Ahmedabad Railway Division cleans 3,000 km of tracks in a single day
Synopsis
On Gandhi Jayanti, the Ahmedabad division of Western Railway mobilised officers, employees, and volunteers to clean roughly 3,000 km of tracks — a distance the division compared to Kashmir-to-Kanyakumari — in a single day. The drive marks the centrepiece of a 15-day Swachhta Pakhwada campaign running through 15 October 2026.
Key Takeaways
The Ahmedabad division of Western Railway cleaned approximately 3,000 km of railway tracks in a single day on 2 October 2026 , Gandhi Jayanti.
The drive was part of the Swachh Track Mega Campaign under Swachhta Pakhwada-2026 , running from 1 to 15 October 2026 .
Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash administered a cleanliness pledge at Sabarmati Railway Station .
The campaign covered 12 locations including Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Gandhidham, Mehsana, and Palanpur, among others.
Upcoming activities include intensive cleaning drives ( 3–5 Oct ), legacy waste removal ( 6–8 Oct ), and solid waste awareness ( 11–15 Oct ).
The Ahmedabad division of Western Railway cleaned approximately 3,000 km of railway tracks in a single day on Friday, 2 October 2026, as part of a large-scale Swachh Track Mega Campaign organised on Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti under the Swachhta Pakhwada-2026 initiative. The division noted that the distance covered is roughly equivalent to the stretch between Kashmir and Kanyakumari.
How the Campaign Unfolded
The drive was conducted under the leadership of Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash, with officers and employees from multiple departments participating across the division. At Sabarmati Railway Station, Ved Prakash administered a cleanliness pledge to railway officers, employees, sanitation workers, and members of the Scouts and Guides. Participants committed to maintaining clean railway premises and tracks and to encouraging broader public participation in cleanliness efforts.
Station masters, supervisors, cleaning staff, and other railway employees took part in cleaning tracks and station premises between their respective home stations and the next stations. Simultaneous shramdaan and special cleanliness drives were also conducted at stations, yards, railway colonies, and trackside areas.
Locations Covered
The campaign spanned several locations across the Ahmedabad division, including Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Viramgam, Maliya Miyana, Radhanpur, Dhrangadhra, Mehsana, Palanpur, Bhuj, Gandhidham, Asarwa, and Himmatnagar. Cleaning activities were carried out at railway stations, yards, colonies, health units, and areas along the tracks. Railway employees and their families, the Railway Protection Force, Scouts and Guides, voluntary organisations, and other participating groups also joined the effort. The division confirmed that all activities were conducted without disrupting railway operations, with prescribed safety precautions observed near running lines.
What the Fortnight-Long Programme Includes
The Ahmedabad division is running a series of cleanliness and awareness activities from 1 October to 15 October 2026 under Swachhta Pakhwada-2026. Intensive cleaning drives at major locations are scheduled from 3 to 5 October, followed by cleaning of trackside areas and legacy waste from 6 to 8 October. A campaign to remove unauthorised posters, banners, and gutkha stains is planned for 9 and 10 October. Activities focused on awareness and compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 are scheduled from 11 to 15 October.
Aim of the Initiative
The division stated that the fortnight-long programme is aimed at strengthening cleanliness at railway stations, tracks, railway premises, and surrounding areas, while creating greater awareness among passengers, railway employees, and the general public. This comes amid ongoing national efforts to sustain momentum from the Swachh Bharat Mission, with Indian Railways using Gandhi Jayanti as an annual anchor for high-visibility cleanliness mobilisation. The next phase of scheduled activities over the coming days will test whether the campaign translates into lasting upkeep beyond the fortnight.
Point of View
3,000-km track-cleaning blitz is a striking logistical feat, but Indian Railways has a long pattern of high-visibility Swachhata drives that generate strong participation numbers without necessarily translating into sustained station cleanliness. The real metric to watch is not the distance cleaned on Gandhi Jayanti but the baseline hygiene score at the same stations in November. The Ahmedabad division's structured fortnight schedule — with distinct phases for legacy waste, poster removal, and solid waste compliance — is more process-oriented than most past drives, which is a marginal positive. Whether the Railway Protection Force and station staff maintain that standard after the pakhwada ends is a question past campaigns have consistently left unanswered.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Swachh Track Mega Campaign conducted by the Ahmedabad Railway Division?
It is a large-scale single-day cleanliness drive organised on 2 October 2026 — Gandhi Jayanti — by the Ahmedabad division of Western Railway. The campaign cleaned approximately 3,000 km of railway tracks as part of the broader Swachhta Pakhwada-2026 initiative running from 1 to 15 October 2026.
How much track was cleaned during the campaign?
Around 3,000 km of railway tracks were cleaned in a single day. The Ahmedabad division described this distance as roughly equivalent to the stretch from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
Which locations were covered in the Ahmedabad division cleaning drive?
The drive covered Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Viramgam, Maliya Miyana, Radhanpur, Dhrangadhra, Mehsana, Palanpur, Bhuj, Gandhidham, Asarwa, and Himmatnagar, among other locations across the division.
What are the upcoming activities under Swachhta Pakhwada-2026 in the Ahmedabad division?
Intensive cleaning drives at major locations are scheduled from 3 to 5 October, followed by trackside and legacy waste cleaning from 6 to 8 October, a poster and gutkha stain removal campaign on 9 and 10 October, and solid waste awareness activities from 11 to 15 October.
Who participated in the Swachh Track Mega Campaign?
Participants included railway officers and employees, the Railway Protection Force, station masters, supervisors, sanitation workers, Scouts and Guides, railway employees' families, and voluntary organisations. The campaign was led by Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash.
