Exterior cleaning of train coaches will now take less time at the Tatanagar railway station. Courtesy an automatic washing plant which became functional at the Tatanagar railway station, earlier this week

The Rs 2.25 crore automatic washing plant installed at the washing line of Tatanagar railway station would help in exterior cleaning of all trains originating from Tatanagar railway station. Previously, the cleaning was done manually through use of water jets.

The exterior cleaning of train coaches comes under primary maintenance. Officials at the coaching depot of Tatanagar railway station informed that the automatic washing plant is equipped with three sensors which prevents water from getting wasted during the cleaning process of train coaches.

"One rake of a train comprising 22 coaches can now be cleaned within 15 minutes. Earlier it used to take at least two hours," said an official of the coaching depot at Tatanagar. The official went on to say that the automatic plant uses 60 litres of water for cleaning a train coach. The used water can be recycled, he added

Tatanagar station director H K Balmuchu said, "This was the first such automatic washing plant installed in South Eastern Railway's Chakradharpur railway division. The second such automatic washing plant would soon come up at the Rourkela railway station."

Notably, Tatanagar railway station assumes importance as it falls on the Howrah -Mumbai main route. Over a dozen mail, express and passenger trains currently originate from the Tatanagar railway station.