Toilets in Railways

I am a big fan of Indian Railways (IRs) and have enjoyed nearly every journey of mine on this great 'home' on wheels. However the only not-so-pleasant experience on the IRs is the toilets. The design itself is flawed with improper slopes which keep the lavatories soiled and sometimes flooded. Moreover most passengers do not practice good 'toilet culture' :( There is joke circulating on the internet which states Indian Railway tracks as the largest public toilet. All those who use IR toilets would agree... Mr. Laloo Yadav had promised eco-toilets on trains soon but that 'soon' is yet to come. You may not like some pictures here as toilets are considered 'dirty matters' to speak of in many Indian homes but I felt I should share my views ...

Here are some pictures of IR toilets.

Some Jugaad done for the toilet paper holder :)


Now Liquid soap is provided in AC compartment Lavatories

Mugs are chained to the pipes [;p]

Nowadays Indian Railway Toilets are more hygienic as they are cleaned periodically at major stations and also janitors are present on the running trains to oversee the cleanliness of the toilets.

I seriously hope Indian Railways provides better toilets in the future. I'd been on some Japanese trains and the toilets were spic and span.(Some of them were quite obviously Hi-Tech too) Here are some pics:

Push the button to open the electronic sliding door.

Get in and lock the door by pressing the electronic Switch

use the loo with an automatic flush

A Japanese style toilet on the Bullet Train (Shinkansen)

One thing I like about Japanese Toilets in general is they save a lot of water. Many toilets in Japanese homes are designed to conserve water or recycle water. Here is a picture from my friend's home who hosted me in Kawasaki.

The washbasin and reservoir are a single unit in some Japanese toilets. the waste water with which we wash hands with soap is stored in the reservoir(cistern). This waste water is used for flushing. Truly ingenious :)