India suspends passenger railway operations until 17 May

The Indian Ministry of Railways has suspended passenger railway operations until 17 May due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

This measure is a continuation of the previous suspension of railway operations announced last month until 3 May.

This suspension, however, does not include cargo trains to ensure that necessary supplies reach different parts of the country.

Passenger railway operations in India have been suspended since 22 March, to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

The Ministry of Railways has also announced that it will operate Shramik Special trains to help stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other people to reach their homes.

Trains will be operated as required by the governments of the different states and as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Passengers will be screened for Covid-19, following which they will be allowed to travel.

Many people around India were stranded in different states due to the nationwide lockdown, which was announced by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 25 March.

Additionally, Indian Railways has also carried out maintenance works that have pending. Work carried out includes yard remodelling, renewal of scissors crossover and repairs of bridges.

Last month, state-owned Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) announced that it suspended the operations of the three Tejas trains until 30 April.

India has also planned to use train coaches as Covid-19 isolation wards in response to the growing number of cases.

India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has so far reported around 29,685 active cases in the country and 1,389 deaths.