfaces inside the AC coach using ionised air to make the coach COVID-19 and particulate matter resistant. This provision will also improve the ion concentration from 100 ions/cm3 to more than 6,000 ions/cm.

Titanium Di-oxide coating: The newly designed coaches has Titanium Di-oxide coating. Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide coating functions as photoactive material. This is an eco-friendly water-based coating that kills viruses, bacteria, mould, and fungal growth and most importantly enhances indoor air quality. It is non-toxic and approved by the food testing laboratory of the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA), CE certified. TiO2 is considered to be a safe substance and is harmless to humans. This Titanium Di-oxide coating applied on washbasins, lavatory, seats and berths, snack table, glass window, floor, virtually every surface that comes in human contact. The effective life of this coating is 12 months.

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