2 Trains from (BPL)BHOPAL JN to (GHY)GUWAHATI

ER’S ENDEAVOUR TO REDUCE THE IMBALANCE ARISEN DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

•ER Continuing 24x7 Freight Services to Maintain Supply Chain of Essential Commodities

•Shramik Special trains run by Railways for Homecoming of Migrant Workers are Arriving Daily at ER stations

•ER’s RPF Distributing Food Among Needy People

Kolkata, May 25, 2020:

Eastern Railway has put all-out effort to reduce the all-round imbalance created following the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Freight services and Parcel Express trains are being run continuously by ER to maintain the supply of consumables, medicine, medical equipment, and necessary inputs for production process. ER has also shouldered the social responsibility of providing square meal to the destitute during COVID-19 lock down. ER’s RPF is distributing cooked food and food items o­n daily basis among needy people at different areas over ER jurisdiction. Shramik Special trains run by Railways for homecoming of migrant workers are reaching at or passing through ER stations every day. The migrants are catered with food& water o­n board and o­n arrival of Shramik Special at stations the de-boarded migrants are being attended by the ER’s RPF and other officials to help them in returning home in co-ordination with the concerned State Government.

ER’s Unabated Freight Service:

ER is running freight trains o­n 24x7 basis to maintain the supply of essential commodities. ER has run a total of 219 freight trains o­n 24.5.2020. Among thesea total of 131 rakes were run transporting essential commodities and industrial inputs viz rice, wheat, fertilizer, cement, stone, coal & minerals, steel etc. Besides, 88 empty rakes were dispatched to different operating points to facilitate loading of essential commodities.

Parcel Express trains:

Parcel Express trains are being run by ER in different routes for speedy transport of essential commodities during lock down period. ER has run Jamalpur - Howrah and Howrah - Guwahati Parcel Express trains o­n 24.5.2020 transporting commodities like medicine, medical equipment, Ghee, mask, fruits, fish etc

Shramik Special trains for homecoming of migrant workers:

A good number of Shramik Special trains were arrived at ER stations o­n 24.5.2020.Two Shramik Special trains from Delhi, o­ne from Cuddapah & o­ne from Gaziabad arrived at Bhagalpur station, o­ne Shramik Special train from Surat arrived at Munger station and o­ne Shramik Special train from Borivali arrived at Jasidih station of ER o­n 24.5.2020.Everywhere ER’s RPF and other officials were present to attend the migrant workers arrived by those trains.

Besides , 12 different Shramik Special trains from New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai , Lokmanya Tilak Terminal etc had arrived at Asansol Station o­n 24.05.2020. All of them were destined for different stations of West Bengal, Jharkhand , Biharetc. o­ne Shramik Special also stooped at Dankuni. A few passengers were de-boarded at these stations under supervision of RPF Personnel complying social distancing norms and use of mask by de-boarded passengers were made mandatory. Thermal scanning and medical checkup were ensured at station. Food packets and water bottles were distributed among all the passengers. Migrant workers expressed their gratification with the arrangement made by Railways. Passengers of two Shramik Special trains while stopped enroute at Malda Town station were also provided with food, drinking water etc by the Railways.

ER arranged food for needy people:

ER is continuing the endeavour towards arranging food for needy people to ease off their livelihood during lock down period. ER’s RPF is distributing food provided by RPF Staff / IRCTC and NGOs among destitute persons at different places in ER jurisdiction. In this process, o­n 24.5.2020, ER’s RPF distributed cooked food (lunch / dinner) among a total of 2220 persons.