Passenger Trains Run For First Time During Lockdown

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 02, May 2020, 18:27 pm IST | UPDATED: 02, May 2020, 18:27 pm IST

Ranchi: Hours after the nationwide lockdown was extended to two more weeks in the view of significantly rising Coronavirus cases in the country, first special train ferrying over 1,200 stranded migrant labourers from Telangana to Jharkhand reached its destination Hatia on Friday night. According to reports, after reaching Hatia, the Jharkhand government took the passengers to their respective districts in sanitised buses, following COVID-19 protocols.

The train starting from Lingampally in Telangana to Hatia is the first one run by the railways since its services were suspended due to the nationwide lockdown. The migrant workers were visibly ecstatic as the train chugged into the Hatia station, on the outskirts of Ranchi city, around 11.15 PM.

According to a report by news agency PTI, the stranded migrant workers were welcomed with roses by senior officials after their arrival at the Hatia railway station.

The other five "Shramik Special" trains announced by the railways are -- Nasik to Lucknow (9:30 pm), Aluva to Bhubaneswar (6 pm), Nasik to Bhopal (8 pm), Jaipur to Patna (10 pm) and Kota to Hatia (9 pm).

"I am very happy. I don't have words to express my delight.... We were given proper food there and also here," a migrant worker from Ramgarh told PTI, adding he always believed that he would return home.

Thanking the government for their safe return, another migrant worker said he "has no words to express my delight". A high-level meeting was held between the state officials and those from the railways for a proper coordination on the train's arrival.

This is the first run of a special train after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allowed the states to ferry migrants back home in buses on Friday. Many states, including Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Telangana, had also requested for special trains to ferry migrant workers back home.

After deboarding the passengers, the empty train will return once it is properly sanitised and all the coaches will be locked meticulously to avoid the entry of anybody. Disinfectants were being sprayed in around the Hatia railway station before the arrival of the train.

As per the Railways spokesperson, only 54 passengers are allowed per coach, which has a capacity of 72 in order to follow social distancing norms. In coupes, six passengers have been allowed, instead of eight.

Giving details of the arrangements for receiving the travelling migrants, official sources in Ranchi said the Jharkhand government has taken a decision that no relative should come to the Hatia station to receive their family members onboard the special train.

Transport officials have been asked to prepare an estimate of the number of migrant workers set to leave for their respective districts and make buses available through coordination among the officials engaged for the purpose.