2600 ‘Shramik Special Trains’ to run in the next 10 days -

New Delhi: More than 2,000 ‘Shramik Special Trains’ were operated, since 1st of May in the country, providing transportation, to their home states, for nearly 4.5 million workers. Chairman of the Railway Board, Vinod Kumar Yadav, gave this information during a press conference. Yada added that 2,600 more ‘Shramik Special Train’ services will be operated in the next 10 days and 3.6 million workers will benefit from this. Yadav further added that railway has prepared hundreds of thousands of PPE kits, necessary while treating Coronavirus patients, for Doctors and other medical staff.

Millions of workers were stranded because of the lockdown in other states. ‘Shramik Special Trains’ were started from the 1st of May to provide a safe journey for these migrant workers to their homes. The labourers’ journey started after medical screening and following the norms of social distancing. 4 ‘Shramik Special Trains’ were operated on 1st of May and 4,000 workers travelled in them. Whereas in the last four days 260 ‘Shramik Special Trains’ were operated in the country and more than 350 thousand workers travelled in them. 80% of the travellers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Yadav said that 2,600 more ‘Shramik Special Trains’ will be operated in the next 10 days. Yadav assured that this service will continue till the workers have been transported safely to their homes.

Yadav further said that from the 1st of June, 200 train services will be started and online and offline bookings will be available. Railway has ensured continuous supply of Coal, food grain and medicines on a large scale. Whereas railway has converted 5,000 coaches into COVID hospital. 50% of these coaches are being used for ‘Shramik Special Trains’. Whereas, 17 railway hospitals have been made available for COVID care. Yadav said that railway has converted 33 hospitals into COVID care blocks.

Railway has made 120,000 PPE kits, when the doctors, nurses and other medical staff were facing acute shortage of PPE kits. Railway has also made 140,000 litres of sanitiser and a huge quantity of masks. Yadav said that these were used by the railway employees.