News Link:Railways to Run More Local Trains in Howrah-Sealdah during Office hours
After seeing the public response on Day 1 on Wednesday, the Railways has decided to increase the number of local trains in Howrah and Sealdah divisions. As many as 696 suburban railway services in West Bengal resumed on Wednesday after nearly eight months of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Large crowds were seen at almost all platforms in Howrah and Sealdah divisions during office hours. Officials of the state government, Eastern Railways and South-Eastern Railways held a meeting on Thursday. Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and Home Secretary Hari Krishna Dwivedi were among those present in the meeting. The Railways agreed with the state government’s proposal to increase the number of local trains during office hours.
The railways have appealed to the people to strictly follow Covid-19 protocols.
After the meeting, Bandyopadhyay told mediapersons, “It was 30 lakh passenger daily before the pandemic began. On Wednesday, the number was 10 lakh.” This, however, is still a substantial number. The security personnel had a tough task in maintaining Covid protocol on the trains.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted on Tuesday: “Railways to operate 696 suburban services in West Bengal from Wednesday onwards, ensuring safe and convenient movement for the passengers of Kolkata.”
The Eastern Railway (ER) also urged all commuters to follow guidelines strictly. Using hand sanitisers, wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing norms while travelling on local trains should be followed. Officials in the South Eastern Railway also said all necessary arrangements made to sanitise coaches daily to ensure safety of passengers. They also deployed railway and civil forces to monitor passengers’ movements, sources said.
Compiled by – MK (Editor)
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News Link:Railways to Run More Local Trains in Howrah-Sealdah during Office hours
