In case you are boarding a long-distance train from Belgaum towards Bangalore, don’t be surprised if your bed sheets have curry stains on them or the blankets smell foul. Though the railways insists that its contractors wash the sheets after every trip, on most occasions passengers who travel from Delhi receive clean sheets while used sheets and bed rolls are pressed and supplied for the return journey. This has been a regular experience of travelers from Belgaum towards Bangalore.Â
As clean bedrolls are not available on time for all trains, used bedsheets, pillow covers and towels that are ‘less unclean’ are packed into brown paper envelopes and handed out to passengers in air-conditioned coaches.
Harish Mahendrakar a regular traveler on the Indian railways was unhappy with the used bed linen given to him in the AC coach of the Sampark Kranti express of 25 July, 2013. He and many other fellow travelers demanded they be given fresh bed linen to which the TC said that in Hubli the same would be given. In Hubli after waiting for an hour about 30 bed sheets were brought.
Harish further said this is a similar scene on the trains on their return journey to Bangalore. When more fare is charged as this is a super fast train services should also be alike. It is also learnt that the AC coaches were not cleaned and were full of garbage.