Indian Railways Expands Waste Management Across Stations and Trains

Indian Railways has also established dedicated Environment and Housekeeping Management departments at divisional, zonal and Railway Board levels to oversee cleanliness and waste-related work.

Indian Railways is strengthening waste collection, processing and disposal across its stations, trains and other facilities, with new measures linked to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the details in a Rajya Sabha reply, outlining a system that covers waste segregation, collection, transport, treatment, monitoring and scientific disposal across the rail network.

Twin dustbins have been installed at railway stations to help passengers separate waste at the point where it is generated. Waste from trains is collected at regular intervals at designated waste-handling stations, which work with urban local bodies and municipal authorities for disposal. The system is intended to prevent garbage from building up during long journeys and to ensure it enters local waste-management channels after collection.

Indian Railways has also established dedicated Environment and Housekeeping Management departments at divisional, zonal and Railway Board levels to oversee cleanliness and waste-related work.

Processing plants handle organic and recyclable waste

The network currently has 13 bio-gas plants with a combined installed capacity of 5,095 kg per day, along with 171 composting plants that can process 24,817 kg per day.

Eight material recovery facilities with a total capacity of 7,725 kg per day have also been commissioned. These facilities help recover usable materials from waste streams, while 858 plastic bottle-crushing machines have been installed at stations to manage discarded plastic bottles.

These measures allow different types of waste to be processed closer to where they are produced, reducing the burden on landfill sites and encouraging recovery of recyclable materials.

New rules bring wider monitoring responsibilities

The Railway Board has issued a Standard Operating Procedure covering stations, trains, railway colonies, hospitals, workshops, production units and other railway establishments. It defines responsibilities for segregation, collection, transport, processing, disposal and compliance monitoring.

Zonal Railways are identifying units that qualify as bulk waste generators under the 2026 rules. An "As-is Waste Characterisation and Quantification Study" is also planned to measure how much waste is generated across railway establishments and trains. Dedicated nodal officers have been appointed to prepare action plans, conduct regular audits and submit compliance reports to the Railway Board.

Cleaning services support hygiene during journeys

On-board housekeeping services are now available on 1,450 pairs of identified long-distance trains, providing end-to-end cleanliness support during travel. The Clean Train Station scheme operates at 63 stations and covers 2,800 trains. Cleaning teams attend coaches during scheduled halts, clean toilets and washbasins, and collect garbage from train dustbins.

The expanded approach places waste management alongside passenger hygiene, making stations and train journeys cleaner while helping Indian Railways meet its environmental responsibilities.