Bangalore to Ranchi: There were times when people travelling the Indian railway will be taking many liters of water from their home while. But now almost in all of the major Indian Railway stations, have installed vending machines that provide RO-purified water for minimum Rs 1 and Rs 5 a litre at city railway stations.

Till the previous year, the Indian Railways ran a bottled water brand called Railneer. However the selling price could not go below Rs10 a bottle owing to the high cost of distribution.

This time I travelled after a year gap using the Indian railway and before the travelling I had little doubt of purchasing lots of litre from the stations. Still I had about 2 liters of water in my bag. I had no idea of the RO water dispensers installed at the city railway stations. In Vijayawada I got down and saw the RO Vending Machines. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) have installed these water-vending machines at the KSR railway station and the only one thing.

A passenger can buy a minimum of 300 ml and maximum of 5 liters water, purified through reverse osmosis, at the water-vending machines. The prices will be less if they take water in their own containers.

Currently the railway stations are providing water offered by the corporation water through taps installed at multiple places inside the railway stations. Many a time’s people have doubt regarding the cleanliness of the water and hesitate to drink them. In long journey people were forced to pay thousands of Rupees just for drinking water.    

The facility provided by the IRCTC RO vending Machines are:-

1. The facility starts from Rs 1 for 300 ml with container and Rs 2 without container.
2. Half liter with just Rs 3 with container and Rs 5 without container.
3. One litre for Rs 5 without container and Rs 8 with container
4. 5 liters for Rs 20 without container and Rs 25 with container.

Currently around 200 water-vending machines has already been installed across various railway stations.

If we go and purchase water in the market the minimum water cost will come around Rs 20, the government initiative for the water is truly a great move to fulfill the thirst of millions of passengers travelling in the Indian Railway.