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Indian Railways to install waterless urinals in electric locos
India's most powerful 12,000 horsepower electric locomotives will get waterless urinals for loco pilots, with existing engines from the Madhepura factory in Bihar to be retrofitted. The move addresses a long-standing lack…
India's most powerful 12,000 horsepower electric locomotives will get waterless urinals for loco pilots, with existing engines from the Madhepura factory in Bihar to be retrofitted. The move addresses a long-standing lack of toilet facilities inside locomotive cabs, a problem that has become more pressing as Indian Railways inducts more women as pilots.
Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited (MELPL), a joint venture between Indian Railways and French firm Alstom, said a prototype has been in operation for four months. Managing Director Vivek Garg told The Indian Express that discussions with Railways are at an advanced stage to integrate the urinals in all new locomotives.
Waterless urinals can only be used when the locomotive is stationary due to safety rules that prevent a pilot from leaving controls while the train is moving. MELPL has a contract to supply 800 locomotives by March 2028 at a revised cost of over Rs 33,000 crore.
Indian Opinion Analysis
A loco pilot can be alone in the cab for 8-10 hours with no break. Indian Railways has over 19,000 loco pilots, and the number of women is growing after a 2018 policy push to recruit them. Waterless urinals are not new: they use a biodegradable liquid seal and need no plumbing, which is why they work on a moving locomotive. The real constraint is safety rules: a pilot cannot leave the controls while the train is running, so the urinal can only be used at halts or sidings. The Railways has a target of fitting urinals in all electric locomotives, but around 2,800 of over 8,000 have been equipped as of early 2024. Madhepura has a contract for 800 locomotives by March 2028, if the Railways approves the prototype, the first inbuilt units could roll out from that line within months.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
