Indian Railways has generated ₹628.49 crore by auctioning old iron and other unwanted materials collected during a nationwide special cleanliness campaign, while also recovering 6.20 lakh square feet of space across its premises, railway officials said.
The campaign was conducted from October 2 to October 31 across more than one lakh locations, including railway zones, divisions, stations and workshops. The exercise covered the removal of accumulated scrap, the review of old files and the disposal of outdated electronic equipment.
According to the officials cited in the report, more than 1.50 lakh old computers and electronic devices were safely removed during the campaign. The drive also included the examination of files that had remained stored for several years, with railway authorities saying that action was taken on grievance petitions during the exercise.
A major clearance operation was held on October 22 at 5,884 railway stations across the country. Old iron and other unwanted waste collected at these stations were subsequently auctioned. The auctions brought in ₹628.49 crore in revenue, according to the railway officials.
The figures place scrap disposal within a wider operational exercise rather than treating it only as a housekeeping activity. Railway premises include stations, workshops, offices and other facilities where unused equipment and materials can occupy valuable space over long periods. The reported recovery of 6.20 lakh square feet indicates the physical scale of the material-clearing effort, although the railway report did not provide a location-wise breakdown or identify how the recovered space will be used.
The removal of more than 1.50 lakh computers and electronic devices also highlights the volume of obsolete equipment accumulated across the railway network. The source report described the devices as having been safely removed, but did not provide details of the disposal agencies, recycling process, material quantities or environmental safeguards used for electronic waste.
The campaign combined three administrative tasks: clearing physical scrap, disposing of outdated electronic equipment and reviewing old records. The railway officials also linked the exercise to the resolution of grievance petitions, indicating that the programme extended beyond cleaning stations and railway facilities.
The reported revenue came from auctions of old iron and other unwanted materials rather than from passenger or freight operations. The report did not specify the quantity of scrap sold, the number of auctions conducted, the bidders involved or the zone-wise contribution to the ₹628.49 crore total.
The immediate next step identified in the report is the continued use of the cleared railway premises and completion of the disposal and records-management processes arising from the October campaign.
