Indian Railways Initiates AI-based Stain Detection Pilot Project in Laundries at Pune, Jaipur & Jodhpur Divisions to Enhance Quality of Washed Linen

The Ministry of Railways announced that Indian Railways is piloting AI‑based stain‑detection cameras in its laundry units at Pune (Central Railway) and Jaipur & Jodhpur (North Western Railway) divisions to verify the quality of washed linen. All mechanised laundries now use Whito‑Meters to assess cleaning effectiveness and have CCTV cameras for continuous monitoring. As part of the pilot, blanket‑cover sheets are being supplied to all AC‑class passengers on North Western Railway trains and the Vande Bharat Sleeper service (Kamakhya‑Howrah). The codal service life of linen items—e.g., 12 months for handloom bed sheets, 24 months for poly‑vastra bed sheets, 9 months for pillow covers and face towels, and 24 months for pillows and woollen blankets—is stipulated by railway rules. The information was conveyed by Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a Rajya Sabha reply.