Bhubaneswar: For the first time in Odisha an automatic sanitary napkin vending machine was installed in a train. The Bhubaneswar-Jagdalpur Hirakhand Express got the automatic sanitary napkin vending machine.
The president of East Coast Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation(ECoRWWO), Madhulika Singh, inaugurated the napkin dispensation machine installed inside an AC2-tier coach of the train.
“We have provided on-board sanitary napkin vending machine in Bhubaneswar-Jagdalpur Hirakhand Express for the convenience of women passengers as part of promoting and securing women’s well-being and health,” said Madhulika.
The ECoR chief public relation officer, JP Mishra, Tuesday said that the Hirakhand Express is the first train in the ECoRly zone that covers most parts of Odisha and some part of Andhra Pradesh to get the automatic napkin vending machine. According to him, this would convenient for women passengers to travel long distances in train.
“The vending machine has been installed on trial basis”, said Mishra. He said that the facilites would be available in other trains in the zone in due course.
The machine dispense napkin on insertion of Rs 5 coin. The machine which has a capacity of storing 25 sanitary napkins dispense napkin on insertion of Rs 5 coin.
The ECoR has already installed an automatic sanitary napkin vending machine inside the 2nd class ladies waiting hall on Platform No-1. The facility is available at Puri, Sambalpur, and Visakhapatnam stations.
