The Indian Railways will be revamping its AC coaches by installing an operation theatre-like air conditioning in the AC trains. The Roof Mounted AC Package Unit (RMPU) is the new system which will be replacing air more than 16-18 times per hour. This will ensure the circulation of fresh air by replacing the circulated air which may prompt droplet transmission and spread the infection.
As per a PTI report, the experiment was conducted on 15 pairs of AC trains on the Rajdhani rail routes since May 12. This system will be replicated in all AC trains as a part of pst-COVID preparations.
Initially, in the AC trains, the air used to be changed 6-8 times per hour, during which 80% of the air was recirculated air and 20% was fresh air. Now, with the new system, air will be changed 16-18 times per hour which will comparatively consume much more energy than before as, in the earlier system, the ac used recirculated air which made cooling faster, whereas now when fresh air will be circulated more, it will take more time to cool.
The passengers are no longer being provided with bedding, the temperature of the AC has been increased from 23 degrees to 25 degrees. On the advice of the health experts, non-AC coaches have been converted into isolation coaches for the treatment of mild COVID patients.
