Indian Railways has been called India’s life-line because of its large network spread across the country. At a time when the nation is facing Corona outbreak and the lockdown situation, it can be said that the Indian Railways has tapped into its potential to the fullest in service.
The Railways is contributing to the fight against COVID-19 in many ways. It is turning its coaches into isolation wards to treat COVID-19 patients, its canteen wing is serving food to the needy across the country, and the goods carriage wing is going all out to ensure that the essentials are reaching to the corners of India.
20,000 Coaches to Facilitate 3 lakh Beds
Indian Railways has announced that it is modifying 20,000 coaches that can accommodate upto 3.2 lac possible beds for isolation needs. Work on modification of 5,000 coaches, which are to be converted initially into quarantine/ isolation coaches, has already started. These 5,000 coaches would be having capacity to accommodate upto 80,000 beds. One coach is expected to have 16 beds for isolation.
Railways to supplement the efforts of Government in tackling COVID-19 in a big way
Coaches being modified as Isolation coaches to be available for contingency; 5000 coaches being planned initially.
1/2https://t.co/OIgiDSq4yc#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/G58n7EaxLL— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 30, 2020
To combat #COVID19, the Indian railways has converted train coaches into isolation wards for COVID-19 patients ? – offering clean, sanitised and hygienic surroundings for the patients to comfortably recover. #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/kFdxMxHR6A
— United Nations in India (@UNinIndia) March 28, 2020
In addition to converting its coaches to treat the COVID-19 patients, the Railways is also assisting in meeting the demands of beds and stools in hospitals.
Indian Railways Workshops have come forward to make beds, stools etc, in case of any future requirement for Isolation/Quarantine Wards of Hospitals.
#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/t73NE7gsNs
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 30, 2020
Feeding the Needy
The IRTC kitchens are seen rendering a humane service during the initial days of lockdown, in which large number of migrants and workers ran out of food. Many centres across India have taken it upon themselves to feed the needy, strictly following the social distance while doing so.
Hygienic meals were cooked in base kitchen of IRCTC and distributed to needy persons at Howrah station of Eastern Railway.#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/CiMi1O6UmJ
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 29, 2020
In order to provide the essential of food to those who are currently stranded due to #Covid19Outbreak, #IRCTC today distributed approx. 11,030 meals. They are hygienically prepared at its base kitchens in various locations while #PracticingSocialDistancing #IndiaFightsCorona
— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) March 29, 2020
भारतीय रेल ने पूरे देश में अपने रसोई घर में गरीब एवं जरूरतमंद लोगों के लिये भोजन बनाया जा रहा है।
देश सेवा के अपने कार्य को और अधिक विस्तार देते हुए इस कोरोना आपदा में गरीब, निराश्रित, मजदूरों, तथा कामगारों के लिये भोजन का वितरण भी कर रही है। #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/UGZv5qht7M
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 30, 2020
Delivering the Essentials
Ensuring that essentials reach the people amidst the lockdown is key for the success of this exercise, and here the freight service of the Railways is playing a big role.
Indian Railways continues with its efforts to ensure availability of essential commodities throughout the country.
More than 34000 freight wagons were loaded yesterday; of these, more than 23000 wagons carried essential commodities.#IndiaFightsCoronahttps://t.co/KZ5Ya6xxda pic.twitter.com/HhORBDlPMc
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 28, 2020
Indian Railway is serving 24/7 for the nation.
Now ensuring faster movement of freight trains to enable uninterruped supplies of essential commodities.#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/UmfN6qHou5
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 31, 2020
Leveraging its network, it has attended the needs of a place by connecting it to another remotest place to facilitate the supply.
To meet out the Milk requirement of national capital Delhi, Guntakal Division of Indian Railways is transporting milk from Renigunta(near Tirupati) in Andhra Pradesh to Delhi. pic.twitter.com/10OmnY5v9W
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 26, 2020
Railways has also decided to run Special Parcel Trains for carriage of essential items in small parcel sizes during the lockdown, the details of which you can read in this set of tweets.
Indian Railways to run Special Parcel Trains for carriage of essential items in 'small' parcel sizes during the complete lockdown in fight against #COVID-19
1/6#IndiaFightsCoronahttps://t.co/unjqUEVB6A— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 29, 2020
