The linen pillow covers appear white and crispy but the coarse blankets handed out by the Indian Railways have always been suspect travel companions because of concern that their upkeep involves use of minimal soap and water.
An RTI response received by The New Indian Express now confirms the suspicion. While the Indian Railways washes the linen provided to passengers in AC coaches after each use, woollen blankets are washed once a month, or at the most twice, depending on available capacity and logistics. TNIE interviewed approximately 20 housekeeping staff from various long-distance trains, who confirmed that blankets are typically washed once a month. More frequent washing occurs only if the blankets are stained or emit an unpleasant odour.
In response to whether passengers are charged for the blankets, bedsheets, and pillow covers provided in AC coaches, Indian Railways said that these are included in the train fare. For certain trains like Garib Rath and Duronto, passengers can opt to purchase a bedroll kit for an additional fee. This information was provided by Rishu Gupta, section officer of Environment and Housekeeping Management (EnHM) at the Ministry of Railways.
Housekeeping staff from trains such as Duronto described standard cleaning practices. One staff member explained the process to TNIE and said, "After each trip, the bedsheets and pillow covers are sent to the laundry, but the blankets are folded and stored in the coach unless they are noticeably dirty or smelly." Another staff member with over a decade of experience said that there is no systematic monitoring of blanket cleanliness and blankets were usually sent for washing only when they showed signs of odour or dirt.
The RTI also disclosed that Indian Railways operates 46 departmental laundries and 25 BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer) laundries nationwide. In departmental laundries, the land and washing machines are owned by Indian Railways, though the staff may be hired on a contract basis. In BOOT laundries, the land is owned by Indian Railways, while the equipment and staff are managed by private contractors.
In 2017, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had criticised the Indian railways regarding the cleanliness and maintenance of their linens. It said that the washing and sanitation of linens and blankets was not done according to railway standards. The report said that during 2015-2016, in respect of 12 coaching depots of eight zonal railways, blankets had been washed after an interval of 6-26 months. In some cases, the Northern railways also gave used pillow covers to passengers.