Good news: Post state's intervention, Rlys likely to run 200 suburban trains during rush hours

Kolkata: Following the Bengal government's request to run sufficient trains to ensure proper maintenance of physical distancing norms, the railway authorities have preliminarily decided to run at least 200 suburban trains during office hours.

The preliminary decision has been taken in a meeting between the top brass of both the state government and the railways at Nabanna on Wednesday.

Though the final decision on all aspects of resumption of suburban trains will be announced after the high-level meeting at Nabanna on Thursday, sources said that the matter related to running 200 trains during office hours have been discussed at a meeting held on Wednesday. It may be mentioned that the state government had written to the railways to ensure sufficient number of trains as 600 people can travel in a train at a time if the proposed norms of 50 percent occupancy is maintained and physical distancing can be properly maintained. The state had written the letter after railway authorities had stated that they will resume service with 10 to 15 percent of the total number of trains that used to run in pre-Covid period.

At the same time there was also discussion on security issues. The railways have informed the state about the number of personnel they will be engaging at different stations. Moreover the task of finalising the number of trains to be run following an assessment of the number of people at present are now travelling from different districts to Kolkata.

The railway authorities are also working on the number of galloping stations in which routes and how to tackle in case any emergency situation arrives. At present there are 175 and 208 stations in Howrah and Sealdah Division of Eastern railways while 101 stations in Kharagpur Division of South Eastern Railways.