India’s most powerful 12,000-horsepower electric locomotives will reportedly feature waterless urinals for loco pilots, while existing locomotives from the Madhepura factory in Bihar will be retrofitted with the facility.
The urinal should therefore be used only when the locomotive is stationary, Garg explained according to Indian Express. “The unavailability of a urinal or toilet in locomotives is one of the biggest problems that a loco pilot faces. This becomes even more important that now Indian Railways also have lady loco pilots. The discussion with Indian Railways is at an advanced stage and they want to integrate waterless urinals in all the locomotives that we are building. Unlike on a plane, a loco pilot cannot simply leave the controls while the locomotive is moving.
Vivek Garg, Managing Director of MELPL, said the company had already developed a prototype by retrofitting a waterless urinal, which has been in operation for around four months, the IE report added. The prototype is performing well,” Garg said, as quoted by the publication. The new locomotives manufactured at the Madhepura factory will have an inbuilt urinal, while the ones already rolled out will be retrofitted, Garg said. Asked if technical problems or delays in decision-making had held up the introduction of urinals, Garg said neither was the case. He said fitting a waterless urinal into a locomotive comes with its own challenges, particularly related to safety. He said waterless urinals also required a rethink of water supply and design, adding that the technology was evolving over time.
