Rlys improves design of passenger coaches to fight Covid

Keeping up pace in fight against coronavirus, the Indian Railways has made a Post Covid-19 coach with design improvement to promote hands-free amenities, copper coated handrails and latches and plasma air purification for pandemic free journey.

The railways said that sustaining the ruthless fight against Covid-19, Kapurthala's Rail Coach Factory has developed a Post Covid coach to fight Covid-19.

The railways said that this Post Covid Coach has design improvements in the coach like hands-free amenities, copper-coated handrails & latches, plasma air purification and titanium di-oxide coating for Covid free passenger journey.

Highlighting the salient features of the coach, the Railway Ministry said, for hands-free amenities the new coaches have 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 compartment door.

Similarly, the railways has equipped these coaches with copper-coated handrails and latches as copper degrades the virus on its surface within few hours. The ministry said that copper has anti-microbial properties. When virus lands on copper, Ion blasts pathogen and destroy the DNA and RNA inside the virus, it said.

Pointing out at the plasma air purification in air conditioned coaches, the national transporter said that it helps in sterilizing the air and surfaces inside the coach using ionised air to make the coach Covid-19 and particulate matter resistant.

It further said that nano structured titanium dioxide coating in these coaches will function as photoactive material. This is eco-friendly water-based coating that kills viruses, bacteria, mould, and fungal growth and most importantly enhances indoor air quality, it said. The railways also said that it is non-toxic and approved by food testing laboratory of the United States Food and 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 wash basins, lavatory, seats and berths, snack table, glass window, floor, virtually every surface that comes in human contact," it said.