Indian Railways equips thousands of electric locomotives with waterless urinals for loco pilots
Indian Railways is significantly improving working conditions for train drivers by installing modern facilities in its high-power fleet. Over 2,800 electric locomotives have been successfully equipped with waterless urinals as of February 2026 following positive trials. This rollout directly addresses long-standing challenges faced by personnel, especially the rising number of female loco pilots on the network, thanks to key guidelines from the Railway Board and RDSO.
The implementation is moving forward in phases across multiple railway zones. The Northeast Frontier Railway has already fitted six WAG-9HC class locomotives and plans to cover 50 more. Meanwhile, the Central Railway Nagpur Division Electric Loco Shed has updated six WAG-9 units with plans for 54 additional engines in the next four months. The Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay division has also equipped about 18 electric engines with the technology, targeting all DDU-based WAG-9 three-phase locomotives following progress that began in April 2025.
Advanced Features and Safety Design
The waterless urinal systems were developed by Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited, a joint venture between Indian Railways and French firm Alstom holding a 74 percent majority stake. Managing Director Vivek Garg confirmed that talks are underway to make these units standard in all future locomotive builds. The modern installations feature PIR sensors along with handy amenities like sanitizers, perfume sprays, UV LED lights, and exhaust fans. For maximum safety, the units use speed-controlled automatic doors that stay locked while the train is moving, allowing access only when the engine has fully stopped.
A Major Operational Milestone
Before this initiative, goods train loco pilots frequently endured grueling 7 to 8 hour shifts without any onboard toilet facilities, often forcing unscheduled train stops. Notably, no locomotives featured such amenities prior to 2014, and feasibility studies for waterless systems only started in 2018. Looking ahead, Indian Railways is already preparing for the future by building in-built toilet facilities and air-conditioned crew cabins into the upcoming 9,000 HP engines currently under construction at the Dahod workshop in Gujarat.