Estimated spending Rs 2 lakh on each isolation coach; more special trains to be introduced: Rlys

The Railways on Friday said it has estimated a cost of Rs 2 lakh per isolation coach for its maintenance, food and linen for patients on board and protective gear for the staff and it has already been allocated Rs 300 crore for the same.

Railway Board Chairperson VK Yadav said this was the budgetary estimate of the national carrier for the 5,213 coaches which have been modified as isolation coaches and the money for it has already been received from the central COVID care fund.

He also said so far a total amount of Rs 620 crore has been sanctioned from the fund to the Ministry of Railways.

"All these expenses we are getting from the COVID fund. We had made an estimation covering minor changes in coaches, linen, food, cleanliness, masks, PPE for the staff and we have a rough estimate of Rs 2 lakh per coach. We have already been allocated Rs 300 crore for 5,000 coaches so far. We are monitoring the expenses,” he said.

Yadav also pointed out that movement in the reverse direction from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal has begun with migrant workers returning to the states that they had left due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are keeping a watch on occupancy of the special trains. Very soon we will begin more special trains depending on demand from states, occupancy, the COVID situation," the chairperson said.

"It is heartening to see that the occupancy in trains from UP, Bihar, West Bengal to big cities is increasing day by day, indicating an improving economic situation," he further said.

He also said that while it may not be possible to run all regular trains in the near future given the coronavirus situation, more special trains will be introduced soon.

Yadav said the Railways has identified 160 projects for returnee migrant workers which will generate around nine lakh mandays of work under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan in six states.

He also said the Railways had operated 4,594 Shramik Specials till June 25 and 62.8 lakh passengers travelled in them since May 1.

Railways has said it will run trains from any place within 24 hours of receiving demand from the states.

The chairperson also said the Railways had completed 200 important works during the lockdown period to remove bottlenecks and improve safety.

In reply to a question on the status of the bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Yadav said 60 per cent of the land acquisition has been completed and the project is on track.

Image Credits: PTI