WR shunts idle Covid coaches after Maharashtra govt insists
Only 3 patients were admitted in Covid isolation coaches at Palghar
The Western Railway has removed the Covid coaches kept at Palghar and Nandurbar. On May 24, these isolation coaches were removed from Palghar and the train was moved to Valsad carshed where it had been parked.
Since mid-May these Covid Isolation coaches are not under use in Nandurbar. This 21-car Covid coaches departed from Palghar station late Sunday night and according to WR officials, it has now been stabled at Valsad.
Since May 1, when these Covid isolation coaches were first introduced at Palghar, it catered to only three Covid patients. This train was parked on the loop line next to platform 3 of the station. “We had placed these Covid coaches as directed by the government. We have been informed by the state government that these are not needed for now. We have shifted it to Valsad,” said Sumit Thakur, Chief PRO, Western Railway.
According to the railway officials, the state government authorities sent them a letter stating that they do not need this Covid isolation train at Palghar. Sources said that the apparent reason given was that the patients are being accommodated at the Covid centre setup there and cases are under control.
The local residents and passenger associations however claim that the railways as well as state government did not make the procedure easy for patients and their families to get registered in these Covid isolation coaches. Moreover, as patients had to take the stairs of FOB to go on the other side, the demand was apparently less.
“The Covid isolation train was removed from service as there were barely three patients admitted,” said Prathamesh Prabhutendulkar, member, Dahanu Vaitarna Pravasi Sevabhavi Sanstha. The DVPSS claim that there was space next to platform 1 next to the road where other trains are stabled, where this Covid coaches could have been stabled and utilised much better.
Likewise, at Nandurbar station too, these Covid coaches are not under use. Sources said that until the time it was working, nearly 105 patients were treated and by mid-May 27 patients were there who were either discharged or shifted to hospitals.