Indian Railways to introduce white bedsheets with Sanganeri print covers in AC coaches

For a long time, complaints have been rife that the classic white blanket provided in the air-conditioned coaches of Indian trains is not clean. Meanwhile, the railway authorities have found a solution to this problem. The white blankets will now be given Sanganeri-printed blanket covers to keep them clean and attractive. Sanganeri-printed blanket covers have been launched on the Jaipur-Asarva superfast express. The project was inaugurated at Khatipura railway station in Jaipur. 

Sanganeri is the iconic printing tradition in Rajasthan. Passengers have been urging the authorities for a long time to replace the white blankets, which quickly become dirty. The block-printed blanket covers could be easily removed, washed, and dried. The project will be extended to more trains if it is a success. 

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently said that the new Sanganeri-printed blanket cover celebrates the traditional Indian printing technique while ensuring passenger comfort. The authorities plan to use the conventional handloom products of each state in the trains running through them.

Sanganeri print
Sanganeri is a centuries-old handblock-printing technique originating in the Sanganeri district near Jaipur, Rajasthan. Beautiful designs are printed on soft cotton fabric by hand-block printing. The artisans painstakingly handprint intricate designs on the fabric, requiring incredible patience and skill to create these iconic block-printed fabrics. Splendid floral motifs are often seen in Sanganeri patterns.

Who gets the blankets?
Passengers who travel in the air-conditioned coaches of overnight trains receive Sanganeri-printed blankets. Passengers in first and second AC classes will be provided with a kit containing a blanket, two bed sheets, and a pillow. However, this kit won’t be available for short-distance travels or for daytime journeys. Passengers travelling in executive and chair car classes won’t get this kit either. 

Railway station development
Besides introducing the Sanganeri-printed blanket covers, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also announced a project to develop 65 small- and medium-sized railway stations under the North Western Railway. New platforms, lengthening of platforms, building platform sheds, installing digital signboards, a coach position display system and an integrated passenger information system will be launched in the stations as part of the project.