Passenger train toilets
Encyclopedia
In rail transport
, many passenger train
s (usually medium and long-distance) have toilet
facilities on board. These are often located at the ends of carriage
s. Toilets suitable for wheelchair
users are larger, and hence trains with such facilities may not have toilets in each carriage.
s is simply to deposit the waste onto the tracks
using what is known as a hopper toilet. This ranges from the toilets being a hole in the floor of the train, to a full flush system (possibly with sterilization). The 'hole in the floor' (also known as a drop chute toilet) system where waste is deposited on the track is still in use in many parts of the world, particularly aboard older rolling stock
. The principal drawback is that it can be considered crude or unhygienic – it litters railway lines and can produce health risks if the train is passing over a public waterway. Passengers may be discouraged from flushing or using toilets while the train is at a station. In the United States, Dvořák
's "Humoresque Number 7" became the setting for a series of mildly scatological humorous verses, regarding passenger train toilets, beginning:
Generally the problem is unavoidable, although there are solutions where toilets are automatically locked when the train pulls into a station.
Properly designed drop chute toilets will draw air like a chimney, pulling air through the lavatory door vents and then down and out through the toilet, reducing odor.
, or prolonged stop-over. If a train is required in service again within too short a period, the tanks may not get emptied. In this case, toilets may back up, which can result in toilets being closed. Another point of note is that carriages may have less "in service" time if fitted with chemical retention tanks
.
tanks, which use bacterial action to break down solid and liquid waste before releasing it to the trackbed by way of a chlorine
sanitizing tank.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
, many passenger train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s (usually medium and long-distance) have toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
facilities on board. These are often located at the ends of carriage
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
s. Toilets suitable for wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
users are larger, and hence trains with such facilities may not have toilets in each carriage.
Hopper toilet
The traditional method of disposing human waste from trainTrain
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s is simply to deposit the waste onto the tracks
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
using what is known as a hopper toilet. This ranges from the toilets being a hole in the floor of the train, to a full flush system (possibly with sterilization). The 'hole in the floor' (also known as a drop chute toilet) system where waste is deposited on the track is still in use in many parts of the world, particularly aboard older rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
. The principal drawback is that it can be considered crude or unhygienic – it litters railway lines and can produce health risks if the train is passing over a public waterway. Passengers may be discouraged from flushing or using toilets while the train is at a station. In the United States, Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
's "Humoresque Number 7" became the setting for a series of mildly scatological humorous verses, regarding passenger train toilets, beginning:
Generally the problem is unavoidable, although there are solutions where toilets are automatically locked when the train pulls into a station.
Properly designed drop chute toilets will draw air like a chimney, pulling air through the lavatory door vents and then down and out through the toilet, reducing odor.
Chemical retention tank
Chemical retention tanks are usually present aboard newer carriages and railcars in wealthier and more densely populated parts of the world. One issue is that the tanks need to be regularly emptied, usually when being attended at a terminal stationTerminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
, or prolonged stop-over. If a train is required in service again within too short a period, the tanks may not get emptied. In this case, toilets may back up, which can result in toilets being closed. Another point of note is that carriages may have less "in service" time if fitted with chemical retention tanks
Chemical toilet
A chemical toilet is a toilet which uses chemicals to deodorize the waste instead of simply storing it in a hole, or piping it away to a sewage treatment plant. Common types include aircraft lavatory, some passenger train toilets and the portable toilets used on construction sites and at large...
.
Composting toilet
Some trains may also be fitted with composting toiletComposting toilet
A composting toilet is a dry toilet that using a predominantly aerobic processing system that treats excreta, typically with no water or small volumes of flush water, via composting or managed aerobic decomposition...
tanks, which use bacterial action to break down solid and liquid waste before releasing it to the trackbed by way of a chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
sanitizing tank.